My personal African tour: from Tangeri to Ouagadougu

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Someone said that there are three Africas: the animals, the landscape and that of men. if you are interested Burkina latter is great even if you are not deprived of the opportunity to see crocodiles, elephants and other reserves not closed but in absolute freedom and at times the scenery you petrified.
The population is very simple and hospitable even though so poor that at best can give you half a glass of Dolo (millet beer hardly swallow NB. The fact that you are offering is a little luck)
The thing that most of the trip has left me with mouth open desert was covered with a lovely mantle of green grass (like a golf course) and the contrast between the green vegetation and red earth dil (fix: mud ). I have a bit of photos but they are too heavy and I do not know how to make available. (I have limited computer skills)




Departure from Turin, Genoa for shipment to Tangier on 12 August 2006 arriving in Tangier in the afternoon of 14 with about 5 hours late.

The journey has involved an expenditure of 880 euro for two people for one way in double cabin with outdoor service and meals included.

The ship is quite old and the poor.

14 to 17, finally arrives, customs formalities quite fast, makes a contract of insurance is not necessary since the Morocco provided by my policy of Italy. (a hint when you make a home insurance explicitly require the inclusion of Morocco will be a good way to save the first 80 euro)

We have some haste following the failure of the first departure (we were robbed of everything in Marseille and we had to return home) are aiming to Casablanca where we come in the evening.

Overnight camping at the city, quite comfortable, with hot showers, and little economic crowded.

In the vicinity of the camp's embassy in Mauritania where it is possible to apply for visas. It must be said however that visas are also issued at the border and that more quickly and spend less.

In Casablanca, the Mauritania visas cost 50 euros and you expect one day and release them at the border immediately and cost € 10.

The second day (17 / 8) wanted to reach a beach ten kilometers before Sidi Ifni arriving from the north where we knew a splendid inn, actually arrive at the hotel where, however, is complete and we have to fall back on another adjacent to the first.

Not exactly exhilarating experience, there is no light, the bathroom is shared, the place beautiful, the fish dinner offered a good price but not as small (half-board is to cost about 30 euros per head)

The next morning (18 / 8) we must immediately take the road even if the beach would have deserved a break of at least one day.

Haste prevents us from stopping on the plage blanche, stretch of coast that runs on bagnasciuga among fishermen of sole in a landscape that we had visited during the voyage of the first, near the plage blanche council hotel Ksar Tanidilf, really fantastic. (see itineraries www.voyages4x4.com/roadbook17.htm).

We arrive for the night to Layoune where we stop in a beautiful hotel, the Parador "on a street of the main road, price negotiable with the final agreement to 80 euros.

For dinner there are two restaurants equivalents, side by side that are considered the best in the city but not really worth much, are where the main road, towards the end makes a curve and one of the two is called "the pearl ".

Additional stage (19 / 8) to reach Dakla, lovely town of which deserves a mention only the pastry bar on the seafront, night in camp, one expensive hotel, easily recognizable because it is the highest building in town.

The morning after buonora (20 / 8) is part of buonora Nouadhibou towards the trip, as well as in recent days is a deadly boring, the whole road is always straight and the landscape monotonous.

Nouadhibou is a pretty nice town though not out of the whole characteristic of Mauritania which is to be the most dirty country I ever visited. The main problem is that of the Mauri d esere a nation of nomads and has always left its garbage to where we were camped only that progress and use of excessive plastics, tin and all sorts of other non-biodegradable material to replace eliminated during a time, all biodegradable have made the country a real immondezzaio roof.

In Nouadhibou, however, a feature of the market (on the streets parallel to the main road is not easy to find) also do not miss a meal in a restaurant close to Monaco, where you eat really good ... .. and have wine and beer. To buy: fabric, my wife preferred the white cotono in its beautiful.

In Nouadhibou, we met Thomas, a motorcyclist in Genoa in Mali also directed that from that moment will be one of our fellow travelers to Bamako.
We stop at Nouadhibou two days, is to make visas for Mali because fatigue is starting to be felt.

The day after for Nouachott, capital of Mauritania and the city symbol if the symbol as we are led to believe is the dirt.

To sleep the reference point of all European travelers coming here is the council auberge ... but who can afford the chambre d'hotes Jeloua of the same owner.

Here at last we meet a friend of Mario www.africaland.com with which we had to leave us if we had not been robbed of the voyage which in turn had known two journalists around Africa motorbike in search of news costume.

At this point the group should have esere consists of two land and two motorcycles, which only needs the availability of time they took us to make only some parts together.

Morning of 23 / 8 toward the inside, starting the concerns about the temperatures and conditions of the roads, the second problem is proving that does not exist at least until the border with Mali, while the first one shows immediately real and concrete to reach the thermometer mark 57 degrees!

In the evening my wife and I arrive in Kiffa where we stop again to wait two days for our traveling companions who were left behind; Kiffa there seemed nothing that even if it remains a must for the night.

In this regard it should be noted that the local authorities strongly advise fields in deserted areas because, although all are always friendly and hospitable, we remain still the rich Europeans in a country where only the misery abounds.

25 reach Gogoui country devoid of any interest but where once again we arrive after dark trail after about 350 km of track between mud, mud and sludge.

A Gogoui there is a campsite but who, like me, has the air camping will not have chance to enter it in the desolation they thought well to put a beam in reinforced concrete above the two columns that mark the entrance.

We were lucky, or maybe even a little brazen that we managed to invite us to a rich local with a villa, which we later discovered to be the former Minister of Maritato.
The gentleman has also invited us to dinner, giving a sign of great hospitality.