Nouakchott

29 October 2022

We set off at 08:00 in a shared minibus for Nouakchott. The buses leave from the main road and a ticket cost 700Rp. The place was bustling with sellers, travellers and locals walking about - a feast for the eyes in this new country.

The journey was along a tarmacked road, in places encroached by sand being kept at bay by huge Caterpillar diggers. Again we stopped half way and were engulfed in a sand storm which was impossible to see through. I was reminded of how hard life can be in these climates.

The eight hour journey meant we witnessed the stops for prayer along the way. All passengers disembark and start their prayer rituals in the sand by the road. Today we stopped for this three times, before eventually reaching the capital city. I stayed at Auberge Triskell, owned by a French guy who has been in Mauritania for 20+ years - a fabulous cook and knows everything a travellers needs to know. This Auberge is popular with motor cyclists and I met two guys who like me had travelled from Holland and were on their way yo Dakar in Senegal and onwards to South Africa. My plans don't seem out of place here!

Sebastian's restaurant is amazing - I had salad and dhal! Incredible.

I slept in a tent on the roof - getting into practice for the desert.