Yesterday was going to be my last chance to turn around and head south again, heading for Guinea and Sierra Leone – but there is still no change in Sierra Leone and there is still no petrol in both countries – so North I am jolly-well going…
Yesterday was also a long, hot, tiring – but enjoyable day. I left the campsite at 9 and got to the border for 10am. By around 1145 I was through the borders and on my way. Most of the time is spent just waiting – while you watch your passport being passed around like a parcel at a party. To get into Mauritania it cost 55eu for the visa and 20eu for ten day’s bike insurance. You buy your Visa in the border office, and buy your vehicle insurance from a guy with a satchel and a handful of paperwork who is casually lounging in the shade outside the border office.
I was through the border a little before 12 and I now had 17 miles on the Diamer road to travel, which is challenging to say the least. It’s not a difficult road, because it’s rideable and driveable, it’s just that for nearly all of the journey you have to stand on the footrests and you dare not let your attention or your sight wander for a moment because of the ruts, holes and corrugation. The maximum of concentration, especially on a heavy bike because if you let your concentration lapse for a moment – you could be off. Also, and because it’s hot, after about 30 minutes my feet started to get really hot and sweaty, which was really annoying.
About half-way through the national park there is an office where you have to pay a toll to transit the park. It’s just a few Euro’s, but it’s manned by wardens and a policeman. When the policeman saw my GoPro and instantly told me to get off the bike and come to the office. Another Itchyboots legacy, I suppose. I always turn my GoPro off when I approach a checkpoint and told him it was off, but he wanted to see the footage. Yes, it is tempting to film when crossing a border and I was tempted to film when crossing back into Mauritania but I am so glad I didn’t – as all he saw was me riding along roads and along the Diamer Road and turning the camera off when I approached the toll-post. Phew…! He waved me on and I left quickly before he changed his mind.
I got off the Diamer road by 2pm and it was such a pleasure to get into tarmac again and immediately went to my cruising altitude of 5k revs to make up some mileage. After riding through the ever-changing landscape of Mauritania, from the deep red sand, dark green trees and wandering camels, I soon approached the grey featureless flatness of the lands south of Nouakachott.
Entering the city there was roadworks and Google maps took me through an alternative route through backstreets, which consisted of small roads made of sand a few inches deep, and with my front-end shimmy-shimmying all over the place and me swearing like a sailor, I finally made it back into black tarmac. About 4.30 I arrived at the camp site, which is just to the north of the city and next to the beach. Lovely…!
Being Mauritania, and also being a dry country, New Year is something that’s not celebrated in the same way as Europeans – who see this as an excuse to drink alcohol. There were hundreds of locals who came onto the nearby beach just before 7pm to watch the sunset, which was glorious, and then soon after sunset, they simply went home. I noticed the same thing in Southern Morocco; at sunset the locals would come out onto the sand dunes to watch the sunset, and once set, they would all drift away. I must admit, there is something mystical and magical about a good sunset, especially in this part of the world.
Well, by 9.30 I was in my sleeping bag, and by 9.32 I was out like a light and had a great night’s sleep. I didn’t even hear the evening call to prayers. It’s the first of January today, which is a new year – and for me that means more countries to visit and many more miles to ride. Yesterday was a good day, and tomorrow will also be a good day because I’m back on the road again and heading north.
And for everyone reading this, I hope you had a great evening last night and that 2024 is a good year for you.
