Today was all about retracing our route from 2 days ago from Chinguetti ... out of the desert ... back to the coast to Nouakchott as we position ourselves towards Senegal.
The good part was that the wind was on our backs which made the ride very nice and our mileage per gallon almost doubled.
Doing the first 80km of dirt first thing in the morning, all fresh, was a zen experience. Weather was perfect, the light was perfect, totally deserted, beautiful views ... knowing what to expect made the ride more spirited and very fun.
Once we got to Atar, out of the dirt part, we found some gas, filled up and with that tank we made it all the way to Nouakchott. A long ride! No pictures.
Today's ride made me realized that all the road checkpoints in Mauritania ... today, we probably went through 10+ checkpoints ... are staffed with officials, police, customs people that are generally very nice and welcoming ... and smiling.
Every time we get stoped, they ask for La Fiche ... the motorcycle papers ... which would make the stop complicated and long, I would just say "Pas de fiche... et nos passeports?" and they would say OK or simply just waved us through. Nice trick : )
After a nice rest at the hotel and some food, Chris and I spent some time planning and making reservations for the next few days as we make our way to Dakar.
Tomorrow, we cross the border into Senegal and stay in Saint Louis on the Senegal side ... a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We have heard the ride to the border is beautiful, 30+kms of dirt, and it goes through the Diawling National Park.
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