3 JAN – And I’m back – and I have wi-fi…. Since leaving Senegal I’ve had no data so it’s been radio silence. A few days ago I left Nouakchott and was planning to head north to the oasis of Chinguetti, which was going to be a ride of around 350 miles. I estimated that I may just possibly make it with the fuel I was carrying but if there was no fuel in Atar or Chinguetti then I would not be able to get back. Some people say there is fuel, some people say not. I don’t know who to believe but as I’m not a risk taker when it comes to things like this, I decided that:
A. If there was fuel in Chaimi then I would carry on to Atar and the Chinguetti Oasis.
B. If there was no fuel at Chiami I would head for Nouhadibou and Villla Miguela.
In the Western Sahara and especially in Mauritania nearly every four wheeled vehicle is diesel. Its only TukTuks and motorbikes that use petrol so as you leave Nouakchott or Nouhadibou, there is very little need or interest in petrol. That’s why travelling through Mauritania can be quite a challenge, as you NEED to plan your travel.
I wasn’t particularly looking forward to it because there is nothing but desert to the left and right of you. It’s just a long boring ‘slog’ of a ride. Just over half way I stopped at Chami for fuel – and they had petrol – so it was off to Atar. The journey was going well. Maybe too well…
About 10km outside Chiami I was just behind two trucks waiting to overtake because there was a whole group of trucks were coming the other way when I went straight over a huge pothole. I never saw it coming as I was behind a truck. A few moments later the bike started squirming all over so I stopped. My rear tyre was flat – because the pothole had bent my wheel rim. I knew the journey was going too well… So, gingerly turning the bike around I literally crawled back to Chami with my rear tyre constantly fish-tailing. I had anti-puncture sealant in the tyre and because the tyre had lost its seal, it was acting as a lubricant and letting my tyre rotate around the rim. A very interesting 10k indeed…
I finally made it back to Chami and I was wet through with sweat – as it was the middle of the afternoon and it was no easy feat keeping the bike on the straight and narrow. I stopped at a tyre shack and asked the man if he could put in an inner tube and he nodded – so I removed all my luggage and removed the rear wheel.
He sent his son away to see if he could source a motorcycle inner tube but to no avail, so he fitted a car inner tube. After a stop of about 90 minutes I was back on the road again, and because I now had a car inner tube I the wheel I decided to forget Atar and head north and back to Nouhadibou. I just didn’t want to take the risk.
I arrived at Villa Manuela in Nouhadibou about 4.30pm. Relieved, tired and feeling so lucky because if that had happened in the wilderness, either before or after Chami – I would have been in a right pickle because there is NOTHING but desert. Similarly, If I was running any other tyre except the Motoz GPS, I really think the rear would have been ripped to shreds by the time I got back into Chami. The Motoz is an extremely strong tyre and I’m so glad I fitted them.
4 JAN – This morning the rear tyre was flat so I removed the back wheel and the host – Victor – took me into town to a tyre place he knows and using a blowlamp the man heated the rim and knocked it back into a normal shape.
I left the wheel with them and I went into town with victor as he had to do some shopping, so I helped him. The tyre guy brought the wheel back later in the morning and it looked almost as good as new, even putting some matching paint on the repair. I left it in the sun all day to see if it would deflate but it didn’t, so I put the rear wheel back on. They had inflated it to 50psi, and it was still holding air so I deflated it back to 40psi when I put it back on.
I also took the opportunity to change my rear brake pads because there were almost down to nothing. It’s a good job I brought a new set with me. My ABS isn’t working (I think the sensor has died) but who needs ABS…. Also, my PUIG rear hugger/mudguard has started to self-destruct and there’s only about half of it left now. I am now regretting removing the original chain-guard now and fitting the hugger, but it is what it is…
6 JAN – This morning I left Nouhadibou and made the one-hour journey north to the Mauritania/Morocco border, arriving just before 11am. The Mauritania side was easy and I was though in less than 30 minutes and heading into Morocco. Unfortunately, when I got to the Morocco border post the computer system had just gone down so it was a matter of finding somewhere to sit in the shade and then reading my kindle for a couple of hours until they started processing people again.
Eventually things came back online and once I’d gone through immigration, I then went through the Douane process – my vehicle. Once I got my TIP (Temporary Import Permit) I then had to queue up for the vehicle x-ray – but after a while I managed to sneak though and they let me go on the end of a queue of four cars – where we retired while the vehicles were x-rayed. Once that was done it was off to another office to get a final stamp I was out of the border and on the open road. By the time I was through the border it was 4pm and unfortunately it had taken the best part of five hours to get across.
I had intended to get to Dakhla, which was a 240 mile ride, but because I lost most of the day at the border I knew I wasn’t going to make it and I started to look for viable places to camp for the night as it was approaching 5pm. Suddenly, and just outside Bir Gandouz about 60 miles north of the border, I passed the Hotel Dakar. I turned around, parked up and decided to stay – and I’m glad I did. Its new, modern and comfortable – and only cost 150 dirhams (£11.50). And best of all, for an additional 70dms (£5.50) I had a wonderful meal at the cafe next door. I honestly don’t think I’ll be needing breakfast tomorrow as there was so much food. My only niggle was that there was no kettle, so to make tea – I set up my stove in the bathroom…
Tomorrow I’m still heading north. I may stop at Dakhla, which is about 180 miles, or if I can motivate myself early enough, I may try for Laayoune, which is about 450miles. Personally, and knowing how lazy I can be some mornings – I think it will be Dakhla. We’ll see…
