Watching waves in Nouakchott

Somewhere back there is an oasis- are we nutts for trying to find it?

With a little luck an a found friend, we made it to Tergit

Oasis tucked into a little corner

Camels

Collecting water as it dripped (fresh and cool) out of the mountain

Or just drinking it straight from the source! (slightly less efficient, though...)

Dinner with Driss

Palm trees reflected in oasis waters

Off in search of cave paintings with no directions... "where are we going?"

Finally found them...

Even though we passed them twice...

...somehow not noticing the giant arrows pointing towards them!

Old family libraries in Chinguetti

Chinguetti mosque

Chinguetti, on the brink of being swallowed by the Sahara

Jeff, a Chinguetti volunteer, with a magnificent garden

Taking off for a camel trek

Why does the short girl have to ride the taller camel?

Finding the rhythm

Sidi, a PC host-brother, decided to come with us

Dunes, dunes, and more dunes

It was a good thing Sidi came too, because our camel guide spoke nothing but Hassiniya

The oasis where we spent the night

Brewing attaya, Mauritanian style (don't tell my friends in The Gambia, but it was MUCH nicer!)

Wells are surprisingly shallow (less than 10 feet down to water)

Lazing around after attaya

Sand angels

good way to get LOTS of sand in your hair!

Gala, our oasis

Sunset over Gala

evening fire

Our camel guide makes sand bread (flour, water, salt: mix well, and put it STRAIGHT into the sand underneath the fire for about 10 minutes). Dense, but good.

Getting goofy by the fire. Sidi does an EXCELLENT camel impression!

Driving to Choum

Rocky desert

Driss again- our adopted Moroccan father, he really took us under his wing.

Waiting for the world's longest train, which should come at 6pm...

... but actually comes at midnight

The iron ore train goes from Zouerat to Noadhibout every day

Just spent the night with 2.5 km of iron

Mauritanian loot