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You can lose everything, but nobody will take away what you saw and what you experienced...
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Feb 14, 2005 07:00 PM First day, first adventure....
Yesterday in the evening when my backpack was already locked up I got a telephone call from LOT Polish Airlines. "Your flight in the morning is cancelled!" We can offer you the seat on the next flight - six hours later!... Uff! Fortunately I planed overnight stay in Warsaw so I will be able to catch my connection anyway. Even in Poland it is better not to plan very tight connections, especially in the winter... I just landed in snowy Warsaw. First day - first adventure...
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Feb 13, 2005 07:00 PM St Valentine's Day in Nouakchott...
Atar to Nouakchott: 6 hours in the rented car with driver...
I am in the capital city of Mauritania. Huge, dusty and dissapointing bazar, two impressive new mosques...
I stay in Auberge la Dune - 4500 ougija for the twin room.
The highlight of the town is its beach with 200 or 300 little and painted fishing boats. Come there around 4 pm when the boats are coming with a fresh fish. What a spectacle!
In the morning I got the visa of Mali - their embassy is very efficient - it took only é hours of waiting and 2500 ougija - much less then in Europe.
Now i am looking for the transport to the border of Mali - like 1000 km - the Africa is wide!
Keep your fingers crossed - after 2 days I should enter Mali by country road...
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Feb 11, 2005 07:00 PM Through the sands of the desert...
Planing the trip from Ouadane to Chingueti you can make a choice of the bumpy gravel road or to drive through the sand dunes... The last option is more interesting but cocts more fuel... It is worth! Only the footprints of other 4WD trucks guided us through the dune country. What a landscapes! The most impressive part of the day was a stop in the little oasis of Tanouchert, where the sand is covering one by one the picturesque palms...
The Chingueti - once one of the holiest towns of islam is very tourist, with less old buildings then Ouadane. No palms around, only one mosque to see but hords of kids asking for the cadeau... Make a choice of Ouadane if you will be pressed by the time! In the famous libraries they charge 500 ougija per visit by they show only few books...
Zarga - the picturesque mountain ridge raising from the yellow sands is also beautiful - unfortunately it was the end of the day when we were there and very limited time - domage!
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Feb 10, 2005 07:00 PM 4WD to the Ouadane...
The cost of the expedition is not so high if you will find few people to share: landcruiser cost 18000 ougija for the car with local driver plus fuel...
Alejuta in the local dress and black turban arrived at 9am...
He is experienced driver. One hour later we crossed picturesque range of Adrar Mts. It was all gravel road full of stones and bumps; only climb to the pass is paved. First stop was close to the picturesque historical ruins of Fort Saganne. Then it was long drive to Ouadane by the piste...
Can you imagine the palm oasis towered by the ruins of XI-century stone town located in the middle of nowhere? The town is larger then I expected - it is just a labirynth of narrow streets, alleys, public buildings with very few people still living there. Entry to the ruins cost 500 ougija.
We spend the night under the tent in Auberge Vasco run by the local women. Bring your sleeping bag, but you will still pay 1500 ougija for the overnight. It is desert! In the evening they played at the camp traditional music and we had a chance to see dances... Unforgetable day!
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Feb 09, 2005 07:00 PM Atar - resting in the Sahara Desert
Yes, I can recommend this place: camping Bab Sahara run
by the Dutch - Justus and his wife is located on the outskirts of the town of Atar.
They have big tents and two stone rondavels - each for 4 persons. And they charge 7000 ougija /like 20euro/ per rondavel. There is only cold shover but the hosts are very friendly, very knowlegeable and helpful. Local cook will prepare for you the rice with fish and salad for 600 ougija.
Atar is very tiny - the capital of province has no high buidings,
only one internet cafe and 4-rooms museum... Atar has inexpensive charter flights from France by Point Afrique /from 220 euro each way - what a deal!/ and is used mostly as a base for the expeditions to the oases in the desert. We will start our tomorrow -Insz Allach!
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Feb 08, 2005 07:00 PM 450 km by the ore train... Mauritania
The station proudly marked GARE de VOYAGEURS is located in the sand in the northern outskirts of the town... In fact it is only one little shelter abondoned during the day. People appear around 1 pm. The train is departing according to the schedule daily at 2.50 pm. It was 2 pm when I disembark there the taxi /500 ougija/ carrying in the heat my backpack, good supply of food and water and ready for the railway adventure.
This is private railway built to carry from Zouerat into the coast the iron ore -in fact the only resource of Mauritania. Once a day they attach one passenger car to the 2.5 km long train. They say it is the longest operating train in the world. -Monsieur, do you want a ticket?
You can travel for free in the ore carriage under the sky - in the dust. Passenger carriage gives some comfort... for 1000 ougija.
3 pm, 4 pm... the train arrived at 5 pm. Hurry up... it is only 10 min stop: one entry for ladies and one for gents - to avoid harrashment... Uff... inside it looks like a dusty cattle carriage - most peple just lay on the floor. What a experience! 11 hours in such a crowdy car! Dust and noise but you are going on! At 4 am in the dark we landed in Choum. Junky landcruiser took us for 2000 ougija to 4 hours distant Atar - promised land after such a trip... Enjoy your Mauritania!
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Feb 07, 2005 07:00 PM Nouadhibou - did you hear about it?
It is second town of Mauritania... Do not look for the center... you will not find it... Dusty streets... Wind and sand. Donkeys... Garbage around...
Central point is probably where Hotel de Ville or Town Hall is located... I stay in the Camping Abba - friendly place where they have space for tents but also few rooms. They charge 3400 ougija for double with good, hot shower . In Mauretania you will find quite good black market for western curriencies. Ask at any shop, not on the street : they will give you 385 ougija per euro and 300 per USD. In the bank or official exchange office you will get 30-40 percent less. If you are coming from the north they will also offer good price for the dirham - 35 ougija.
Food is cheap here: french baguette cost 50 ougija, one egg also 50, the bar of french butter - 400.
In the afternoon I took a short tour to the Cape Blanc - the guide books recommend its cliffs - in fact it is now port and industrial zone - you have only like 500 m access to the coast and it is still nice place but not worth the half day tour...
Back from the heat and dust to the shower I feel like in the paradise... But it is still Africa...
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Feb 06, 2005 07:00 PM To Mauritania.... in the truck
It is Africa...
We departed from Dhakla at 10am. The truck was like a prison
car - with bars in the little windows. Local family in their exotic costumes travelled with us...
Desert, desert.... More then 400 km. The ocean is not visible from the road... No more convoys on this route - the UN keeps
the army and Polisario separated.
Police posts - a lot of them - you are registered many times
on the little pieces of paper or in the school-like notebooks.
Keep your passport ready and smile to the guards.
Heat, take a lot of drinking water...
The border post are in the little rural houses. The custom officer liked my hat but I said I have only one - for me....
One more post of Morocco - the real border. End of paved road: bumps - landmines around - they say.
Mauritanian posts are in the little timber huts...
You will fill here your currency declaration - do not declare the money you want to change on the black market...
Surprise: from the posts the road is new and paved;
we reached Nouadhibou after dusk - it was 11 hours of the
drive from Dakhla... Ufff! Enough for one day...
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Feb 05, 2005 07:00 PM How to get to the border? - Western Sahara
Dakhla is the last big town if you are going south to Mauritania...
Surprisely clean and nice - developed by Marocco. Again no info in the guidebook so let you know: inexpensive and friendly place to stay - Hotel Bahia just at the CTM bus station - only 30 dirham per bed rate, share shower, one sheet only but beautiful view of the sunrise on the bay just from the room window...
No more regular buses on Atlantic route - I was forced to look around the town for the onward transport. It took half a day and now I know:
ask people at the market and little hotels for Mauretania truck drivers - their little trucks park at the check point at the entry of the town. They take cargo to Mauritania and also passengers to Nouadhibou. Bargain is hard - finally I got the price applied to the locals: 400 dirham in the front cabin and 300 dirham in the back - with cargo. We will depart tomorrow at 8.30 am......
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Feb 04, 2005 07:00 PM Already in Western Sahara!
The state-owned CTM bus company is worth to recommend. But be prepared to pay extra for your luggage at check-in.
For the ticket from Agadir to Laayoune I paid 190 dirhams. And then 10 extra for my backpack. It was 12-hours night journey... We arrived to Laayoune - the former capital of Western Sahara at sunrise. Desert is around, but the town is surprisely clean and new-painted... It is well off the beaten trails... UN observers stay in the best hotel...
The cheapest option to stay (not mentioned in the guidebook) is As Sahel hotel (45 dir per double without bath). Internet in the cafe around the corner is inexpensive: only 5 dir (like 50 eurocents) per hour.
In the morning we took a tour by car to little Lamsid oasis - 14 km in the interior - there is restaurant and tented hotel but do not expect any local folklore...
Tomorrow we would like to go further south via famous Atlantic Route trying to stay away from the landmines planted during the conflict...
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