At home with the Mama family.

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This is the 2nd attempt to write this blog. I had to abandon writing this half way through yesterday. It's been a few days since I last updated this blog. In that time a group of us have been invited to the home of a local family. The Mama's family hospitality has been without bounds. Merci beaucoup!



Also I've been trying to leave this town for a couple of days, each time I go to the train station, there's no train. It's becoming like a recurrent dream, where you can't move... More about that later.



So, to update recent events...


When I arrived in Nouadhibou, I took a shared room with three other people, the same people I travelled with from Dahkla. The cost 1375 Ouiguigo each, . That's four Euro's! The camping site toilets are interesting - the squat toilet is in one corner of the room and the shower is on the other wall. So, you can have a crap and shower at the same time. Very convenient, a positive benefit.



The next morning Christmas Day, we waited in for Mohammed, the Mauritanian from the bus who had been so friendly and helpful. I haven't mentioned before that he is a policeman. He had promised to come to meet us at 11am. He didn't turn up. So, at 12.30 we decided to give up.




All four of us walked to the fishing port from the camp site, along the dusty litter strewn streets. During the walk I took a photo of a cow feasting on the litter.



We got to the port, there was a gate with an official looking person. Nat, one of the other travellers asked permission to enter. We then spent time walking around the port. Local fishermen and traders all greeted us and wanted to talk. The others had an advantage on me, as French is their native language. The French of the Mauritanians is very correct. Nat, who is from Paris tells me that the locals speak exactly like him. So, the others can have really deep conversations, which I can't.



Nat has been travelling, with breaks for short periods of work to finance his travels for four years. His recent spell of work was in Japan. The site is www.tharat.com



In the port there were sailors from many countries , including China and Senegal. Some of the fishermen were keen to show off their boats. Usman, who had been so chatty invited us to an Restaurant for fishermen in the port, to have proper African food.



As we were walking towards the cafe an official looking guy came up and questioned our right to be there. Our new friend tried to explain we were with him, but the official made us walk back the way we had come. The official led us to a policeman, who asked questions, looked at one persons camera, then let us go.



The cafe was a small shack with cardboard on the walls as wallpaper. We took our shoes off before entering, there was carpet on the floor.



We then had a superb meal of fish and rice, eaten from a common bowl with our hands, African style. Before and after eating we washed our hands - our hostess poured water over our hands, and offered soap power from a sachet. During the meal we had never ending amounts of mint tea. The whole thing cost us 200 Ouiguiga each. That's about 0.6 of a Euro.



During the meal, Usman, our new friend invited us back to his home to meet his family.



Once back at the family home, we spent the rest of the day there. We were plied with food all day and shown all the family's photo albums. Also throughout the day more and more relatives kept arriving, all of whom had to be introduced.



I spoke most to Job, mainly because he had the best English, although we did resort to some French where his English failed him. But in fact his English was very good. He said he would like to improve it with classes, but with work there was never enough time.



He seemed concerned that I wasn't married, and told me that if I wanted I would have no trouble getting a wife in Mauritania. To be honest many of the local woman are very pretty - it could be tempting! Also, I could have a very good life and could set up something of benefit to the city.



Certainly, I could do what he suggested if I wanted, but I'm not looking for a wife or to settle down. I've only just started my world tour! But, Job suggested that when I come back, I might do what he suggested. I said maybe.



In the evening Nat and I went back to the Camp-site for the night, whilst the young French couple stayed at the house. They too have a travel website: www.powertothepeoplebysailingboat.org



They seem very young to me, Sophie's mum was born the same year as me!



That night we had a new person in the room - Richard, another Brit. The three of talked about our travel experiences till 2am. That included how some travellers don't respect the peoples and cultures that they interact with.



The next day at noon, Nat and I were picked up in the family's old Merc by Job. We left Richard behind because he was waiting for a Japanese travelling friend to arrive.



At about 4pm I left the Mama family home to visit Cap Blanc with the young couple. It's supposed to be a good place to see birds.



We caught a taxi which took us to a road that ended at the gates of a refinery. We never got to Cap Blanc. We hadn't allowed enough time, and had to turn back. But we saw some wonderful slag heaps and scrapped trains and train parts, littering the desert. It looked like something from a disaster movie.



On getting back we watched Finding Nemo with the family on a lap top computer. Not mine! The other travellers are carrying lap tops. The family's 8 children have found the camera's and laptops a source of constant entertainment. They have loved posing for photo's.



Nat and I left the house at 2.30pm the next day to catch the Nouadhibou to Zouarat train. It's the world's longest train at over 2km long. It's main purpose is to carry minerals from from the mines at Zouarat to the coast.



When we got to the train station, we found there was no train! Apparently it had been de-railed, a very reassuring thought!



So, having made our emotional farewells to the family we returned to the Mama's house with Job. Obviously we couldn't leave because they didn't want us to! On the way back Nat asked to be dropped off in town to do some shopping and other things.



Back at the house the patriarch of the family, Mama himself and his son Job, invited me to go the the port to watch Languistines being landed. What they were showing me is their work. They export fish to Spain.



The experience was very interesting. I saw fishermen returning from sea, the produce being weighed and then put back into the sea in cages. This is so they can store the produce until they have enough to export. They also showed me around the fish market, the fishermen's equipment market and women who were making fishing nets.



The waters off Mauritania are some of the richest fishing fields in the world. Mauritania has 2 main resources: fish and the mines at Zouarat. Job and Mama finished work at about 8.30pm. I returned to their home to be fed like a king again.



So, the next day, that is yesterday, we set out again for the train station. One of the children cried when we left. On the way to the train station we called in on Richard at the camp-site. His Japanese friend hadn't arrived, but he had decided to leave on the train anyway.



Again we got to the train station to find it had arrived. They promised at the station that it would be there the next day. The train is supposed to daily, it's essential for the countries wealth.



Mama and Job then invited Richard to join us at their house. Again, I spent the afternoon with the fishermen at the port but this time with Nat and Richard as well.



Last night, we were invited to go to school with one of the teenage children, by the family. That meant getting up at 7am to catch the school bus.



So, this morning we caught the bus to school. It's 29 years since I was last in school! The invitation fits in with a project that Nat is doing. An organisation in Taiwan is paying for his website, in return he is supposed to link students from around the world on the website from schools and colleges around the world.



The students were all wearing jumpsuits, that looked identical to the ones worn by workers at the mining company. In the morning they all marched into school in step, as if they were part of the military.



Nat asked the head if he could talk to the students, but the head of the college said that we would need permission from the city's Governor. That was to be expected.



So, we walked into town, bought fresh bread and chocolate spread, and walked to the camping site we had stayed at a few days before. We said hallo to the staff there. One of the women who works there is the cousin of the Mama family. She had been very friendly towards Richard when he was there. The camp-site is now very busy. A large group of over landers has arrived. They are driving old bangers to Bamako in Mali. When they get there the cars will be sold for charity.



So, that brings me up to date, sitting in a cybercafe writing this blog.



The question is: will the train arrive today? Will I ever leave this place?

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Photos

Nouadhibou
The fishermen return

Comments

[Colin]

The train that never came
What a great story! Came across it purely by chance, but I have always wanted to see Mauretania. In the photo, your friend Mama seems very seriuous. It occurs to me that, in his head, he is praying and praying and praying "Allah! Thankyou for your mercy in allowing me the chance to meet these foreigners - but Allah! Please tell me what I have to do to make my family richer as a result" I don't want to be cynical - I'm just trying to be realistic and, of course, there is nothing to be criticised, and nothing in the least insincere, about the hospitality that he and his family showed you - no, no, no - I don't mean that at all, God forbid - it was just that rather soulful look on Mama's face that made me wonder what he might be thinking inside!