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December 13-15, 2003: Nouakchott We have spent some days in our "office" at the camp site to get all our pictures organized. Now we are ready to shoot again.

A visit to the "Marché 5ième" could offer spectacular results. But the people are so reluctant to be photographed, so we have to keep the beautiful scenes only in our memory. The market is a buzzy place. People all around: selling and buying colorful fabrics, clothes, kitchen utensils, mats,… and we are the only Europeans within miles. The bright colors of the women's "foulards" are a joy for the eye.

We then drive to the "village des pêcheurs".

The painted boats look gorgeous and the atmosphere is very special. Fishermen return from the sea and pull their boats ashore. Everybody is so busy that they hardly notice us, tourists. We have no problem to take all the pictures we want.

December 16, 2003: Nouakchott - direction Atar We prepare for a 5-days trip to the Adrar-region. the mountainous region in the middle of Mauritania. We get our supplies in "gallery Tata": a super market where everything is to be found: fresh vegetables, coffee, pasta, chocolate, Pringles, porridge, … a real luxury here in Mauritania.

In the late afternoon, we set off. The perfect tar road is easy and without potholes. Occasionally, a dromedare (here everybody says camel) or a donkey crosses the road. White dunes, yellow dunes, sand and rocks make the landscape. Many areas are now covered with plants. It has rained a lot this year, for Mauritanian standards. Plants and trees grow in abundance and give plenty of food to the lucky animals.

We drive for about 70 km in the direction of Atar. We find a spot to camp close to some nomad tents. When night falls, the cameleer collects his herd of camels and drives them right next to us. It is time to milk the females. We witness this special occasion and even try some of the fresh milk. Not really our cup of tea ! The milk is still warm and very salty because of the type of plant the camels eat. Nevertheless, this is a wonderful happening under a sky full of stars. We sleep on the roof of our car tonight. Don't want to miss out on a shooting star!

December 17, 2003: Atar region When we wake up, we see ourselves surrounded by camels. This is asking for an early morning photo shoot. We drink tea together with the old cameleer.

Mahfoudh, our guide is the very best in making tea the traditional way: boiled on charcoal and served in 3 times: the first glass you drink on behalf of life, the second on love and the third on death.

We continue the road to Atar, which is sometimes covered with grasshoppers. As we stop for a picnic, several lizards rush to look for a hiding place. "Humming bird butterflies" and birds are around. The desert is not dead at all!

Atar is the major northern commercial centre with 20.000 inhabitants. Having an airport makes it easy to reach for tourists, there are direct flights from France. From here, several impressive excursions and camel rides are possible.

We go on for another few kilometers and camp in the oasis of Azougi - Tayarette. This is the hometown of our guide. The scenery is splendid! Palm trees and low dunes with the Adrar Mountains in the back. Another night on the roof of our car to end this perfect day.

December 18, 2003: Azougi - Atar region We have a lazy morning at the oasis. And in the afternoon we visit the school of Tayarette. There is a principal and three teachers, one of them a woman. They treat us with a big glass of milk and sugar.
When the lesson starts, all the students of the different classes have to assemble in rows in front of their classroom. There is discipline! We visit each class. Schedules are written on paper and put on to the wall, we can see which subjects they teach.

On the way to Chinguetti, although it is a very good piste, we manage to damage our brakes because of an unforeseen pothole. It's dark already. A Mauritanian in a Toyota stops and is so kind to offer his help. It takes a few hours, but then the problem is temporarily solved. We can continue with 3 brakes. But not today. It's already past 10pm, so we get off the road to make camp. Vegetarian spaghetti is on the menu.

December 19, 2003: Chinguetti - Terjît Chinguetti is the seventh-holiest city of Islam. It has buildings that date from the 13th century. Once there were 12 mosques, 25 madrases and 20.000 inhabitants. Caravans of 30.000 camels laden with salt traveled between Chinguetti and Timbuktu, St-Louis, Niora and Morocco. But the glory days are over. Now there is a population of 4.000 people and the ruins are being restored. One 16th century mosque, decorated with 5 ostrich eggs, marks the "city view".

We visit the Fondation Ahmed al Mahmoud, one of the five old libraries. Fragile ancient Islamic manuscripts are kept in a dark room, closed by a beautiful gate and ditto lock.

The manuscripts are hand written and colorful decorated: real pieces of art.

In the blistering heat, surrounded by dunes, we take the piste back to Atar and further to Terjît. Here we arrive in a wonderful oasis at the end of a narrow canyon. There is a natural pool and the stream flows besides the gorgeous nomad tents. It is a picturesque scenery and we enjoy the luxury of sleeping in one of the tents under the palm trees.

December 20, 2003: Terjît - Nouakchott A quiet morning, lingering at the oasis, drinking traditional Mauritanian tea,… How wonderful life is...

Then we make the long way back to Nouakchott, passing camel, goats, donkeys and rolling sand dunes.

December 22, 2003: Nouakchott We visit the village des pêcheurs - Port de Pêche for the second time. The sea is very rough and boats return almost empty. But the atmosphere is so special, we hang around for a few hours.