Mar 9, 2013 - Nouakchott, Mauritania

Did the camel trip into the desert yesterday, and it was absolutely brilliant, one of the best things I have ever done. Left Atar in the morning to arrive at the tiny old caravan town of Chinguetti at around eleven ( taxi took 2 hours). The camel ride began at one o'clock, and I did it with a young Japanese chap. Along with our guide, we were the only tourists, as no-one is coming to Mauritannia anymore since the French declared it a dangerous country to vist...not true at all! The peace and quiet out amongst the huge sand dunes was...

Mar 7, 2013 - Atar, Adrar region, Mauritania

Well I haven't quite reached my destination , but I am close. So, I arrived at the train station at 2 o'clock, all set for the 2.30 train. Alas, I waited and waited, then I waited a little bit more, before it finally arrived at 8.30, a full 6 hours late...welcome to West Africa! It was now starting to get pretty cold, and getting onto the passanger carriage was no easy feat, given that it was also pitch black, and there wasn't a single light on the train. I have been on some bad trains in my time, but this truly was awful, just hideous. I...

Mar 5, 2013 - Nouadhibou, Mauritania

Just checking in after a dusty 8 hour trip. I am all set for my train ride into the unknown tomorrow, followed by a camel trip deep into the Mauritanian Sahara. Okay, that's all for now, just found a cafe to watch the Real Madrid game. Will probably not be back online until Saturday now.

Oct 3, 2012 - Getting a great look at the nice city of Nouakchott

Hello everyone, It's been an interesting two weeks. Weather has been sub par and I've had great command of the ship. I am now temporarily staying on the coastal city of Nouakchott, Mauritania in Africa and am exploring much of the city. The city holds about 600,000 people and is persistently growing at a high rate. This is a typical Muslim city, filled with the poor and rich, and living conditions not the greatest for residents. But this all around is a beautiful city comprised of tall buildings and a serene, endless beach. I was able to...

Apr 13, 2010 - Mauritanie Nouâdhibou Baie du Lévrier Camping Ali- JoJo

Pourquoi ce nouveau camping à Nouâdhibou ? "Chez ALI La Baie du Lévrier " Depuis la mise en service d'une voie goudronnée à la sortie de la frontière Maroc/Mauritanie (après le no-mans land toujours en place) les touristes ne font plus le détour vers Nouadhibou qui est devenu une impasse . Dans le passé, pas très ancien, les routards ne pensaient qu'une fois la frontière mauritanienne franchie , aller se reposer quelques jours avant d'attaquer cet immense pays de sable qu'est la Mauritanie.Chacun avait envie de prendre la Mauritanie en...

Jan 20, 2008 - Nouakchott

Nouakchott is as ugly as sin, as dusty as hell and as dirty as the devil, It's almost a religious experience being here. There is some sort of saying about not building on sand, well Nouakchott is a city and Mauritania a country that seem to be entirely built on sand. There are no sights to see in NKC and not really much to do but I did actually quite enjoy my time here nontheless. After my dusk arrival by bush taxi, another nightmare of a journey but I'm not going to describe this one, I headed into the town as I was desperate to eat. The...

Jan 18, 2008 - Nouadhibou

Dodgy deals, revolution, the Restaurant at the End of the World, police, police and more police, off-roading blackmarket cars through a minefield and more. I must really be in Africa now, I will write up fully when I get more time. After an earlish breakfast and a quick shop for supplies for the trip we met in the reception of the Sahara Hotel. The 2 Koreans were there and also a Japanese girl who was going to join the three of us in our car. The middle man who had arranged the transport wanted Dh300 up front, I wasn't too keen to pay...

Jan 12, 2008 - A long long day

It made a pleasent change to wake up in a tent you can stand up in, as oppossed to crouching down. However, the showers we were promised the night before turned out to be a small dark outhouse with a bucket of cold water inside, ho ho. We rode from 9am until 8.30pm today. This was 310 miles all across the desert. At several stages there were some sand storms, it was an incredible experience riding through it. It was blisteringly hot but looked amazing, like a moving magic carpet, as the sand constantly moved and danced in front of you...

Oct 26, 2007 - Nouakchott

Very sloow::will write later Visa into Mauritania only 10E each. To capital Nouakchott via taxi ..driver from day before, Mulay, cost us 10,000 ea or $40 US since we did not share taxi. Fellow from Bremen, Germany we had met later said he shared a taxi w/ 8 others altho only cost him 4,000 or $16 US and it took him 8 hrs during heat of the day! Since we left at 4:30 am and arrived at 10 am it was cooler and we got to the Mali Embassy before closing at 11 to get visas!!!(6,500 or $14US) Now ckd in at Auberge Menata...very busy place, lots of...

Sep 24, 2006 - Nouakchott - Chingetti

El transporte es una tortura en Africa. Me tome un colectivo a Atar, un pueblo desde donde se va a Chingetti. Al principio me querian meter atras, donde no podia ni sentarme derecho, me senti claustrofobico y al final me cambiaron adelante. Igual fue incomodisimo pero me tuve que aguantar 6 horas asi. El camino fue puro desierto, parando cada 1/2 o 1 hora para rezar! El auto paraba y todos salian, se ponian en la arena mirando a la Meca, y rezaban , arrodillandose y parandose varias veces y poniendo la cara en la arena! Durante el trayecto...

Sep 23, 2006 - Noadhibou - Nouakchott

Al final no tome el tren a Choum porque solo habia uno y el dia anterior se habia retrasado 3 horas, y me dijeron que unos taxis te llevaban mucho mas rapido, pero via Nouakchott (la capital) en el sur. Asi que me meti en un taxi a Nouakchott, el peor error en Africa hasta ahora!! Era un Mercedes 190 pero con 7 personas dentro! El chofer, 2 en el asiento de adelante, y CUATRO atras! Fue una tortura: era como si te estuvieran prensando la cadera, mientras tienes las piernas apretadas, los brazos doblados en 8, con un calor infernal (cruzando...

Dec 30, 2005 - Nouakchott, MAURITANIA to SENEGAL

Weather: Cool Awoke to the sound of birdcall, which meant it was after 7am. When I roused enough to look at a clock it was 7.40am, later than I had hoped because I wanted to get to the Senegalese border at Rosso before it closed for lunch at 1pm. By the time I had packed and bought some baked goods for breakfast from the bakery nearby, it was almost 9am. I then had to wait to pay for my two nights accommodation because reception had only just opened and there were people waiting ahead of me. Like myself they had to have their passport...