Lone Cafe on the Cassa-Dakar Highway.

That's me at the Cafe on the Cassa-Dakar Highway near Chami. This petrol pump cum cafe in the only place to get diesel and food between in 500 km desert stretch from the Morrocan border to the Mauritanian Capital Nouakchott. This is one of the most important road in the world. This is the only paved which connects the North Saharan Africa to the Sub Sahran Africa. So it’s the only paved road which crosses the Sahara. The Cairo-Dakar Highway project in the Trans-African Highway network also passes through Mauritania, and has recently been paved between the capital Nouakchott and the Moroccan border, work on which began in 2006.
The Cairo–Dakar Highway is Trans-African Highway 1 in the transcontinental road network being developed by the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), the African Development Bank (ADB), and the African Union. The major part of the highway between Tripoli and Nouakchott has been constructed under a project of the Arab Maghreb Union. It has a length of 8,636 kilometres (5,366 mi) and runs along the Mediterranean coast of North Africa, continuing down the Atlantic coast of North-West Africa. It joins with the Dakar-Lagos Highway to form a north-south route between Rabat and Monrovia across the Sahara and around the western extremity of the continent. But the only issue is that the land border between Morocco and Algeria is closed currently completely, so the Cairo–Dakar Highway cannot be used in its entirety. That’s why I couldn’t travel by road from Senegal to Egypt, otherwise it that would have been one hell of an adventure car drive.

Mauritanain Tea prepared in moving truck

I had to travel the 500 kms from the border of Morocco at Nouadhibou to Nouakchott, the capital of Mauritania in this large tanker trailer. All North African Arabs take huge quantities of high sugar tea like every two hours. I was wondering how many tea breaks this trucks driver and h is assistant will take on this journey. But too my surprise the assistant took out a small stole and a tea pot and made tea in the moving truck. He had also improvised an empty engine oil can as trey for setting the tea pot and glasses in a way that they remain stable while truck is moving. The interesting part is that while preparing Mauritanian tea, the tea is tossed from great high vigorously from tea pot to the glass many times to create a thick froth. This guy was able to do this quite effortlessly in a moving truck.

At the Oasis in the Sahara in Mauritania

Many people think Oasis in a desert look like a small lake in surrounded by palm trees. But it is much more than that. So here I am putting up some photos which show how most oasis in Sahara looks like. People who live in an oasis must manage land and water use carefully. Infect they do it so well, that a formal course and degree can be formulated for it. – MBA in Oasis Management. Agriculture around oasis is probably the best example of intensive form of agriculture. Now Oasis are formed from underground rivers or aquifers, where water can reach the surface naturally by pressure. The location of oasis has been of critical importance for trade and transportation routes in the Sahara. Caravans must travel via oasis so that supplies of water and food can be replenished. Thus, political or military control of an oasis has in many cases meant control of trade on a particular route. For example, the oases of Awjila, Ghadames, and Kufra, etc, have at various times been vital to both North-South and East-West trade in the Sahara Desert. The most important plant in an oasis is the date palm, which forms the upper layer. These palm trees protects the oasis from harsh desert winds and provide shade for smaller trees. By growing plants in different layers, the farmers make best use of the soil and water. Many vegetables are also grown and some cereals. Contrary to popular belief, desert soil is good for cultivation if water is made available, so in an oasis besides the dates a lot of other plants are cultivated. I have seen papaya and even some bananas being planted in the desert. The lands around the oasis are highly prized and protected. As you can see in the photos, small land holding are intensely cultivated. Also small ponds are dug by farmers to store water and some of them are able to access ground water also at times.

The Inconspicuous Church in Mauritania

This is the oldest church in Mauritania, in Nouadhibou. This was build by the French in about 1913, when the region was a French Colony. Since Nouadhibou was on border of French and Spanish colonies, this small church was build to cater to those foreign christens. Now this church is taken care by a Catholic Charitable Mission which help christen migrants who are in Nouadhibou, who come here in a hope to make it to Europe. In this Catholic Charitable Mission , I found three Indian Nuns. Two from kerela and one from Orrisa. They say that they cannot declare themselves as Christens, Nor can they say that they have a church. Mauritania is a 100% Muslim Country and it is illegal to follow or propagate any other religion. Mauritania is one of the 12 countries were Atheism is punishable by death. So this church does not look like any conventional church. Infect to me it looked like a Buddhist Stupa. The cross is made to look like three wooden poles, so as to not attract undue attention. Also this church is always closed. It is only opened for few hours on Sunday. The nuns here do some charitable work, trying to help those christens who have come from other African counties and got stuck up here in there hopes to reach the Cannery Islands.
Now Nouadhibou, a port that lies on its northern border with Western Sahara. It is the main departure point for migrants from across West Africa who board small fishing boats, or pirogues, in an attempt to travel the 800km to the Canary Islands. The use of pirogues from Nouadhibou become more intense in 2005. Previously, migrants had travelled through Morocco and Moroccan-controlled territory before attempting to cross the Straits of Gibraltar. With tighter border and internal controls in Morocco and Western Sahara, this became more difficult, and the Nouadhibou route emerged. Most who make the journey come from Senegal, Mali and Gambia. Between 40 and 50 people travel on boats built to carry four or five fisherman. Many die at sea from dehydration, exposure or because their boats sink in the treacherous seas. Some arrive in the Canaries and are processed by the Spanish, with most then returned to Mauritania. Others are intercepted by Mauritanian or Spanish patrols and are returned immediately. Some Migrants are eventually taken to either the Senegalese or Malian border. Many immediately return to try again. Despite this, migrants from across west Africa arrive daily, hoping to reach the Canaries. Citizens from most West African countries are permitted to travel freely in Mauritania, so they continue to stay in Nouadhibou. Those who realize how dangerous the journey is often find themselves in limbo, stranded in Nouadhibou. Many people who wait for their chance to make it to Europe or are have not succeeded, stay in Nouadhibou and take up jobs, mostly in its fishing industry. Despite heavy fishing by European trawlers, the waters off Nouadhibou remain some of the richest waters in Africa and has a flourishing fishing industry.

In search of Yellow Quartz in the Sahara

I went to the Sahara Desert in Chami District of Mauritania. There is a huge hydro-thermal quartz deposit and I was able to find nice yellow and red Quartz in large blocks. During this trip I stayed in this mobile caravan. The landscape was very unforgiving and we carried water and supplies for many days  

  But our trip was successful and we found colorful stones to add to my collection.
The mobile caravan we used was that of a Chinese company called Great Wall.

 

The longest Train in the world

There is only one railway line in Mauritania. Opened in 1963, it consists of a single, 704-kilometre railway, single track standard gauge line linking the iron mining centre of Zouerate with the port of Nouadhibou, via Fderik and Choum. The mining company SNIM controls the railway line. Trains on the railway are up to 2.5 to3 kilometers in length and are longest and heaviest in the world. They carry about 240 cars each carrying up to 84 tons of iron ore. This is the symbol of Mauritanian pride and its picture is on every currency note of Mauritania. (In above photo -Train about 50 Kms from Nouadhibou) In the photo bellow the now abandoned Choum tunnel. You can see the beautiful granite plateau underneath which it was cut.

(In this phot - Train approaching Nouadhibou at he cape Blac Peninsula) Few passenger cars are sometimes attached, but more often passengers simply ride atop the ore hopper cars. And it is free. But it is interesting to take a look at the passenger cars as well. They are not actually like train bogies, but more like containers put on container rakes. As you can see in the photos they are individual containers. I have given photo of both the first class which has A/C and second class. As you see it looks more like as if you are in the cabin of a ship then train.
This National Train of Mauritania has anther distinction – It passes though another country as well and that in Western Sahara. In the early 1960s the French colonial authorities in Mauritania wished to build the line from Nouadhibou to Zouérat to exploit the iron ore reserves at Zouérat. The Spanish authorities then responsible for the Western Sahara negotiated to allow the railway to be built through Spanish territory over relatively level desert but imposed conditions unacceptable to the French. The French engineers therefore built the line parallel with the border and tunneled through the Choum hillspur - two kilometres through solid granite just to stay within French territory. The tunnel has been called a "monument to European stupidity in Africa", because of the difficulty and expense in building it. The absurdity was highlighted when the southern part of the territory of Western Sahara was occupied by Mauritania after the Spanish withdrew in 1975-6. The tunnel is no longer in use and a 5 km section of the railway cuts right through the Polisario Front controlled part of the Western Sahara. I have given a photo of that tunnel. During the Western Sahara War the Gorilla fighters of Polisario raided this train several times, thus disrupting the export of iron ore. The most important source of revenue for the country. Thus Mauritania left all claims on western Sahara and ended war with Polisario fighter and only retained two West Saharan territories. One in Choum were this train is passes thought 5 kms of Western Saharan Territory and other is the town of La Güera in the Cap Blanc, peninsula.

This is the only road crossing of this train that comes when we enter Nouadhibou - and as you see ITS UNMANNED. There is hardly any traffic on this impotent highway which connects together the largest and second largest cities of Mauritania and also goes further to connect Morocco. Also the people in Mauritania are very disciplined. They follow rules. They are not forced to follow it. I have seen that on all the police check posts in the country. Non had any kind of barricade or speed breaker. When people see the sign to stop they always stop.

There are a few Passenger coaches also in this train. They are not like conventional bogies, but basically containers put on a rack.

 As you can see in this photo. The passenger wagons are in reality containers, which are modeled to carry passengers loaded on container carrying carts and not real train bogies

Women looking out of her passenger container

This is inside of a first class container. It has A/C. It looks so much like a ship cabin

And this is second class container. We have some French ladies traveling today.

This is how a first class wagon looks like. Basically a container put on a rack. This is actually a good idea. This allows the company to remove passenger wagons and puts good containers on the racks or vice versa as need arises. 
 

Mauritanian Airlines drained me...

See how week I am looking in this photo.... Because I got into a Mauritanian airlines plane which was five hours late, which made me miss my two connecting flights from different airlines from Dakar and created serious issues with the customs and I have to bribe my way out, as I have to leave the airport in order to book new connecting flights as there is no phone or internet at Nouakchott airport. And what pissed me most was that the air hostess in the plane only gave me a glass of juice in this one hour flight. They served us nothing to eat. When they delay passengers by 5 hours they should at least give then a sandwich. And I was so tired and hungry it shows on my face. Also the airline gave no assistance like phone or internet so that I can contact with the other airlines whose flights I will miss because of their delay. But I like the flight because I love to travel in small planes which have just one seat with every window. Also the fact that about 7o percent of the seats were empty. They were only a handful of passengers. I thought of sending a suggestion to the airlines so that they at least provide something to eat for passengers if they delay the flights. But when I saw its website http://www.mauritaniaairlines.mr/, It was another story. The airlines has the smallest website in the world. With just one page which shows 4 addresses and no photos.
I later discovered that Mauritanian National airlines has just 3 planes and the airline was banned from European airspace by the European Commission, quoting "persisting deficiencies in its operations and maintenance" So it was not allowed to fly to Canary Islands and Paris, the only two European destinations it flew. But now I think this ban is removed. I hope Mauritanian airlines will grow into a much better airlines. I look forward to fly with it again as a small but nice carrier. I wish Mauritanian Airlines all the very best.