It was cold when we left Nouadhibou this morning (55 degrees) ... when is it going to get warm around this places : )
Our main concern today is gas ... Mauritania haa chronic shortages of fuel because the government recently stopped subsidizing fuel ... and now it is almost twice the price of what it is in Morocco ... and we are doing 500kms today.
Today, we rode through some of the most inhospitable places on earth ... sand, sand, more sand, wind and wide open spaces ... beautiful nevertheless.
The first gas station we went by after 100km dod not have gas ... some vendors had gas in plastic bottles but we decided not to risk it and ride another150km to the, hopefully, next viable gas station.
I am so happy we brought GS Adventure motorcycles on this trip ... we now beginning to test their fuel range limits.
After 150km, in the middle of nowhere, there is a lively small town with lots of sand everywhere ... and we managed to find some gas ... enough to make the next 300km to the capital of Nouakchott.
The ride was uneventful except for gale strength winds at times coming from the NE as we were riding South ... sand blowing from the inland Sahara to the ocean across the road ... sand encroaching on the pavement everywhere ... pavement alternating from good to bad to crumbling ... we had to keep our full attention on the road at all times and expect anything at anytime ... camels also : )
We did see a couple of wind farms at full generation and a solar farm ... the future for places like this.
Nouakchott is a relatively modern city, with great modern buildings and facilities. The streets away from the main avenues also covered with sand. Our hotel is great and we found an unbelievable French Boulangerie and Patisserie close by ... best pastries, baguettes, and cappuccinos. A great reward for a tough day of riding.
Tomorrow, we head inland to Atar and to Chingetto, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, to really explore the depths of the inland Sahara.
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