Sand, Dust, Iron-ore and Wind: Mauritania

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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 was sand and sand dunes, stones, larger stones and lots of sun. Actually I have seen a good whole week of pretty similar stuff in Mauritania too, though framed and divided in to plateaus and valleys and infinitely streaching into the horizon's vistas. It makes for inner reflection, slight desperation and finally meditation, invariably, if maddness is still something someone cares to avoid.

To be honest the desert is RICH as hell, is you pardon the rude expression, every 15 or 20 minutes the landscape is really different. different sones, different plants, different setting in mountains or sand dunes in the background. Very few other animals, nothing like Mongolia where rodents and eagels were as common as the stones are here.

It makes for very good meditation, in an unwitting way almost, and our mind clears itself naturally, the few bare simuli one grasps at expand into infinnity and we loose interest. It's a peacefull state and I have cherrished it grately, in between the sparse breaks transport makes to try and fell if we still have legs. 4 adults in the back seat of a mercedes for 6 hours anyone?

The food has beed delicious, from the fist night's Chinese, suitably served in the lcal brothel, amongst Russian sailors who later showed their love of Brasilian ports with great enthusiasm, amongst exchanged photographs and laughs. all the way through to the fish with mango on rice mmmmmm of the other day, all great all fantastic all way off what our guidebooks told us to expect. Lovely people the Mauritanians, trying to get into Mali tomorrow, wish me luck, Doug out in English.


La arena de Mauritania el viento constante, tempestades y oasis.

Tengo que decir, y lo siento amigos nacinalistas, pero me senti orgulloso de vivr en Espana al aprofundarme en Mauritania. Se ve en varios puntos la buena influencia de proyectos de desarrollo de turismo, restauracion de monumentos y albergues manejados por la comunidar, que la accion CONJUNTA de Portugal y Espana estan ayudando el pais significativamente, y es muy bonito verlo.

No vi tanta pobreza cunto pense que habria por estos lados, y aunque muy lejos una cosa de la otra, he visto cosas super lindas tambien.

Mis "top marks",o sea favoritos, siendo el oasis de Terjit, y el maraviloso paisaje en el que se encuentra. Inmaginados los paisajes deserticos tipicos del lejano oeste, los grandes montes de cima llana, las piedras amontonadas en lineas y camadas. Saliendo de una tempestad de arena vemos lo mejor del mejor en terminos de montanas de mesetas y esto que os descrivo, aqui, nada distante de europa, y solo ara los 4 que estavamos en el cohce, si si, porque hay dias en que las 5 horas de carreterra, nos cruzamos con 5 coches como mucho!!! luego, un extra, unos montes como que banados por la arena, medio sucios de ella, y luego vemos dunas entremesclandose con estas lindas y imponentes montanas, claro que siempre con las arboles mas pitorescas del mundo salpicando el valle, y llegamos finalmente al oasis. Palmeras y escenas salidas directamente de cuadros del 18 o 19, Madre mi, esperas ver a un Ingles con sus libretas haciendo un dibujo de una piramide perdida o una estatueta de osiris olvidada. Nada de eso, entretanto, sino que caida la noche, nos vamos a banar el la pequena laguna, y que mayor placer que descobrir que hay insectos que brillan el la noche!!!! por todos los lados, junto al agua, como en un cuento, pero con tus ojos y mi corazon.

Os dejo con el pensamiento, un grande abrazo de Nouakchoot, Mauritania, preparandome para ver si me dejan cruzar a Mali. la tierra de la musica!!! Besos, Doug.

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Photos

Sand engulfing mountains!
Magical scenery.