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Trarza Travel Blogs

Background: Independent from France in 1960, Mauritania annexed the southern third of the former Spanish Sahara (now Western Sahara) in 1976, but relinquished it after three years of raids by the Polisario guerrilla front seeking independence for the territory. Maaouya Ould Sid Ahmed TAYA siezed power in a coup in 1984. Opposition parties were legalized and a new constitution approved in 1991. Two multiparty presidential elections since then were widely seen as flawed, but October 2001 legislative and municipal elections were generally free and open. A bloodless coup in August 2005 deposed President TAYA and ushered in a military council headed by Col. Ely Ould Mohamed VALL, which declared it would remain in power for up to two years while it created conditions for genuine democratic institutions. For now, however, Mauritania remains, a one-party state. The country continues to experience ethnic tensions between its black population and the Maur (Arab-Berber) populace.

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By Bjorndahl
July 11th 2009

Nouakchott Africa » Mauritania » Trarza » Nouakchott

The Only Picture I Have of Nouakchott

Arrived in Nouakchott after a 6 hour ride in a small car with a soldier and some older funny men. Learned more about the history of Mauritania by reading my history section in the Lonely Planet I have been carrying around. This country is Desert almost completely so far. I hear it gets a bit more interesting on the border with Senegal. I have been thinking more about my last two major kind of adventures: The Iron-ore train and the camel ride. The train ride was exciting as I already noted. One of the best parts about it was being near [View Full Entry]

By eddy15
June 3rd 2009

Bye Bye Mauritania! Africa » Mauritania » Trarza » Nouakchott

On the Choum - Nouadibou Express!

So that’s it for Mauritania. I'm off to Senegal tomorrow. So the desert ended well. Evoku took me to his parents place in Atar the last night and got me in a cab to Choum the following day to catch a train to Nouadibou. Evoku’s family is very cute --- his wife, it turns out, is only 16 and they’ve been married for six years! Anyway, I find myself having strange paternal instincts, which must be due to a lack of intoxicants --- will cure that soon. So I got on the train with a feisty old Frenchman named Jacques. The [View Full Entry]

By eddy15
May 26th 2009

Still in Nouachott Africa » Mauritania » Trarza » Nouakchott

Porte-au-peche

Still in Nouachott! I was thinking about leaving today but decided to wait until tomorrow to exchange money. Plus I don’t feel like traveling yet. It’s nice here, although not too much to do. Went to the port-au-peche with Kiryomi and Eri yesterday. This idiot asshole rich-boy Mauritanian drove us. He drove like an idiot with s**tty music blaring and almost hit a kid. He showed no inclination to honk or slow down. Took us to some resort beach, not to the port-au-peche and then told us that we couldn’t go to the port-au-peche because the police would stop us and [View Full Entry]

By eddy15
May 24th 2009

Over the border and on to Nouakchott Africa » Mauritania » Trarza » Nouakchott

Kiryomi and Eri

Well it wasn’t Europeans/North Americans I met, but it was Westerners (sort of) --- Japan. Two girls, Kiryomi and Eri, whom I met them at 4 am in Dakhla. We then took a truck to Nouadibou, Mauritania. The Moroccan - Mauritanian border…WOW! It’s mined and for three KMs of no-mans land there’s really no road at all, just a path (sort of). Anyway, finally we got to the Mauritanian “customs post” where I get a three day visa for ten Euros. Well that meant I had to go to Nouachott right away. Actually this worked out because the two girls were [View Full Entry]

By Faffrica
December 5th 2008

Having a Riot in Mauritania Africa » Mauritania » Trarza » Nouakchott

(Copied from email to family) Hey Guys!! Managed to find the dodgy-est (sp) internet cafe in Mauritania. I actually have a bit of time to tell you about the stuff ive been up to. Trouble is I cant really remember it now. Only when I walk away from the computer will it flood back. I can tell you about recent events but it may sound a bit dodgy. Awesome times though. Sorry my email on Morocco was a bit short, but I didnt really fnid the place enthralling at all. The towns were either amazingly touristy or amazingly samey with the [View Full Entry]

By Kurogawa
September 19th 2008

Sand, Dust, Iron-ore and Wind: Mauritania Africa » Mauritania » Trarza » Nouakchott

Sand engulfing mountains!

Yep I made it, thought hours of waiting at the border, no I mean HOURS, really, in hte very baking sun, thankyou very much, a stint in no mans land, with with the three good friends I've made on hte way, and am still travelling with, we claim sovereignty over, call it Dayvéque, in hnour of Quebeqois friend David, and roll out a surprisingly american sounding constitutuion, for a great laugh, and we make it though to Nouadhibou. mmm what a wonder of a place. Sure, the road from Dakhla was LONG, but very scenic, did I say long, well there [View Full Entry]

By pablostrip
July 16th 2008

one week of lariam: pills & thrills & bellyaches Africa » Mauritania » Trarza » Nouakchott

road to nouakchott

so today Im in nouackchott, theres not much here and Im just resting before I head for saint louis (senegal) through rosso. thus, Ive decided to talk about lariam. honestly, I was quite curious about the effects this antipaludic might have on me, or on anybody else for that matter (as I manifested by asking about it to any single person that had taken it). these effects, besides prevcenting mmalaria with about a 90% of effectiveness are mainly psicological and range from VIVID dremas to mild hallucinations, passing by the always sweet road of paranoia. I had heard people having some [View Full Entry]

By pnltravels
March 11th 2008

The Adrar Adventure Africa » Mauritania » Trarza » Nouakchott

On The Train!

We arrived at the train station early (a small building beside the tracks constitutes the station), to be sure we wouldn't miss the train as we did not know exactly when it left. Our group of four grew steadily as other travellers joined us. Sylvia and Michiel are from Dresden, Germany (he is Dutch though), Marty is a fellow Canadian who is from Alberta, and three Japanese fellows also joined us. Sylvia, Michiel, Peter and I decided to pay for the journey and got passenger car tickets for 1000 UM each (approx. 4 dollars), the others chose to ride for free [View Full Entry]

The Iron Ore Train Travels Across the Desert

By Kate in Africa
November 24th 2007

"Les Toubabs font de la Fraude!" / "The White Girls are Smuggling!" Africa » Mauritania » Trarza

part of the group before they got sidetracked by the oh-so-enticing mound of sand posing as a cemetery

Faced with four and a half hours of free time on a Saturday afternoon in Saint Louis, what else were we going to do but walk to Mauritania? Our guidebook had a little map with an arrow saying "Mauritania, 3km" so we figured it'd be no problem. Our first problem was that we forgot to figure in all the kilometres that it was going to take to get to the part of the map where the 3km started. In order to get off our island, we had to first walk south, cross a bridge to another island and head north. Eventually [View Full Entry]

By AfricaBound
October 18th 2007

Mauritania Part 2 - The desert coast to Nouakchott Africa » Mauritania » Trarza » Nouakchott

Desert 14

While the cities in Mauritania are anything but special, the drive from Nouadhibou to Nouakchott was far and away the highlight of the trip on the Dover to Dakar section. There is a brand new tarmac'd highway linking the two cities, but if we took that it would entirely defeat the purpose of travelling overland. A little sandmatting was certainly worth the effort in order to experience the real Sahara. Part 2 of this drive took us along the beach through a bird sanctuary and national park. When we arrived at the beach we had to wait around for several hours [View Full Entry]

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