Blogs from Chinguetti, Adrar, Mauritania, Africa
Getting stood up by a camel in the Sahara
Published: April 13th 2011Africa » Mauritania » Adrar » Chinguetti
April 2nd 2011
I am on the back of a Ute high above the roof sitting on some bags. It’s pitch black and I am concentrating so I don’t fall asleep. If I do and fall off no one would know for a while. Only one other guy is up there with me and he is facing the other way - The rest of the passengers are squeezed inside. There is no evidence to suggest that I am in the Sahara. It’s just the sound of the tyres crossing compact sand. It’s cold and we are driving at a fair pace. I thought the toughest part of the trip was over but I was only in the middle. I didn’t know it then but by late afternoon I would be stood up by camel. I heard an irregular sound ... read more
July 11th 2009
So I have finished up my time in the desert with a camel ride in the Sahara around Chingetti. Left at 5 am and arrived in the nice quite town for about 7am. Was waived through all the checkpoints because our guide is a popular man (as he told us when he first met us). Spent most of the day relaxing and getting to know our roomates Olie from England and Corey from Calgary. They were there to checkout the city but would be leaving the next day. Me and Maarten would be doing the camel trip alone. Another amazing experience. My camel was pretty bad ass and made lots of funky sounds. Didn't really appreciate having me on top of him at first but by the end of the last day he was much more ... read more
May 31st 2009
So the trip in the desert has been going reasonably well. Not exactly what I wanted but at least I am seeing beautiful dunes and oasis. Tonight, my third night outside on the dunes and it seems like the best place yet. Last night was shitty as I was next to the town and in the open. My God is it hot during the day. I spend 12 and 5 pm at the Oasis reading (I just finished Margret Atwood’s “Oryx and Crake” --- it’s very good) and drinking water. Actually I have two guides --- I feel like a true colonial overlord. I was somewhat uncomfortable about this at first but I’m getting used to it. There’s plenty to eat --- last night we had camel stew and bread cooked in the sand. The stew ... read more
May 29th 2009
First some reflections on the pick-up ride yesterday. A once in a lifetime experience. I stress ONCE. However, it was very cool despite being somewhat hellish. So yesterday I decided to take a six day camel excursion with a young guy (Evoku) from Chingetti. Once we finally got to Chingetti (blown tire on the truck) a French woman gave me some good info on Senegal. Later her Burkinabe friend gave me info about Burkina Faso so I can stay at his house --- how unbelievably friendly since he has no idea who I am. Staying with Evoku’s family which includes his 18 year old wife and two children, as well as a large extended family. I’m supposed to go to Oudane but that plan got shot due to oil exploration (?). Also there’s a problem with ... read more
July 14th 2008
chinguetti was beautiful, but I dont feel like writting about it much. just check the pictures, Ill post something else instead in a while... oh yeah, just wanted to say that if you want to go to chinguetti you should go noow. since the killing of a bunch of frenchies in mauritania its a dessert city. me and the ppl that came with me were the only tourists in the city, and besides some CIA spies, I mean peace-corps volunteers, also the only whites (nassar in hassanian arab, a word I start to hear more and more in sentences such as: youre not like the other nassar, you dont buy stuff, you poor !)... read more
Kathie's 30th - Camels in Chinguetti
Published: November 4th 2007Africa » Mauritania » Adrar » Chinguetti
October 20th 2007
After a night in Nouakchott to shower and catch up on food shopping we ventured away from the coast inland to the old trading city of Chinguetti. Once a major player in Mauritania, it is still considered by Mauritanians to be one of the holiest places in Islam. The city itself is a shadow of its former self and is slowly giving way to the sands of the desert that surround it. It's incredible to see the many buildings that are half-burried in the sand, and one can only think that it is one major sand storm away from completely disappearing. How many people get to celebrate their 30th birthday in an ancient city in the middle of the desert? Naturally, camel riding seemed like a unique way to celebrate! They're such funny looking animals, but ... read more
February 8th 2007
Vandaag gaan we richting Chinguetti een rustplaats voor de vroegere kameel karavaans richting het zuiden of richting Mekka, het begin van de ''echte'' Sahara, zoals iedereen hem kent met z'n eindeloze zandduinen. Rond negen gaan we richting ''garage Chinguetti'' de verzamelplaats van pick-ups richting Chinguetti. Zoals gewoonlijk is het na de onderhandelingen over de juiste prijs wachten tot de pick-up vol zit, dat wil zeggen, twee mensen op de bijrijderstoel, vier mensen achterin en minimaal acht in de bak, het vullen van de pick-ups duurt meestal wel een paar uur, dus rond twaalven vertrekken we richting Chinguetti. De bak is afgeladen, met onze bagage, een paar dozen bananen, twee reserve wielen, twee geiten aan de zijkant gebonden, en boven op acht personen, waaronder ik dus. De weg is opzich goed dus we kunnen aardig door rijden ... read more
January 3rd 2005
It's been six days since I was able to get anywhere near an internet cafe - in that time a lot has happened. I am going to write this blog in diary format, day by day as I wrote the entries in my notebook. Some amazing things have happened in that time, including a bush taxi leaving for a 3 hour journey across the desert without putting any petrol in. It ran out of petrol after half an hour. So, we were stuck in the middle of nowhere. What was the driver thinking of! Did he expect the taxi to run on thin air, or was he expecting to beg the petrol from passing traffic? Anyway, more of that incident later. I will now use the diary format. 28th DECEMBER Guess what? The train didn't arrive ... read more
