After staying the nice hotel for 3 days, I headed to the border called frontier. I cycled 85km and arrived here yesterday.

最高のホテルに3泊した後、昨日85km走ってフロンティアと呼ばれている国境にやって来た。国境までは岩と砂の荒野。

There are land mine in Morocco and Mauritania border, so I must have had stayed highway.
この辺りは地雷原になっているので、やたらに道から外れると吹き飛ばされる。


I had to stay closer to the highway when even I went to the toilet and had a lunch.
用を足す時や昼飯を食べるのもなるべく道から近い場所で済ませた。


The border of Morocco and Mauritania.
ここが西サハラとモーリタニアの国境。





There were couple of hotels and restaurants. I was supposed to stay one of them, but their cost were extremely expensive; 150DH for simple room without shower and toilet. I asked for camping and pitched my tent behind a restaurant.
ここにも2件のホテルとレストランがあって昨夜はここで1泊。とは言っても1泊150DHと法外な値段設定だったので、自分はレストランの裏にテントをはらせてもらった。


The last Tajin.
最後のタジン鍋



Today is for crossing the border. It's not open for 24h. It's open at 9am and closed 4 or 5pm. There were many cars and trucks that couldn't pass yesterday stayed over night at the border.

そして今日は国境越え。国境は24時間ではなく、朝は9時に開いて昼休憩を挟んで夕方4時か5時には閉まる。昨日通過しきれなかった車列が朝ズラッと並んでいた。

I exchanged Moroccan money to Mauritania ougulya at a shop before crossing. Their rate was 36 Ougulya for 1DH. It's not too bad.

両替は国境の売店で済ませた。1DHが36ウギア、なかなかレートは良い。


As soon as the border was opened, people started coming in. The processing was not smooth since many people were waiting. Then, finally I got all done in Morocco side so moved to Mauritania side vis no-man's land.

朝国境が開くと同時に手続き開始。人が多かったからなかなかスムーズには進まず、パスポートを出しては見せての繰り返し。やっと出国スタンプをもらって緩衝地帯を越える。

There were only track in 5km stretched landmined no-man's land. I needed to followed some cars and trucks carefully. It was very bumpy and sandy.

道は無いので轍が濃い場所を進んで行く。砂砂でかなりハンドルが取られる。ここも地雷原なので轍を外れると吹き飛ばされる。

I remembered the movie Terminator. It's like a view after nuclear war had been started.
ターミネーターの核戦争が始まった後のような光景の中を5kmくらい進んで行くとモーリタニアサイドのイミグレ。


In Mauritania side immigration, it was also not very smooth. It became almost noon when I finished all.

こっちでもなかなかスムーズに進まず、やっと入国手続きを終えた時には昼前になっていた。まぁこれがアフリカなんでしょう。我慢我慢。



Mauritania appears Black Africa for me. There were some brown skin people but majority of them were black.
国境を越えれば雰囲気も変わる。もうここからはブラックアフリカンといった様相だ。褐色の人もまだまだいるが、大半は黒人が占めているように感じられる。

I took a lunch and off to Nouadhibu.
昼飯を食べて目的地のヌアディブに向かう。


It has been very hot during the day time since I passed by Dakhla. I felt it was over 40℃.
It's also became more dusty. Sahara sand dunes became closer to closer.

しかし暑い、ダフラを越えてからは日中大分暑い。多分40度近くはあるんじゃないか。砂も飛ぶようになって来た。サハラの砂丘が目前に迫って来ているのがわかる。

より大きな地図で Cycling West Africa 2 を表示
Nouadhibu is located the tip of peninsula like Dakhla. I needed to make a long side trip for 40km.
It was the first day of Mauritania, so I decided to stop by this town to see how Mauritania would be.

ダフラと同じくヌアディブも半島の先にあるから無駄な40kmを走らないといけない。
今回はモーリタニアの雰囲気に慣れる為にも無駄を承知の上で遠回りする。

On the way to the city, a car stopped by and a driver gave me a cold bottle of water. It was really refreshing.

町に向かう途中、モロッコでは1度も無かった車から水の差し入れがあった。冷えていて本当美味しい。


When I arrived to the town center, another car came to me and said hello, and a city bus with passengers stopped by me and a driver said "how are you" in French.
There were some craziness going on in Mauritania, but I felt it was in good way.
そしてヌアディブ到着。町に入ると車が並走してきて挨拶して来たり、路線バスが乗客乗ってるのに横ずけして挨拶して来たり、なんだかハチャメチャ感がある。でもいたって好意的な人が多いように感じた。

There were garbage, sand and goats everywhere in town.
砂とゴミとヤギだらけの市街地。モーリタニアなかなか手強そうだ。


By the way, it was my birthday today. I turned into 32 now. It's been crazy these days, so I forgot it.
I crossed the border of Georgia last year in same day. It was very cold. I hated it.
In this year, it's been hot. I feel I'm cycling inside of oven. This year is a bit better.
In this year, I hope I go back to Japan in good condition and get back to normal life. Pray for me.
そういえば今日は誕生日だった。誕生日だなぁ～ なんて感慨に浸れるような状況じゃないから忘れてしまっていた。去年は誕生日にグルシア国境を越えた。寒くて寒くて本当嫌だったのを思い出す。かたや今年は暑くて暑くて日中はオーブンの中を走ってるみたい。でも寒いよりはまし。そんなわけで32歳になりました。今年は無事帰国し、再就職が目標です。

Anyway, I checked in a campsite where I wanted, and the first day of mauritania has been done safely.
とにもかくにもモーリタニア1日目は無事に終了。安いと聞いていたキャンプ場にチェックインできました。