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The cars proceed slowly , as do the trucks , the sun is shining so brightly that I feel I am being cooked . These few kilometres that separate Morocco from Mauritania seem to never end . I finally arrive at customs and a young soldier approaches to help me carry out all the procedures required to enter the country . I accept and give him my passport , there are many people in line for both visa issuance and for the import documents of cars and motorcycles . I put my heart at peace and wait .
After about four hours I finally officially enter Mauritania . Hot wind and lots of sand that covers much of the paved road that I follow in the direction Nouakchott , the capital of this immense country . Here are the first dromedaries , more and more numerous , that I have seen . Some have their legs tied while others run free , they camouflage themselves with the sand meaning I must pay great attention as I ride .
I observe the road carefully but am constantly distracted by everything in the surrounds . Small villages and large white tents in vaults with coloured inserts . I meet many women and children walking along
the street . There are numerous checkpoints , some so close they are just a few metres from each other . Arrival in Chami in the late afternoon . After storing my luggage in a simple hotel , the owner allows me to park the bike in an adjacent garage . Tomorrow I expect about 220 kilometres to get to Nouakchott .
Stopping often to photograph the desert , it takes me a long time to reach the day ’ s destination . I even walk a track that leads into the desert dunes .
On arrival in the capital , Maura , in the early afternoon I start looking for a good hotel . One is found on Road Number 2 , it is not in the centre but the area is well served . Lunch at the hotel as I treat myself to a well-deserved rest . In the evening I have an appointment with a friend , an Air Force Colonel , who takes me to dinner in a typical restaurant on the beach by Nouakchott . Here the fish is excellent and the fresh wind coming off the ocean makes the days heat bearable .
Leaving Nouakchott early , this morning I enter Senegal from the border of Rosso even though I was advised against it . The white
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