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...