After riding the iron ore train back to Noudhibbou, we stayed one more night at Chez Ali's hotel. It was to be in a comfy bed and have a shower. In the morning, we headed south towards Senegal.
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| The Pandas at Chez Ali in Noudhibbou |
We drove from desert to flat empty desert. Mauritania is vast. Small communities with huge rubber water bladders, and cloth tents dotted the landscape. We helped put out a car fire on the way, but the car was mostly ruined. That evening we slept near a goat and camel herder. A man on a camel rode by in the morning, waving hello, and riding out into the sand.
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| Empty deserts |
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| Mauritania roads |
Driving further south, we passed Nouakchatt. A strange city, seemingly forced into existance, ramshackle and chaotic. We passed through, the road becoming terribly potholed. We tried driving on a dirt road to the sea, but ran into a large salt water swamp area. We spent one more night in the desert, the wind blowing constantly. Our last night in the Sahara.
The next morning was up early, making for the Senegalese border. The landscape became more sandy, orange dunes with trees on them...trees! Camels and goats ran among the small villages. We turned off on a small track towards the Diama border crossing. The road passed a national park. Wart Hogs ran in front of our car, and a large marshland formed. We paralled the Senegal River, grass and trees everywhere! Yes, even though there was no official entry, you have to pay the entrance into the national park. Seemed fishy to me, but I did enjoy seeing the bird life! The border appeared after a 60km dirt road, which was not bad, but very bumpy. We pulled up, and prepared to exit Mauritania. We had finally crossed the Sahara!
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| The final few camels of the Sahara |
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| Just north of the Senegal border |
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| Small towns in southern Mauritania |
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| The road to the Senegal border |
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| Warthogs |
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| Finally crossed the Sahara! |
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