FRI 11TH NOV DAY 29 CAMP BAILE DU LEVRIER NOUADHIBOU MAURITANIA N20 54.5 W17 03.22
101 MILES
What a day. We left hotel Barbas around 8ish and headed for the Morocco/Mauritanis border having breakfast on the way. When we arrived at the border a dozen or so vehicles were in a queue waiting to go into the compound with a similar amount already inside.
Half an hour later we ease our way into the customs compound and line up our passports on a shelf at the immigration room. What do they say about not letting your passport out of sight? We get our passport back and speak to a customs guy who casually asks if we have anything to declare. Some vehicles are searched but we are spared this. Next customs hut to get our vehicle logged out of Morocco and we get the white slip back to keep and show on our way out. That should be that really but no there is another check this time the police need to check us out. This takes over an hour with only 8 people in front of us, god knows what its like in summer standing out in the sun. One more customs check and of we go.
We head out of Morocco and into no mans land some 5km of very rough ground where you have to follow tracks that have already been made as the surrounding area is mined. One Mercedes is stuck in sand and 6 guys are digging him out and obviously another one didn’t make it as an oil slick peters out into the distance. The place is used to dump anything from cars to fridges and photocopiers!
Mauritania customs is made easier by a helper (he’ll want something for this but he’ll save us lots of time and agro. Cost us €15 for a lasser passé as they don’t accept carnets now, probably as its to much paperwork. It only lasts 7 days but is extendable in Noukchott , 7 days doesn’t exactly encourage tourism to there country.
Immigration is a breeze, they even have a photo scanner for the passport, no more charges except for local insurance and of we go. A well spent €5 for the helper.
Three police checks later we arrive in a filthy dirty Nouadhibou and find camp Baile du Levrier a sandy compound in the centre of the town where Ali the owner shows us around. It has a small communal area where a small kitchen srea can be used.
MOROCCO SUMMERY
Cheap diesel expensive beer! Very friendly people and amazing scenery especially in the north and central areas
Best campsite Sid Ifni and worst Agadir. Scariest moment..driving over the High Atlas Mountains.
Would we go back. Yes.
101 MILES
What a day. We left hotel Barbas around 8ish and headed for the Morocco/Mauritanis border having breakfast on the way. When we arrived at the border a dozen or so vehicles were in a queue waiting to go into the compound with a similar amount already inside.
Half an hour later we ease our way into the customs compound and line up our passports on a shelf at the immigration room. What do they say about not letting your passport out of sight? We get our passport back and speak to a customs guy who casually asks if we have anything to declare. Some vehicles are searched but we are spared this. Next customs hut to get our vehicle logged out of Morocco and we get the white slip back to keep and show on our way out. That should be that really but no there is another check this time the police need to check us out. This takes over an hour with only 8 people in front of us, god knows what its like in summer standing out in the sun. One more customs check and of we go.
We head out of Morocco and into no mans land some 5km of very rough ground where you have to follow tracks that have already been made as the surrounding area is mined. One Mercedes is stuck in sand and 6 guys are digging him out and obviously another one didn’t make it as an oil slick peters out into the distance. The place is used to dump anything from cars to fridges and photocopiers!
Mauritania customs is made easier by a helper (he’ll want something for this but he’ll save us lots of time and agro. Cost us €15 for a lasser passé as they don’t accept carnets now, probably as its to much paperwork. It only lasts 7 days but is extendable in Noukchott , 7 days doesn’t exactly encourage tourism to there country.
Immigration is a breeze, they even have a photo scanner for the passport, no more charges except for local insurance and of we go. A well spent €5 for the helper.
Three police checks later we arrive in a filthy dirty Nouadhibou and find camp Baile du Levrier a sandy compound in the centre of the town where Ali the owner shows us around. It has a small communal area where a small kitchen srea can be used.
MOROCCO SUMMERY
Cheap diesel expensive beer! Very friendly people and amazing scenery especially in the north and central areas
Best campsite Sid Ifni and worst Agadir. Scariest moment..driving over the High Atlas Mountains.
Would we go back. Yes.
SAT 12TH NOV DAY 30 AUBERGE SAHARA NOUAKCHOTT
327 miles
Left camp with drizzle coming down .we had planned to camp in the park but there were no overlanders around so ploughed on to the capital. Today we had 13 police checks and handed out 10 fiches. Getting quite a dab hand at these police stops. Road was very boring and long and eventually arrived at Nouakchott just as it was getting dark. The room we found is nothing to write home about but will do for 1 night. Found a bread shop so sat in our room and had a cheese baguette and a bottle of coke they seem to have internet here so will give it a go.
SUN 13TH NOV DAY 31 BUSH CAMP 10KM WEST OF ALEG N17N 09.44 W13 52.54
186 miles
Got all our online stuff up to date and set of out of Nouakchott which was the usual pain in the neck like other African cities. Think the maps in the Lonely Planet and Rough Guides are equally as bad.
Road to Aleg was tar passing many villages through flat plains and then rolling sand dunes. As we drive through the town of Boutilmit the road narrows and its time to pick your way through the stalls and donkey carts, the better of Mauritanians have a 3 donkey cart but the norm is a single donkey.
The bread here is more like a bun mixture but warm straight from the bakery.
In Aleg we try a couple of banks but no luck changing Euros and definitely no atm’s!
We stopped for lunch at the side of a road hidden by some trees…will we last the night or panic and move on. Today we passed 12 police check points and handed over 12 fiches.
186 miles
Got all our online stuff up to date and set of out of Nouakchott which was the usual pain in the neck like other African cities. Think the maps in the Lonely Planet and Rough Guides are equally as bad.
Road to Aleg was tar passing many villages through flat plains and then rolling sand dunes. As we drive through the town of Boutilmit the road narrows and its time to pick your way through the stalls and donkey carts, the better of Mauritanians have a 3 donkey cart but the norm is a single donkey.
The bread here is more like a bun mixture but warm straight from the bakery.
In Aleg we try a couple of banks but no luck changing Euros and definitely no atm’s!
We stopped for lunch at the side of a road hidden by some trees…will we last the night or panic and move on. Today we passed 12 police check points and handed over 12 fiches.
MON 14TH NOV DAY 32 BUSH CAMP NEXT TO POLICE CHECK POINT ON ROAD TO AYOUN
315 miles
Last night a pick up truck with 3 Mauritanians pulled up just as we were beginning to relax and had a chat with us, this was worrying really as we are nearing the so called Tuareg danger area for kidnapping. Had a bad night listening for vehicles but it seems they were genuinely friendly just wishing us well.
Hit the road at daybreak heading for Kiffa and some local money then we can head south for Mali, find a banj in a side street with amazingly an atm. The road to Kankosa that we were going to take looked really bad so we decided to head further east to Ayoun and then go south as the road should be better.
A few km’s of perfect tar then…..well a crap road. They are rebuilding the road and boy do they need to is was the worst road so far, a badly potholed tar road with cars swerving from one side to the other like “whacky races”. The best way was one wheel on the “tarmac” and the other on the sandy track ate the side of the road.
At around 5.30 we arrive at another police checkpoint where the police say we cannot go any further tonight as its dangerous for foreigners! Are so finally they admit that parts of the country are risky.
We camp at the checkpoint and are the entertainment for the police and the local villagers, especially putting up the tent as they seemed amazed by it. A couple of kids watched us all evening until it was to dark to see.
315 miles
Last night a pick up truck with 3 Mauritanians pulled up just as we were beginning to relax and had a chat with us, this was worrying really as we are nearing the so called Tuareg danger area for kidnapping. Had a bad night listening for vehicles but it seems they were genuinely friendly just wishing us well.
Hit the road at daybreak heading for Kiffa and some local money then we can head south for Mali, find a banj in a side street with amazingly an atm. The road to Kankosa that we were going to take looked really bad so we decided to head further east to Ayoun and then go south as the road should be better.
A few km’s of perfect tar then…..well a crap road. They are rebuilding the road and boy do they need to is was the worst road so far, a badly potholed tar road with cars swerving from one side to the other like “whacky races”. The best way was one wheel on the “tarmac” and the other on the sandy track ate the side of the road.
At around 5.30 we arrive at another police checkpoint where the police say we cannot go any further tonight as its dangerous for foreigners! Are so finally they admit that parts of the country are risky.
We camp at the checkpoint and are the entertainment for the police and the local villagers, especially putting up the tent as they seemed amazed by it. A couple of kids watched us all evening until it was to dark to see.
TUE 15TH NOV DAY 33 BUSHCAMP BETWEEN NIORO & DIEMA, MALI
N14 15.11 W9 19.48
384 miles
In the morning those same two kids were still watching (maybe they don’t sleep). After breakfast I made a paper plane and threw it to them. The older kid actually passed it back to me not understanding that it was for him. Eventually he got the message and ran back to mum and dad with it along with a couple of biscuits that Julie gave him.
Passports returned and everyone waving us goodbye we head closer to Ayoun over the rubbish road. It his 40 degrees today and we struggle to drink enough water, need something stronger I think, that first beer in Mali will taste good..
Arrive at the Mauritania/Mali border N15 40.24 w9 20.00. Leaving Mauri was easy and straightforward, passports stamped and lasser paser taken from us “simples”. Just down the road was Mali. Another easy crossing this is too easy. Passports stamped, fiche filled in from passport man and car details entered at the doune office. Brought our insurance(euros or cfas) for the next several country’s and of we go, job done. About an hour all told. We have a toll road fee to pay cfa500 (€1). Good job we changed our oogs to cfas at the border.
At the junction at the end of the toll road is the proper doune office where we get our carnet stamped once again all easy, 5 minutes.
We meet a Malian known as the “teacher” who we change some more money with and ask him where can we buy some beer (urgent now), he tells us to follow him on his motorbike and we find a “bar”. Mmm that’s tastes good. We brought the teacher a sprite and he took us back to the main road to Bamako.
We bush camp again.
N14 15.11 W9 19.48
384 miles
In the morning those same two kids were still watching (maybe they don’t sleep). After breakfast I made a paper plane and threw it to them. The older kid actually passed it back to me not understanding that it was for him. Eventually he got the message and ran back to mum and dad with it along with a couple of biscuits that Julie gave him.
Passports returned and everyone waving us goodbye we head closer to Ayoun over the rubbish road. It his 40 degrees today and we struggle to drink enough water, need something stronger I think, that first beer in Mali will taste good..
Arrive at the Mauritania/Mali border N15 40.24 w9 20.00. Leaving Mauri was easy and straightforward, passports stamped and lasser paser taken from us “simples”. Just down the road was Mali. Another easy crossing this is too easy. Passports stamped, fiche filled in from passport man and car details entered at the doune office. Brought our insurance(euros or cfas) for the next several country’s and of we go, job done. About an hour all told. We have a toll road fee to pay cfa500 (€1). Good job we changed our oogs to cfas at the border.
At the junction at the end of the toll road is the proper doune office where we get our carnet stamped once again all easy, 5 minutes.
We meet a Malian known as the “teacher” who we change some more money with and ask him where can we buy some beer (urgent now), he tells us to follow him on his motorbike and we find a “bar”. Mmm that’s tastes good. We brought the teacher a sprite and he took us back to the main road to Bamako.
We bush camp again.