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I made the same trip I had intended before but without any catastrophic car accidents, happily. So I am seeing a lot of familiar faces and back in Nouakchott spending some quality time. But I am starting to become very sick of French. It makes two months now that I've been speaking very little english and while I am getting quite good at French I want to study a different language now.
Ahh the ride through the desert was long but pleasant, lots of good conversation. It's a bit hot but not too. On the bus in Morocco I sat next to a girl on the route to Agadir. I had made a lot of copies of CDs in France and I was listening to them, and she noticed that I didn't have a CD case so she gave me hers. It's things like this that I miss when I am in the west. She went to the beach in Agadir with me and we continued to talk, and when she left to go home she told me that she wanted to invite me to stay at her house but that she couldn't because she lives alone and it's not really okay to invite men over to your house if you live alone. Quite odd though in the first place for a moroccan girl to live alone.
The food also is very nice, not so expensive and a lot of brochettes, grilled meats, lamb goat camel cow liver. That's what I like to eat.
I'm also becoming sick of politics. American politics are increasingly stupid and inept in the Islamic world and I have to explain... The US is really tearing apart the world with this continuing silliness.
But here Nouakchott is really nice, it's changed a bit since last time, my favorite snack restaurant changed management... the government has changed, the market has been cleaned up a bit, the traffic jams are worse. There seems to be a few fewer goats running in the streets. It's not too hot. I'm actually very anxious to continue to Senegal and Guinea. Its getting a little rainy so malaria becomes a problem but I'm not worried. I went to a marabout in Nouadhibou and I am sure my trip will go okay. He made some spells for me that will assure that my voyage is all good, and will assist me in finding a good job when I return home. Some people have a certain energy, they radiate a sort of spiritual power, and this man was one of them. He asked me a lot of questions about my life and after he decided to help me. He didn't speak French so his son translated. He took paper and made some protection and some verses from the Koran, also he made some designs and patterns; and then gave me the papers, folded into squares. In Nouakchott I went to a leather working person who makes covers for such things and covered them in leather so I can keep them around my neck all the time. There are also a lot of Marabout who seem to be not so genuine, and they will do the same thing but they demand payment. I can understand as there is clearly a shortage of money here, but he refused money, this marabout, and he worked on my protection for about an hour, so I think I am lucky.
There are places in the market where the men make the covers for such talismans, and they will also sell you herbs, potions, and throw cowry shells as a form of divination. I don't know about these guys, some of them wear the boubous like they are good religious men but also have sleezy imitation italian sunglasses.
I think it's good that I have this protection; if I had had protection the last time I came I probably wouldn't have had an accident.
It's true that death is much closer here, it's hard to forget completely about death like in the west, and when it's easy to forget about death it's easy to forget about life, not to mention God. When you forget about life and death you forget about the things that make humans good. Sometimes in France the streets are so full with energy and people and cars but there is an overtone of emptiness. Here I have yet to sense that feeling of emptiness. It's hard to describe,eh. Even at night when there is no one the streets seethes a bit with the traces of life that are still there. It's just like life here operates on a plane that is more removed from the physical; and I would say above the physical... maybe thats why all the cars are falling apart and the roads and buildings are in disrepair but people are rather happy.
I still haven't made it out of the desert yet; but I think tomorroz or the day after I will go and cross the river into senegal. I will make some photos; maybe put them up tonight.
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Mom
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Wow
What a beautiful description of Mauritania, Nouakchott and the Marabout. I'm glad you have someone looking out for you this time! If I can sell enough houses I'll be there to join you for a couple weeks!