I was sitting in my grandmother’s house in Andorra, staring out the window and yearning for adventure. It had been a while since I had done anything truly new and adventurous so I was really looking for something out there. Probably 3 years ago I watched the Yes Theory crew take the iron ore train in Mauritania and it had been something I had been wanting to do ever since. Two days later I had the trip to Mauritania booked and three months later it was time to start.
The start of my trip however was far from smooth. As I was sitting in the airport waiting for my flight to leave it got delayed two hours, then four, then six before finally being cancelled due to bad weather. They told us all to go home and that we would fly out first thing next morning, which would still be in time for me to catch my next connection. However once I arrived at the airport the next morning, once again it was delayed two hours then four and then cancelled. This was now a problem as all the rest of my connections were missed and the group that I was going with was already there. After a few phone calls, some good luck and a very nice customer service agent at Air France, he found a reroute through Algeria that would have me arrive just a few hours before our group was going to leave the capital of Nouakchott.
Finally I arrived at the airport in Nouakchott and had to battle with immigration for about an hour, which all things considered wasn’t too bad as I was one of the faster people to make it though. After being picked up by some very nice drivers, driving not the worst car I have ever been in, but close, I finally made it to the hotel and my adventure could truly begin.
The first day of our adventure started like many do, with a six hour drive through the desert cramped in a van with eleven strangers. Being my first time truly in the desert, the one thing that stuck out to me most was how flat rocky it was. No towering sand dunes or interesting hills or pillars, just a flat expanse of the same rock as far as the eye could see. While this was somewhat disappointing, the anticipation of what was to come tided me over and the six hour drive flew by faster than our van on the dirt tracks. After bribing our way through various police checkpoints, we arrived at our evening stay. A nice little Oasis tucked into an impressively large canyon, filled with trees and good food. After a delicious home cooked local meal of rice and various spices and a short hike to an overlook, we ended the day sore but excited for what was to come.
Day two was one of the more fun days, taking some Toyota Hilux trucks for the true Taliban experience. We rolled out in five trucks through the desert, hanging out of the open windows and shouting our enjoyment to the wind. It really made me think that maybe joining the Taliban would actually be really fun. Although whenever we rolled into villages we gave out candy instead of bullets. Most of the day was spent speeding around in the trucks and drinking the famous Mauritanian tea, which was actually quite good, albeit an acquired taste. Finally we rolled into the holy Islamic city of Chinguetti which, although not looking like much, had incredible historic significance to the region.
The third day was very relaxed, we had met up with the weary runners from Johnny’s legendary “Eye of the Sahara Marathon” the previous day and they needed a good solid day of rest before moving on. We walked around, explored the city and talked to locals. The evening was one of the two highlights of the trip, sunset on the Sahara. As sunset approached, we all piled in again to the trucks and with great excitement, made our way to one of the best views of the Sahara you can have. I will never forget climbing to the top of one of the dunes and seeing the Sahara as I had imagined it in my dreams. An endless vast ocean of sand dunes, laid out before us as far as the eye could see. As the golden rays of the sun touched the sand before us, all I could think of was how beautiful the moment was. Johnny smuggled in some whisky that we cracked open and a more perfect evening you could hardly ask for.
The Train
The fourth day was another day of mostly driving, but we were on the move again so I was happy. The sand dunes turned back into rocks but in a much more dramatic fashion. Towering cliffs and valleys spread out before us as we rocketed along towards the city of Atar, where we would be picking all the stuff up needed for the train ride. Atar itself wasn’t a particularly grand city but it certainly had it’s charm. After much haggling we all walked away with the gear we would need for a cold night on the train, giving us the rest of the day to relax in the grand house of one of Johnny’s friends. Then we were once again packed into the trucks and racing off through the desert towards our next destination, the small village that the train stops in every day.
Now was where the only potential stopper in our trip. To preface, taking the train isn’t actually legal, due to concerns from the mining company that runs it, the Mauritanian government explicitly stated it was illegal. This had been the case for years prior but never enforced. Until earlier that year of course where people were reporting that there was a van from the mining company accompanied by the police kicking all tourists off the train at the station. They did this for about a week strait and stopped, then again for a few days just a week before we arrived. This would have been a massive disappointment so Johnny came up with a plan to avoid this rather unfortunate scenario. We figured that the company wouldn’t be kicking people off unless there were people there to kick off, so if we arrived at the exact same time as the train then they couldn’t know and thus wouldn’t be there. This plan also had it’s risks, mainly that the train doesn’t really have a set schedule and can arrive from anywhere between 6pm and 3 the next morning. Our drivers were confident they could hear the train before we could see it and then race it to the station so we put our trust in their hands.
With the plan in place we pushed on past the train stop and further into the desert, even briefly dipping into Western Sahara. Eventually we found a nice couple of sand dunes to hide our trucks behind while we waited for the train. We gathered some wood, built a fire and enjoyed each other’s company into the cold night. As we were chatting, our fixer suddenly held up his hand and said stop. We all quieted down wondering what was up, after a couple of seconds he said “the train is coming”. I have no idea how he heard it, or knew because even when it was quiet none of us could hear a thing but one of us scrambled up the sand dune and sure enough, just on the horizon we saw the lights of the train coming nearer. From there we all scrambled to get our gear in order and threw everything we could into the trucks, the train was fast and we knew the timing would be tight.
We were underway once again, I imagine we cut a striking sight, 6 pickups blazing through the desert at night, racing the train to her destination. We certainly felt like a group of bandits or train robbers and this was amplified when the train caught up to us and our drivers pushed faster. Another of the most memorable moments was when we were side by side with the train riding through the desert as she came up to her stop. Then we piled out of the trucks and hauled all of our stuff into the ore carts. It was easier than I expected, the carts themselves each had a ladder on the side for easy access, so despite how high they were, we had no issues climbing in with our gear. To avoid detection, we all lay flat and tried our best to hide under the railings of the carts, which seemed to work because nobody came to kick us off and we were soon on our way through the desert.
When I think fondly about my adventures from the past few years, the next twelve or so hours on the train come immediately to mind. There is something about the experience that you really cannot quantify in measurable terms, it truly is one of a kind, once in a lifetime journey. We spent a good fifteen minutes of good honest work digging through the ore for a spot to sleep in and then we just sat and gazed out on the landscape. It was such a surreal experience sitting on the ore, making our way through the desert with a few strangers I had only met two days before. With only the light of the moon to see, the desert with a beautiful starry night sky as a backdrop is a scene that will stay with me forever and the type of moment that pictures can never do justice.
The next morning I woke up to rising sun spilling golden light over the dunes of the Sahara. A more picturesque scene, it would be hard to hope for. Alas, all good things must come to an end and soon after, we found ourselves rolling into the port city of Nouadhibou, our final destination. We were all grateful for the opportunity to stand up properly and stretch our legs. We also had a good time comparing our faces, and the significant amount of grey ore that had built up in our hair and beards. We rested and the next day headed back to the capital in our van and before we knew it, our trip was over.
Conclusion
All in all, after years of growing complacent in my comfortable life, this trip really was an awakening. Years ago I had slowly stopped travelling, slowed my adventures down and settled into a boring routine. I knew that I wanted to travel and have these adventures but had never actually set out to do anything which was a major failing on my part. I’m not sure what was holding me back, stopping me from actually going ahead with my dreams but this trip finally broke it. Johnny was amazing, all the people I met were amazing. The people of Mauritania were incredibly nice and hospitable and after having been warned by everyone not to go, im glad to find my mind changed.
For me, this trip wasn’t
No responses yet