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MAURITANIA
'A good traveller has no fixed plans and is not intent on arriving.'
Lao Tzu
20th October
We approached a wooden hut to get our passports checked but not before we had helped a Spanish guy twice pick up his loaded motorbike after he had gone down in the deep sand. On to another hut for our visas to be stamped into our passports. This was proving to be easier than we had anticipated, partly because the officials were far more concerned with a couple of unimogs that had decided for some reason to stray from the main sand tracks and go off into the desert, where there was still the danger of unexploded mines. We could see them parked in the distance and later discovered that they were the Dutch and Belgian travellers that we had met in Agadir! We took a while to convince the officials that we were not going off into the desert ourselves to advise the unimogs to return to the track. However, as we made our way to a further tent for more checks and to fill in a form to declare how much money we were taking into Mauritania, we saw the unimogs slowly retracing their tracks much to the officials relief. Paperwork completed, we watched as Raoul, the Spanish guy, left with a Mauritanian passenger who was hoping for a lift to Nouadhibou. Within minutes Raoul's bike slewed to one side in the sand and went over again, pinning his legs under the heavy load. We rushed over and helped lift the bike and decided that it would be safer and easier if we gave Embark a lift ourselves.
As we made our way toward Nouadhibou, Embark pointed out one of the long, Zouerat to Nouadhibou iron ore trains stationary in the desert. We stopped and walked over to the train where he chatted to the driver and we were able to get some photographs. These huge trains are said to be the longest trains in the world and with their long chains of bucket wagons carrying tons of crushed rock, they can reach approx. 2.5 kilometres in length. Three trains run daily between the mines in Zouerat and the Atlantic port of Nouadhibou. One of these carries passengers who can either travel free on the iron ore, or pay for the 'luxury' of a carriage. Conditions, we have been told, are overcrowded and uncomfortable. If travelling in the exposed wagons, it can be very cold at night and blowing desert sand and dust makes it a dirty trip. The train makes a stop at Choum between Nouadhibou and Zouerat. Choum is approx. 460 kilometres from Nouadhibou and this stretch of the journey can take about 12 hours, assuming all goes well. Shortly afterwards, another train slowly passed us going in the opposite direction, rumbling on for ever and disappearing in a cloud of dust.
Once in Nouadhibou Embark was very useful, helping us to get our vehicle insurance for a 1 month stay, change some money and then took us to Camping Abba. We met Jean and Lieve there, travelling from Belgium to South Africa on a similar route to ourselves. Raul, the Spanish guy with his motorbike was also there and a number of other overlanders. We felt that we were really in black Africa now and Nouadhibou looked extremely poor.
21st October
Nouadhibou is situated on a long peninsular, it is a major fishing and iron ore port and is Mauritania's second largest city.
Nouadhibou's coast is said to be home to the worlds largest colony of Mediterranean Monk seals which can grow to over 2.5 metres in length. Hunting them is now banned. Today we drove with Embark to Cap Blanc at the tip of the peninsular where we hoped to see them. We parked on the top of the cliffs and Embark assured us that the rather frayed and knotted ropes hanging over the side of these, would take our weight and enable us to reach the beach far below! Nouadhibou's coastline is also a ships graveyard for abandoned fishing hulks and once on the beach, we were able to walk right up to one of these huge, rusting shipwrecks marooned on the sand banks. We were thrilled to see some seals, just their heads out of the water. However they were too quick for photographs, diving under the water where they were able to stay for some time.
22nd October
We are sharing a guide with Jean and Lieve to travel through the desert, visiting the Parc Banc D'Arguin and then two days driving along the beach by the Atlantic at low tide, before reaching Nouakchott. We decided that this would be a far more memorable experience than travelling to the capital using the tarmac road!
After buying bread and diesel, we left Nouadhibou and drove back north along the peninsular before turning south into scrubby desert and a strong, hot wind. We passed huge bulldozers attempting to clear the drifting sand that blew continuously across the road.
Just before mid-day, we pulled off the road to stop outside a small wooden hut where we were offered tea. After taking off our sandals we were invited inside, glad of the cool and gloom. Sitting on rugs on the floor we relaxed, watched the customary ritual of making tea and were then handed small glasses of the amber liquid containing lots of sugar. Delicious and very refreshing! Bowls of goats milk, enjoyed by numerous flies, were on the floor, water, coke, tins of tomatoes, cigarettes and biscuits were on shelves for sale but the strangest sight were two very clean, fat and well cared for cats, fast asleep on the floor and being caressed gently by one of the local guys as he drank his tea! These cats were so relaxed and obviously enjoying all the attention!
After thanking our hosts for the tea we left the tarmac road for the Parc Banc D'Arguin and stopped to let air out of all the tyres for the desert stretch ahead. The temperature was soaring. Trying to ignore the dust, we opened windows but the scorching breeze took our breath away. Just flat sand with the odd tree and sand dunes in the distance. We drove for what seemed like hours, sipping hot water and feeling like shrivelled prunes, until about 5 p.m. when we made camp behind some tall dunes. Sand was in everything, so we manoeuvred the vehicles to try and avoid more that was drifting from the tops of the dunes. Our thermometer read 110 in the shade but despite the heat and dust, we made a lovely meal and had a wonderful night under the stars!
23rd October
We drove further into the Parc Banc D'Arguin today, to the southern end at Nouamghar. This huge Parc comprises a vast area of sand dunes, coastal swamps, small islands and a wide expanse of shallow, coastal waters. It is one of the world's largest bird sancturies and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. After only 2 to 3 hours driving, we left our guide at one of the villages in the Parc and stopped on a plateau overlooking a bay at Cap Timirist. We were glad for a breeze after our scorching day in the desert yesterday. We saw flamingos, pelicans, herons and huge gulls with bright orange beaks as well as many other smaller birds. We walked at the edge of the warm water and watched fascinating colonies of orange-coloured crabs and then birds dive-bombing for fish as they leapt from the water.
We collected our guide again at about 6 p.m. and headed for the sea. We had been waiting for low tide to begin our drive along the beach. We kept to the edge of the sea where the sand was wet and flat but often hit the waves which were still rolling in. As we had a late start, we only drove 15-20 kilometres before we pulled in from the shore to make camp, just as dusk was falling. A relaxing day, followed by another great meal. Just the sound of the waves and a sky full of stars. Wonderful!
24th October
We found four, huge grasshoppers sheltering around the outside of our tent this morning as we packed away. We were all ready to leave by 8 a.m. whilst it was low tide, although not as low as we would have liked. This meant driving non stop for about 4 hours covering approx. 130 kilometres. We saw huge birds, perhaps sea eagles, swooping into the sea to catch fish and then flying off with them in their claws. Hundreds of crabs scuttled into the sea or dashed back to the safety of their holes higher up the beach as we followed Jean and Lieve's tyre tracks close to the water's edge. We passed towering, orange dunes at the edge of the beach and small, Senagalise settlements inhabited by fishermen who come to this part of the coast for a particular fish that is present in the water during the months of September and October. Their long boats were pulled up on the sand and the tide was now coming in fast. We stopped to discuss whether we should make a dash for Nouakchott, still approx. 30 kilometres, or to rest up on the beach and have lunch. We decided on the latter and also enjoyed a quick dip in the Atlantic. Although the water was not too cold, the waves however were rough and strong, so a dip was enough! We enjoyed a siesta with a lovely off-shore breeze and then set off along the last stretch of beach for Nouakchott. How strange it will be after 3 days of solitude in the desert and by the sea to arrive once more in a busy town!
It was almost dark as we arrived on the outskirts of the capital and were glad for our guide to suggest that we camp at the Auberge De Nomades and to give directions. We pulled up outside a large pair of metal gates and once inside found ourselves in an enclosed yard with trees for shade, a few tables and chairs and reasonable washing and toilet facilities. There was only one other vehicle there belonging to an American who was travelling to South Africa with a companion that he had met on the internet. We also met Frank there later from Bristol, back-packing on his own down to Sierra Leone. He was hoping to buy a canoe in Guinea and paddle through a National Parc for 2 weeks. However, he did not seem well protected from the sun or the mosquitoes and we wished him a safe journey!
25th October
I caught up on the washing today......no problems in getting it dry, 100 degrees in the shade! We then took the Land Rover to a nearby garage to have the sand and salt water washed away with a high pressure hose. There were many persistent beggars and sellers at traffic lights and parking places. Guys with trays full of sunglasses or watches were hoping for a sale even though we were wearing both! The seller with perfume for madame, appeared like a genie wherever we seemed to stop. Driving was crazy and impatient, with most vehicles looking and sounding as if they should have been on the scrap heap. However, with parts tied together or just hanging off, overloaded with people and goods, they seemed to manage to get their passengers from A to B! Later we walked to the souk for fruit and vegetables. No pavements, just sand and garbage everywhere. Just before dusk everything closed, the cooking fires began to smoke and people headed home to eat. We walked back past homes held together with sheets of corrugated iron, cardboard, wood and sacking, packed together with barely a space between them. Amazing to see however, just how many of these homes had satellite dishes...... TV, their little bit of luxury!
26th October
Jean had problems with his alternator, so we caught a taxi in the morning to the Mali Embassy to get our visas and then returned to find the internet cafe in the main street.
We left early afternoon with Jean and Lieve to head towards the famous Adrar region in the north west of Mauritania, which includes the ancient Saharan caravan towns of Chinguetti and Ouadane and the oasis at Terjit. It will take nearly two days to reach Atar, capital of the Adrar region and so we broke our journey by pulling off the road into the desert to camp, about 20 kilometres before the small, ancient, copper mining settlement of Akjoujt.
27th October
We headed into a sandstorm with a scorching wind and the windows had to be closed which made it even hotter! After about 150 kilometres of flat, scrubby desert, hills loomed through the dusty sky and began to look really impressive as we got nearer. We began a winding ascent through the rocky hills and then on to Atar, the largest settlement in the northern interior. We tried to change some dollars here in the main street but the money changers were nervous of the police presence and so we were taken round to the back of a maze of old buildings in the market place. We got a good exchange rate after some haggling but then found that they were not interested in changing only 50 dollars! It is important to plan finances here as banks in Mauritania we discovered, do not have ATM facilities.
We continued through the spectacular Ebnou Pass towards Chinguetti and enjoyed rolling stones down into the gorge far below and listening to the thundering echo. We made a detour to see some interesting rock paintings showing animals and people dancing and then turned on to a sand track until we reached Chinguetti, a town surrounded by magnificent sand dunes up to 20 metres high, the old part of which, has nearly been engulfed in a sea of sand. It was a silent town, except for the sound of voices and animals, as all roads and alleyways were completely covered in sand, deadening footsteps. We watched a large herd of camels being led in from the desert and people were eagerly returning to their homes to eat, as dusk was falling and it was still Ramadan.
Chinguetti is the 7th holiest city of Islam and was once famous for its Islamic scholars. It was a centre of learning with a Koranic library containing ancient manuscripts. It became an assembly point for the pilgrimage to Mecca and a city on the caravan route, where camels laden with salt once travelled.
We explored the former French Foreign Legion fortress and had a wonderful view of the town and surrounding dunes from its battlements. It was dark by the time we returned to the desert road to find a place to camp for the night....not a good idea!
28th October
Having travelled here with Jean and Lieve we decided to share a guide so that we could take the desert route to Ouadane situated to the north east of Chinguetti, on the edge of the Adrar plateau. We stopped to let air out of the tyres before leaving Chinguetti, surrounded by inquisitive but friendly children, seemingly oblivious to the flies that crawled around their faces. Approximately 120 kilometres now to Ouadane through the desert and across some challenging sand.
Some women waved us down at a village and invited us to drink tea in one of their thatched huts. We sat on rugs enjoying the cool interior and very sweet but refreshing tea. A baby goat was curled up asleep in one corner. It wasn't long however, before the hut was soon full up with local women spreading out their beads, braclets, pots, smoking pipes and pouches on the ground and hoping for a sale. There was great excitement when we took photos of the family group with our polaroid camera and gave them the pictures.
The sand became deeper as we progressed further into the desert and although we managed without using sand ladders, we took some time to get to the top of a steep slope, by which time Jean, Lieve and the guide had disappeared from sight! Not quite sure how they didn't realise that we were no longer behind them! After about 20 minutes and letting more air out of the tyres, we made it to the top, only to discover that the sand had changed to a stony piste and their tyre tracks had completely vanished! We waited around for another 20 minutes or so searching for signs of tracks and eventually found a very rocky piste marked on each side by stones. We continued along this for 20 kilometres, wondering where our friends and guide could be. A goat herder pointed us in the right direction, we saw the escarpment ahead of us in the distance and finally reached Ouadane, our tyres thankfully having survived the sharp rocks and stones without a puncture!
Ouadane was founded in the 12th century and was another caravan crossroads and trading centre for gold, salt and dates for nearly 400 years. Like Chinguetti, it is recognised as a World Heritage Site. We approached by the oasis with tall palms as the sun was setting, the best time to arrive, as the old town, constructed 800 years ago, was built into the side of the steep escarpment and the strong shadows defined the crumbling buildings more sharply and gave the ruins a golden glow. Only a few families still lived in the old part while a small, modern settlement had sprung up just outside the gates.
We camped again that night under the stars just far enough away from the road to be out of sight and again saw shooting stars across the sky.
29th October
We caught up again later with Jean and Lieve and exchanged stories! Jean unfortunately had got a puncture after he lost us and split the side wall of a tyre. We all returned slowly to Atar so that he could get this repaired but not unfortunately until the following morning, so we decided to continue to Terjit on our own and meet up with them there later.
We decided to camp on the top of the spectacular Tourvine Pass and visit the oasis at Terjit the following day. Two men arrived with their camels shortly after we stopped and settled for the night nearby. They invited us over for tea, peanuts and little biscuits. We gave them some sugar and then cooked extra food to share with them. It was a perfect evening to sit and study the sky with just the flames from their small fire flickering close by. We both really enjoy camping wild and although it sometimes takes a little while to find the right spot, to have a sky full of stars, just the noise of the wind and the occasional shooting star falling to earth, is wonderful!
30th October
In the morning one of the men went to fetch the camels that had strayed during the night. They complained noisily as they were loaded up with decorative trappings and then were led away by the youngest man down to the oasis for any tourists that may arrive. The older man stopped to talk to us. He laughed at our large Michelin map when we unfolded it to show him where we had been and said that his 'carte' (map) was the 'sable' (sand) and drew pictures in the sand to show us where the various surrounding tracks led. He then went off to work in the gardens of the oasis.
We drove down into Terjit and left Moby in a parking area where the oasis began. We walked through sandy paths shaded by towering palms and greenery,the sound of water trickling over rocks into irrigation channels or collecting in sandy pools and the sound of many birds. The path led to cool, open-sided tents with cushions to rest on and where we found Jean and Lieve. There was even a bathing pool and streams fed by a warm spring. A sheer, rocky cliff with stalactites and covered in ferns, marked one edge of the oasis. It was a very beautiful place amidst such a harsh environment.
And so back to Nouakchott. We stopped for lunch in the shade of a tree just before Akjoujt, with our thermometer reading 100 degrees again in the shade! We stopped again later at a roadside store to buy cans of drink and were kindly offered refreshing glasses of mint tea by the owner to drink inside the cool of his shop. Our water from the fridge does not stay cold for long in these temperatures and we were soon quenching our thirst with 'hot' water again.
We camped once more away from the road and into the desert by a line of trees...another peaceful night.
31st October
It was quite cool first thing this morning but by 10 a.m. you could not escape the hot wind and sun that penetrated the Land Rover. More flat desert ahead for many kilometres but then the sand suddenly changed to a dazzling white, followed by a line of orange dunes.
We arrived later in Nouakchott, having been welcomed through a check point by a very courteous and charming policeman who spoke his few words in perfect English and with a big smile!
1st November
We spent the day back at the Auberge de Nomades catching up with washing and shopping but no luck at the internet cafe today, it was too slow to even look at emails. This is a town however, despite the glaring poverty, that we decided really begins to 'grow' on you, with its many contrasts, the encroaching desert and windblown garbage. Our camping at the Auberge de Nomades had also been a good choice, relaxing and quiet but only minutes from the main street where we were able to buy hot, fresh bread every morning.
And so we begin our journey into Senegal and it's goodbye to Mauritania. We have enjoyed everywhere we have been in this country and will be sad to leave both the desert and its people behind.
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