Mauritanian meanderings

After our almost three month trip through Morocco we entered Mauritania on the 6th of April. The following is a brief account and thoughts on our three or so week stay here. You may be familiar with the first part of this episode as Sam briefly wrote about our first 36 hours in Mauritania…

Anyway… the night before we had arrived in Guergerat, the border town, where we had planned to stay before crossing the border early the following morning. Shortly after arriving, another cyclist rolled into town, Linz, an American rider. After a short discussion about how expensive the accommodation was, we decided to join forces and ask at the petrol station for a spot to put our tents. Erecting our tents and chatting, we learnt more about each other and the rides we had undertaken. A moment we hadn’t anticipated sharing was the birth of two puppies at the back of the lavage we were camping in…

Our Mauritanian experience started off with the challenge of getting through the border. Leaving Morocco was very straightforward but the Mauritanian process was somewhat more convoluted with us having to go backwards and forwards into multiple offices for different passport checks, visa payments and biometric records. Luckily a ‘fixer’ had spotted us arriving and guided us through the process (Linz exchanged some currency with him as payment for his help). It was quite jovial, possibly because it was early in the day (the police joked about polygamy as Linz and I stood with Sam in the queue) and although it was slightly confusing trying to work out what was happening next, we got everything sorted and ticked off.

Thinking we were about to complete the administrative necessities, we were stopped by multiple officials and asked to pay a ‘bicycle tax’. As we knew this didn’t exist we refused payment and after some frustrating negotiations, the officials finally got bored and let us continue on our way into the new country.

Not long after riding the rough gravel tracks past the ‘Danger. Mines,’ signs we were stopped by a french family driving back up from Senegal. They kindly shared some contacts and hints for the next part of our southerly journey. It was very welcome help to get us familiar with what lay ahead. We also gave them a sticker which one of the sons put on the car door (remember this little detail as it will pop up a bit later on in our story…)

Many Overlanders know about Mauritania for its famous Iron Ore Train. A huge 200 wagon locomotive that carries iron ore from the interior of the country to Nouadhibou where it is processed. The road crosses the tracks and we timed it to perfection to see the train slowly making its was into the city.

On our way back out Sam managed to snag an audio recording of the ore train. Given that he wasn’t able to start his recorder until the train was basically upon us, check out its length!

Anywayyy, at the road junction on the other side of the tracks, we said goodbye to our friend Linz as she pushed on to Nouakchott and we made our way down the peninsula to Nouadhibou. Our destination was in part due to us needing to get a SIM card and money, but also to find out more about travelling on the Iron Ore Train to explore deeper into the country (something which we later decided against).

Nouadhibou was a real shock to the system after spending so much time in the desert. It was just chaos. Vehicles of all sizes that were barely holding together, horses, motorbikes and people all shared the poorly constructed roads. It seemed as if the cars and trucks had left Europe, had a second life in Morocco and were now ending their days in Mauritania.

We had no Ouguiyas so spent some euros in a little cafe to get some change and no internet/SIM so used a supermarket WiFi to book our accommodation. Here we would spend a few nights to get used to the new country, how it all works, and rest after the desert riding.

It’s funny how we keep crossing borders unprepared. I’m sure most people exchange some money and sort a SIM ahead of time but we seem a little hapless in this regard. Living and learning? Or maybe just living…

Actually, we will publish our hotly awaited ‘SIMs on tour’ blogpost at some point. Watch this space…

The hotel was spacious and we got some jobs/admin done as well as preparing for our onward journey south. This was also when we researched the Iron Ore Train and decided that it wasn’t for us. It was disappointing that we now wouldn’t get to explore Atar and the surrounding area during this visit. Sam had really set his mind on not just transiting Mauritania, as many do, because of the many great experiences we’d had exploring areas less-ridden.

Upon leaving the city, we were met with more sand. Every day there was more alongside and often encroaching onto the road. Sometimes the wind was so strong that it filled the air too and just got in everywhere. There was almost no shelter so we spent much of our southward journey riding long days and many kilometres to the next petrol station, camp spot or other accommodation. We had some purpose but it’s not how we prefer to explore somewhere. When we stopped for food there was no shelter so before the first bite, our peanut butter sandwiches were filled with gritty sand. When you needed a wild wee, there was not a bush in sight to hide behind so a tyre had to do. We also noticed that the men kneel to go for a wee rather than standing up which seems to reduce the risk of the wind catching and it going all over your sandals. The first time Sam witnessed this on our way out of Nouadhibou he thought the truck driver was unwell as he propped himself against his truck. He rode over offering water. The guy was quite convivial, considering.

We did get in one fantastic wild camp spot where we shared the space with what we think was an African golden wolf.

It may be worth mentioning that before entering Morocco we had used Cycle.Travel for planning our routes. This isn’t available in Africa, so we shifted to Komoot, which has proved useful but both platforms have a habit of including unrideable sections - entirely understandably. We’ve relaxed into this and have accepted that throughout this section and the Sahara in general, we’d just be sticking to the main roads. What has been invaluable—despite Sam having reservations about what it does to our spontaneity—is the iOverlander app (available from all good app platforms). We relied on this, especially in Mauritania, to plan where to get supplies, rest and even where we need to pedal faster through. As with all user-contributed/wiki apps it relies on people adding and updating information. We have tried to do this when possible.

The roads in Mauritania were in far worse condition and the ‘main’ road linking the two major cities of Nouadibou and capital Nouakchott were narrow and often in really poor condition. Long sections were difficult to ride with the tarmac having broken up leaving deep cracks and large potholes, and the edge of the road falling away into the sand. Not only were we dodging the worst bits, but so were all the other vehicles resulting in some pretty erratic driving from coaches, minivans and pickup trucks. It was tough riding as you needed so many pairs of eyes for the road ahead, traffic ahead and traffic behind, whilst not being able to rely on your hearing due to the wind.

Whereas in Morocco where there were a few tents and concrete dwellings in the desert, here in Mauritania there were more tents and more wooden sheds which were very much like those that you’d find in a garden centre in the UK. They were reinforced (or entirely constructed) using flattened oil drums and tarpaulins in an effort to keep the sand out. Not to forget that the nights here can get really cold so weather-proofing is important to stay warm. It was also funny to note that all the doors to the dwellings faced in the same direction. Away from the prevailing, and seemingly ever-present, wind.

Many of these places had no electricity and water was stored in large plastic bags beside homes. We saw trucks hauling these bags of water across the desert, delivering them to scattered and isolated homes. Sam spent quite a long time pondering what sort of water pressure these might produce and the possibilities for remote living and even their capacity for powering remote artworks. What a spod.

Despite the bleakness and what we saw as extremely harsh living conditions, the people here were generally very kind. On one occasion we bought some supplies and were then gifted a rice dish for lunch by the shop owner Ahmed. We needed this boost after a couple of days of sharing the road with terrible drivers who didn’t know where the brake pedal was (or maybe it wasn’t working) and didn’t care if they forced us onto a sketchy hard shoulder or sandy bank.

Our stay in Nouakchott was a little slice of luxury after some hard desert riding. We were immediately greeted by the hotel neighbour Issa who invited us to his family’s tent in the desert. As if we hadn’t had enough desert experience, we agreed and this turned out to be a really special trip for us. Plenty of discussions and learning about Mauritanian and its culture, excellent food (predominantly camel-based) then a ride on the beasts themselves. We’re extremely grateful for the opportunity to spend some time seeing part of this country after feeling like we were riding through it more than in it.

Nouakchott itself was a bustling city of contrasts. We were staying in a relatively wealthy neighbourhood with large houses and some extremely fancy hotels. When leaving the city we passed through the centre and it was utter chaos. Cars, buses, motorbikes, horse-drawn carts, people and cows were stuck in stationary traffic jams. People called out to passersby to sell their wares which ranged from fish to fruit, shoes to sheds. The sounds, sights and smells were rich and powerful! Sensory overload, especially when trying to navigate on a loaded touring bike.

Issa had mentioned to us before our departure from Nouakchott that south of the city would be more populated than the northern desert areas we had passed through. This was very true and our next couple of days towards Diama were dotted with small villages but also with traditional Mauritanian architecture, many of which were holiday homes for those in the city. Their roofs and ornate decorations added splashes of colour to the beige desert landscape.

It was not only the architecture and communities that changed as we headed south, but the landscape too. Trees started to reappear. First scrubby bushes and acacias but then larger, greener species. We began to hear birdsong and saw colourful creatures flit amongst the branches. Frogs called out from reeds and rushes beside the road as we approached the Senegal River, which we would follow down to the border with Senegal.

There are two main borders from Mauritania to Senegal and we had been advised to travel to Diama as cycle tourers. This border is reached along an unpaved road through Diawling National Park which is rough going and can be flooded in the rainy season. For these reasons, there’s little vehicle traffic so both the approach and the border itself are quieter.

This meant a wonderful stretch of off-road riding that we had greatly missed and hadn’t had much of an opportunity to experience since reaching Agadir in Morocco. The problem we found where off-road riding is concerned is that in the desert (and on our travels so far in Senegal) routes off the tarmac roads are often unpredictable, especially in terms of deep sand. You can travel a very long way only to have your progress reduced to tough hike-a-bike (watch out for spiky things too!) for a stretch of unknown length.

We crossed the section to Diama extremely slowly, as we stopped to photograph warthogs and ID the huge number of new bird species we encountered. Every ten minutes we were peering into the bush to see if we could work out what was making that rustling noise. A highlight was seeing the huge monitor lizard cross our path.

Oh and water started to become a thing again…

We also met two cycle tourers on this section, Marica and Chepe who had been travelling the world and were on their way northwards to return to Marica’s home country of The Netherlands. Hearing their stories and gaining confidence from their long cycle adventure got us chatting about where we might explore after Senegal… watch this space!

It was also during this time that we were contacted by a Belgian couple Chantal and Jean-Luc who, back in Boujdour, Morocco, had spotted our sticker on the side of a car (remember that detail from earlier?!). They had been rapidly catching us up through the Mauritanian desert and had contacted us in the hope of meeting up and sharing some tips about the route ahead. Spoiler: They will reappear in our story from Senegal!

There’s no denying that this part of the trip was tough. The increase in life and vitality of the southern part of Mauritania was so energising. We once again remembered the reasons why we enjoy cycle touring and discovering new places.

We felt we hadn’t had the opportunity to meet quite as many people in Mauritania or make as many connections as we were largely just transiting remote areas in conditions that didn’t allow for much ‘dwelling’. It’s possible that with new friends like Issa, we may have the opportunity to explore more of the country and its history in future.