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Where am I?
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Going from Europe to South America |
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Few snaps since 2014
 To see more beautiful pictures, go to the Wallpapers
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Mauritania
 7 days |
A week in the Sahara... and plastic
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Entering Mauritania from Morocco requires to cross a 2km no man's land, officially land of the Sahraoui. 2 kms with mines, no asphalte, and risks of being kidnapped. So following the skidmark on the sand, avoid the burn carshells, and enter the fortress on the other side, where people with uniforms, and some without start hassling you, showing you that everything is possible. Finally getting the visa for 55$ on my passport, with mistakes on it, but who cares, a guy is present in the room with the officer, trying to sell us things. And the officer told me and the van crew, that he doesn't work here, but it is our job avoid him. Another problem, every car needs an insurance, at the border. Or not. We have read different things. But in the end, after trying to escape without taking one, the customs blow the whistle to us, saying that if we don't take it here, we will be fined in 15km, at the first checkpoint. And indeed, there was a hut in the desert, with a guy outside, and his riffle, checking car's insurance.
It is almost sunset, we have spend a day to do 300km, and the papers at the border. |
| Time to sleep, and also to divide, as I am going to Noadhibou, while the van keep driving straight to the capital city. Pitching the tent at a very windy sandy dirty full of plastic crossroad, the Mauritanian adventure will finally start.
Arriving in Noadhibou, in a shared taxi, as apparently hitchhiking doesn't work in the country, I discover, a new world. A disguting one. It is sandy everywhere. And all the sand is recovered of plastic, trash... The traffic, is made of few fancy cars, horse-carriages only with a plank of wood, and pedestrians. I came here only for one reason. Taking a unique train in the world. Seeking breakfast in these emptys street, but very crowded in the only street with asphalt, the market's one, I finally spend some money for a nice coffee, in order to use a Wifi connection after a week without anything.
The train will apparently arrive at 3pm. So I head to the station, where a security guard gives me the contact of a Couchsurfer at my destination, also a tour guide. The train will finally arrive at 9pm. |
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And it is a unique one, because, it is a train for mining, the longest train in the world, about 2km, and you can jump, and sleep in the iron wagons. Full of dust, and sand, you really need to cover yourself as much as possible, and you will have to take a shower and do a laundry afterwards. But that will be 12hours, and 600kms for free through the desert, to arrive not far from Chinguetti, and Atar, the most, and only touristic parts of Mauritania.
My CS host is nice, even though he is probably more on Couchsurfing for business than for the hospitality. I will however join a tour, and spend some money, as this part of Mauritania cannot really be done on your own, especially hitchhiking. No camel riding, but trekking in the sand dune for 24hours, with a camel carrying the food, and other equipment. Chinguetti, is the 7th holiest city for Muslims, and while being swallowed by the moving dunes, its library, and mosque are unique, and definitly worth a visit. The camel walk is not that amazing, but that is a personal opinion, as I've already been on my own lost into sand dunes. Walking. Tea. Walking. Tea. Walking. Tea.
In fact, life in Mauritania is made of 50% of tea. If you watch TV at somebody's house, only 2 types of advertisements will be displayed : Internet Sim Card provider. And tea. |
| Hitchhiking out from the desert, I get 2 cars bringing me in Nouakchott, the capital city, as dirty as Noadhibou. Being at the Chinese CS appartment, who randomly picked a country on a map to come and teach. Such a disappointment for him, with the poverty, robbery, and lack of comfort here. Visiting the colorful harbor, one of the only interesting place in the city, it shows however without a doubt that slavery still exist here. All the workers are black, from Senegal, Gambia, Guinea, working hard, with poor equipment, while locals, Mauritania, coming from Arabs, are in fancy 4 wheel drive cars and pick-up. It is time, after a week, to live, and get a ride for 300km, and the next border, the one leading to Senegal, first black-african country on my way.
And what the hell was this border. I've never seen that much corruption in my life! Everybody is trying to make business, or getting money over the official, if there is an official process to leave Mauritania, and enter Senegal.
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Morocco
 21 days |
Entering the french-speaking Africa, my 4th continent
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Sleeping in Tanger Harbor, I am welcome in the early morning by some beggars who are squatting around there, hoping to catch a boat to get to Europe. On my way to Chefchaouen, it is easy to get picked up, but I've been driving through, or dropped around 3 landfills in 2 days. Is that Africa ? Actually not, but it's getting already very dirty a bit everywhere. Nevertheless, Chaouen, the blue city is preserved from trash as it is touristic, so it has to be clean. In the Rif valley, the mountains around and the blue walls are offering a beautiful and unique visit to anybody. But the city is also very famous for smoking hashisch, which is produced 200km further in Ketama. The police is controlling very carefully locals, but they let foreigners in peace, and only ask bakchiche, to the poor locals... way too often. Spending few days there, with other backpackers, mostly french, it will be the only time I will be with that many tourists, with the next place I'm heading to. Fes. One of the biggest city in Morocco, it is very famous for its huge medina, where you can get lost so easily, and inhabitants, especially kids, and bad guys, will try to make money bringing you on the way you want... In a violent way sometimes, threatening you. So be careful. The most impressive thing in here, are the tanneries, where people are working leather. Views from terraces are really interesting, and guides will give you informations in exchange for a small donation. While if you look like a hippie, everybody will "hssss" at you, and try to sell you hashisch. Avoiding the Northern part of Morocco where all the big megalopoles are, I want to focus on the natural part, and the cultural one as well. Let's dive, or hitchhike in the Amazigh ( berbere) region, in the Southern and Middle Atlas. Passing through Ifrane, the only clean city in Morocco, due to the Palace of the king, I discover the warm hospitality of locals there, car after car, being invited for tea, food, and at home. Actually, my first time trying to camp, I ask some locals if they know a good place to pitch my tent, but they're answer is that there was a murder of 2 tourists by Isis few months ago in Marrakech, so it is better to register at the police. A taxi man gives me a ride to the police station, and instead, invites me home... a very poor place where his parents are farming. No english and french spoken at all, so Google translate will be the 3rd friend of this evening, where the food will be great, but the conversation ... mostly about how to immigrate to Europe. He is the less educated guy I've met in few days ( the only one speaking no French at all), but he wants to leave. |
| The day after, I'm heading to Imlilchil, a village located at 2500m above the sea level, on the top of the Middle Atlas Range. Traffic is rare, but a car stops in the end of the afternoon, and the driver invites me to stay at his family, that he is himself visiting. He left the country aged of 16, and reached Europe under a truck. What a risk he took, but he succeeded. And being under 18 is making things very easy to be protected and to get citizenship then. So now, he has become a happy Spanish man, speaking differents languages, and having a decent job. But his story is almost unbelievable. He's the one I've met who took the more risks, coming from a country in peace, to have a better life, not picking apples, and taking care of sheeps all his life, as he told me, unlike his parents. They are incredibly friendly, and represent the more authentic Amazigh berbere you can imagine, with his mum having a traditional tattoo on her chin. They were not aware that it was bad for Islam in remote areas like here before, so every woman was getting a tattoo, nowadays prohibited in the name of Allah. Leaving their very humble house, I then go down the Atlas range, walking, and having short ride, arriving in the middle of an amazigh mountain markets. Turkets, dresses, and lots of men. And cattle. In this high, dry landscape. Finally, after having a Tajine with locals, I end up in Tenghrir Canyon almost for sunset, a very impressive gap between two mountains, where there is just enough space for a river, and a small road. Looking for a place to sleep, a man will come to talk with me in the street, and invite me home, to exchange about his past his France. And his relatives, as his daughter is staying there illegally, overstaying a tourist visa, and seeking documents and friends to get her accepted.
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Heading then to Ouarzazate, capital of cinema making, I will have my first CS experience and Morocco. And what a great time it was with Oussama, studying cinema, and already making commercials on TV there. And with his uncle, discovering how Moroccan a going out and drinking beer, as it is not totally prohibited here. The Atlas Studio is worth a visit to see some artefacts or palaces
which have been used in famous movies, like Kingdom of Heaven, or Asterix Mission Cleopatra. After a second night at Oussama, more reasonable, with a lack of sleep, it is time to finally go to the Moroccan coastline. Second CS experience in the not very sexy Agadir, my main goal is to trek through the Paradise Valley. A wonderful rocky mountainous area, with a gorgeous river, and waterfalls. But the Climate change effect is very visible there. Two of my friends have been in this place before, at the same time of the years, in the past years. I've seen picture. But nothing dry like I saw. No water at all, and I ended up trekking up the river bed for 2-3 kilometers, with some puddles in big holes in the river bed. And a completely drying waterfall, where it is possible to see the 10meters waterfall ... but only its sculpture in the rocks, due the erosion. Impressive, and ... scary to see such a draught effect. |
| It is now time to enter a very special province, risky ( that's what they say), and claiming its independance. Western Sahara.
On a map, you may have all noticed this name, at the South of Morocco. People living in the sand dunes of Sahara are claiming it, but Morocco doesn't want to let it go, especially due to the resources it has ( fish and phosphate). So war has happened, the Sahara has been fenced for thousands of kilometers, checkpoints are very common on the road... and many Moroccan have been sent there with tax advantages, to repopulate the area in order that the locals, claiming there own country, are less numerous that their neighbours. I see a cultural change, especially with tea, smaller glass, and more time to make it. In a tiny glass. But I'll write about it later. And a lot of nothing. Every few hundred of kilometers, there is a city, recently build up, with Moroccan flags. And sand. And huge fishing ports, which are sending all what they captured to Europe, where it will be worth much more money than there. Sleeping few times in the desert, hiding in cities where camping are very expensive, the traffic become more rare. And more composed of overlanders, either traveling long distances in Africa, or made of guys bringing cars from Europe, where their only future could have been carwrecks, or landfill, to resell them there, in Mauritania, Senegal, Gambia, for a good price.
Mauritania is my next destination, but in the middle of this emptiness, sandy from time to time, but not that often yet, there is Dakhla, a city with amazing surroundings. A peninsula with almost no depth, and very windy. A paradise for kitesurfers. And if KiteSurf is an extreme sport, it also involves high prices. The closest and only hotel by the nicest kitesurfing spot, offers rooms for 150euros a night!! But 300m further, there is a nice concrete parking, with some sand. And it is possible to camp for free, for campers, or for pedestrians or cyclists.
Well, a last van, own by 2 germans, with already one hitchhiker, stops. And we are ready for the last 300km of emptiness before the border. The craziest border of my life at this point!!
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Spain
 7 days |
Hitchhiking across one of the hardest country in Europe
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After having been visiting my family and friends during August and September, I decide, to start my journey, crossing France from the East to the West, to see my grandparents almost at the Spanish border, on the Atlantic coastline of France. Heading South then, I enter the Basque county, where people have a very strong cultural identity, and their own dialect. Avoiding highways, I cross the border, and enter what is apparently the hardest country in Europe to hitchhike through... Spain! |
| Struggling a little bit in the countryside, I head for Pampelona without too many problem, and gonna go as fast as possible South, as fall is coming and the freshness is already present in this region. Wild camping nearby old castles, and quickly reaching Madrid, I noticed that most of the drivers stopping are foreigners though. |
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Madrid isn't so attractive, so I have a quick stroll on the very busy Plaza de Espana, before leaving by bus, an hour South, to Toledo, a majestic city of the Reconquista, where Muslims where settled during the medieval time, and then kicked out by Spaniards. |
| Lovely town, very scenic especially from the road accross the river, for a great panorama, losing yourself into its small alleys, going up and down is a pleasure. Two nights in this place, and then I hitchhike out, towards the worldwide famous windmills of Don Quixote, in the village of Consegrua, where the main square is already beautiful, with its Galician atmosphere. But the viewpoints at the windmills are just great. Too many tourists are walking around, but pitching my tent down the site is a good idea, to enjoy the place at his best. Well, 5 days and I'm going fast enough, even if the traffic is pretty sporadic. Lucky rides mostly. This is exactly what will happen the day after, where, after having been waiting twice a couple of hours, I got a nice lucky ride at nice, and then am invited by my driver to stay at his place. Not common to be invited in Europe, but nice people still exists. Leaving the morning after, I am now heading for Granada, and it's Alhambra, and the majestic mosque/cathedral with its stunning architecture. Expensive ticket, such a crowd in the city, but definitly worth a stop. I can feel the arabic culture still part of the life here, and it is a perfect introduction for the next country I'll be visiting : Morocco. But before that, a last journey through 9 cars, with 8 differents nationalities of drivers, along the concrete-build coast along the Mediterranean sea. Nothing really sexy, but so many Europeans are on vacation there, as it's warmer than the rest of Europe at this season, and with cheaper food and drinks.
Finally reaching the harbor in Algericas at the end of the afternoon, I got picked up py a truck driver, and got my free ticket onto the ferry to Africa!
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Why this trip? |
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When I left France in August 2014, I had 3 regions that I wanted to visit during my round-the-world trip. The Balkans, Central Asia and ... South America
Hitchhiking and cycling through 3 continents in the last 4 years, I haven't been to South America yet, and it might be the last part of my journey. Discovering Patagonia, trekking in the Andes, losing myself in the Amazonian forest, or exploring the lands of indigenous Quechuan, Incas... That is the the purpose of this journey. But crossing the Ocean would be a great adventure too. Especially as the Alantic Ocean is one of the busiest open-water area in the world, so it should be "easy" to get a ride. Even for a total beginner
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| Camping next to an abandoned soviet airstrip. Tajikistan, 2015 |
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The next goal to achieve, is discovering South America. But having been all the way to Australia, the question was, how to go from the Oceanian continent, to America. Flights are expensive, and the network not too big. The Pacific Ocean is a crazy one, and by boat will be a silly experience for somebody who didn't spend more than 3 days in a row on a boat.
So the idea, is to go back to Europe, and from there, analyze and decide of the nicest way to cross the Atlantic. But before that, on the way back from the land of Kangaroos, I decided to book the cheapest aircraft from Singapore, to Europe, Athens actually. And while spring and summer will be allowing traveling with a nice weather, cross the Middle East to Central Asia, through a different itinerary than the one I've used before. The final city will be Almaty, again, in Kazakhstan, which as the cheapest flight from Central Asia to Europe, with a great deal for 100euros, 6h in the plane, and with a comfortable airline.
Back in Europe at the end of summer, if everything goes well, I will then, think seriously about South America, probably across the Atlantic ocean
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| The realtime map and the business -not too planned - plan |
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The goal is to visit South America, without taking a plane from Europe, so sailing across the Atlantic. The trip will include North East of Africa, and more or less all the South American countries.
Visa policies are very convenient
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To see more beautiful pictures, go to the Wallpapers
