Well after a mad 4 hour taxi ride playing tag team with a the other taxi (driven by a boy racer who would not be out of place in the "Speed Racer filn - complete with wacky driving and running into other cars) we nade it to Nouachott the Capita; of Mauritania.

Mauritania.....JUST!

The Crossing into Mauritania was amazingly fast! Rather than take the main border crossing which requires queing with all the trucks and then catching a ferry , we zigged over to a smaller crossing leading into the local national park. From arriving on the Senegal side to clearing Mauritanian customs - 1 hr 5 mins a veritable record! And now its off to Nouakchott the capital of Mauritania....

Well perhaps not!!

A little over 5 km into the park and "Tonka" out trusty overland truck was required to swerve off the road by a few feet. Unfortunately the area it needed to do this was only soft clay and whump! we were bogged up to the axles at a delightful 45+ degrees (somewhat like those wonky houses at the fun fair) so it was out with the sand mats. Only this was not say it was high grade clay closely related to "super glue"

• So a quick lunck and some exciting digging........
• several metres of mud later, Dinner and an early night
• Goody we awoke to another day of digging (I'm beginning to beleave that thick gloopy clay is created denovo proportionally to how much you are able to dig out)
• Dinner came again (my turn at cook group and being in a national park with no currency - we had only just crossed the boarder - it was frankfurts and beans o'Truck)

Well after almost two days it was time to move on and hope that the trck would be able to follow later. So after a delightful 4 hour cram in a taxi we made to to Nouakchott and another capital to explore.

Actually it looks like a small town and while it is near the coast it's focus is really the feel of the desert...

Which is where we head next...

Northern Senegal

Well amqzingly the visa to Maritania was remarkably easy. It does help when you hit a very helpfull embassy official who was willing to do it all in one day. The old addage of throw money at the problem still holds. 65 Euro later ad I'm on my way (or at least able to leave Dakar)

We had spent the day at iLL Goree an idealic little island off the coast that had theta quaint 17th century charm (that is if you ignore the fact that it was one of the first transport hubs for the then burgeoning slave trade - it amazes me how so many could be cramed ito such a small space - interstingly here in west Africa the blame for the slave trade is shared with the Europeans and is not seen as purely an external issue)

So azay from the bussle of Dakar (frankly not much to say about it other tha it is a bigish city with some fantastic street husslers .
"I have a new baby, can I have money for it" - from a well dressed male
"I am a religious student, give me money"
or the old favourite
"give me money!" the latter works must work on some people, but unfortunately not on me - they are however surprised when you simply demand money back from them.

St Louis is the former capital of Senegal and frankly must have been elegant in it's hay day. Build on an island in the middle of the river it is made up of grand old houses with terraces and balconies. This was also the main hub for the AEROPOST airmail service from Europe down west Africa and on to South America (the Pilots must have been sterdy stock as the distances were great and the support services somewhat few and far between - no Freeway service centres here!) Unfortunately while the ambiance of the place still exists it has really seen better days with only a few of the grand houses still managing to stay up and not surrounded by rubbish. The neighbouring fish village was a hive of activity with several hundred fishing boats coming back with the days catch to be imediately transferred to what had to be several hundred trucks waiting to wisk it off to the various inland markets.

St Louis is know for it's Jazz scene so it was off to hear the funky tones of west african fusion......

That would be the dulcit tones of Britney Spears, ACDC, Robbie Williams etc.

That in a town known for it Jazz there was not one bar playing the stuff :-) turns out that it is known for it's jazz but only during the jazz festival which as you can guess is not at this time of year.

Oh well at least the Beer was cold (expensive yes, but cold)

The Stqrt of a New Adventure

Well a mere year latter and I'm back in Africa to finish my West Africa jolly . So after a very long set of flights (Sydney to Singapore to Milan to Bacelona (a nice day had - even if by then I seriously could have needed a shower & shave but I digress)

Unlike last year my luggage thankfully decided to join me on the trip so arriving at 3am with luggage in tow and having a hotel room actuallly booked was a nice surprise.

Now off to pick up our passports for Mauritania now so more later!
ps I hate French keyboards!!