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Mauritania 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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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. [View Full Entry]

Bjorndahl - Peter Sorensen | Read The Full Entry | Subscribe
207 Words | 0 Comment(s) | 6 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s)
Published: July 11th 2009 | 52 Views | [diary=417282]

My Camel and Our Destination
Guide Walking the Camels Away so they don't bother us while we sleep...
Lunch Under A Tree

By Bjorndahl
July 11th 2009
Nouakchott Africa » Mauritania » Trarza » Nouakchott
The Only Picture I Have of Nouakchott
The Only Picture I Have of Nouakchott
and it isn't even good...an ok looking mosque in the city center
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]

Bjorndahl - Peter Sorensen | Read The Full Entry | Subscribe
365 Words | 0 Comment(s) | 1 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s)
Published: July 11th 2009 | 59 Views | [diary=417447]


Escape from Nouakchott, a poem I just realized it’s April Fool’s Day. I have no one to tell. I rode back to Nouakchott on the back of a truck. I introduced Malcom, the Canadian, to the fast talking Boston/Mauritanian millionaire Sidi Boya. He’s been hired on to work on the presidential elections. I’ve taken to wearing gris gris. The Auberge erupted in madness. Frusturated marriage proposals. Mohammad was crushed, I was fearing for his health. Two French Senegalese attacked a Frenchman in the morning, wielding tire irons. I bought two bottles of whiskey [View Full Entry]

kirkley - christopher kirkley | Read The Full Entry | Subscribe
9180 Words | 0 Comment(s) | 3 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s)
Published: July 7th 2009 | 137 Views | [diary=416093]

oualata
goat

Well, quite the experience. First I had to wait 6 hours at the train station because the shipment was behind schedule and it was more important than the passengers (makes sensen). Then when I finally got on the train, I began to experience the dust... My god. Lots of it. In my eyes, hair, ears, mouth. In all of my luggage. 12 hours. BUT it was a lot of fun. The train was an amazin experience. Now I am in Atar and tomorrow morning I leave for my camel ride! [View Full Entry]

Bjorndahl - Peter Sorensen | Read The Full Entry | Subscribe
88 Words | 0 Comment(s) | 6 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s)
Published: July 7th 2009 | 72 Views | [diary=416171]

SNIM Going to Drop off the Iron-Ore
Here comes the Train
Me and Abu on The Car

No Man's Land
No Man's Land
It was interesting being in no country for a bit. But the people were strange, all the cars had no parts.
Wow, So I thought I was going to go into some kind of internetless void for a week or so because I was going to be too busy traveling and being tired. But then luck fell on me! So last night it looked like I was going to end up paying 350 Dirham to get to Nouadhibou, which takes 7 hours of driving plus border time. Martin and I were debating whether or not to try and hitchhike or take the offer from the man we met at the bus stop in Dakhla. We met a really friendly taxi driver who [View Full Entry]

Bjorndahl - Peter Sorensen | Read The Full Entry | Subscribe
1021 Words | 0 Comment(s) | 3 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s)
Published: July 4th 2009 | 111 Views | [diary=415196]

Downtown Nouadhibou
Shipwrecks Near the Train Station

On the Choum - Nouadibou Express!
On the Choum - Nouadibou Express!
Me with my fellow train compartment buddies!
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]

eddy15 - Edward Lucas | Read The Full Entry | Subscribe
267 Words | 0 Comment(s) | 6 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s)
Published: June 4th 2009 | 68 Views | [diary=405085]

Out the train window
The Adrar
More Mauritania

Camel Trek 1
Camel Trek 1
Riding a camel is not all that comfortable...
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 [View Full Entry]

eddy15 - Edward Lucas | Read The Full Entry | Subscribe
168 Words | 0 Comment(s) | 7 Photo(s) | 1 Video(s)
Published: June 1st 2009 | 58 Views | [diary=404112]

The Camel's none too happy...
On the dunes...
Bread cook in the sand...

By eddy15
May 29th 2009
Off to Chingetti Africa » Mauritania » Adrar » Chinguetti
Chingetti
Chingetti
The 7th Holiest city in Islam (or so I was told...)
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 [View Full Entry]

eddy15 - Edward Lucas | Read The Full Entry | Subscribe
187 Words | 0 Comment(s) | 4 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s)
Published: May 29th 2009 | 48 Views | [diary=403153]

Evoku and his YOUNG family
Evoku's family's house
Chingetti 2

On the back of Pick-up
On the back of Pick-up
Seven + hours through the Sahara in the middle of the day... a ONCE in a lifetime experience
Wow, I’m exhausted!! Yesterday did little - Mathias and I tried to get some beer at the end of the night, but the only place (Novotel) seemed far too pricey. Today, after trying to exchange my pounds sterling, I said good bye to Mathias and grabbed a ride to Atar. 1500 UM seemed to be a good price, except for the fact that there were seven of us (including two paratroopers) in the bed of a tiny pick-up truck for seven+ hours. OH GOD IT WAS HOT! Also an Islamist tried to convert me. Islamist: “do you know where all non-Muslims [View Full Entry]

eddy15 - Edward Lucas | Read The Full Entry | Subscribe
130 Words | 0 Comment(s) | 3 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s)
Published: May 27th 2009 | 53 Views | [diary=402676]

On the back of Pick-up 2
Oh god! Am I exhausted!

Porte-au-peche
Porte-au-peche
The world's a toy!
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]

eddy15 - Edward Lucas | Read The Full Entry | Subscribe
276 Words | 0 Comment(s) | 5 Photo(s) | 0 Video(s)
Published: May 26th 2009 | 80 Views | [diary=402142]

Fishermen and their boats
Nouachott
Matthias


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