We took the 10:00 ferry from Algeciras to Ceuta (Sebta) and were through the border into Morocco amazingly quickly. We know this country well and have had many an hour wasted checking our papers, buying insurance and changing money here at the border. Today was exceptionally quick! Not to repeat many of our other stories on various safaris, I will first give a few descriptions on our way through till Tan Tan, in the south, since from there onwards it will be new for both of us. Arriving in Casablanca on our first night we camp at the L’Oasis campsite. A good choice since the Mauritanian Embassy is just around the corner and we need to get visas before getting to Mauritania itself. So the next morning we got up early and leaving 200DHMs, 2 photos and passports spend the rest of the day lazily waiting to pick up our passports and visas at 15:00. Also picking up their visas are two people who are also staying at the campsite. Mike from Germany and Seiko, who has hitched all the way across from Japan.

Another night in the campsite, but we are ready to leave tomorrow for Agadir. Now, probably the worst campsite, one can only imagine, is the Camping International just outside Agadir. Disgusting to say the least. One normally refers to sites by the loo’s and facilities, but this site is difficult to imagine, Cockroaches are rife. From here, straight to a town called Guelmim. We choose to stay at a little town called Abaynon, with a small campsite, but which is famous for its natural sulphur springs. Not long after we started off towards Layounne we were stopped for a police check. Whilst they are filling out our passport details, a Land Rover Discovery pulls up behind us to do the same thing, and whilst patiently waiting for our papers, chat away with Rudi and his partner Mirella. On the road people connect easily as we are all basically going to or coming from similar destinations and will always share some useful information on how to go about things on route. So now, Rudi who is German and Mirella who is originally from Romainia have agreed to meet up at our next destination at 18:00 in a town called Boujdour where we can chat even more, have a meal, set up camp and see what next. We pass many fishermen as we follow the Atlantic Coast through the vast Western Sahara. After passing Tarfaya we stop in Laayoune for a bank to have just € 50 worth of DHMs (roughly 500) to buy diesel tomorrow at the last fuel station before crossing into Mauritania Laayoune is home to one of the largest fishing industries in the world, it belongs to the EU! The Moroccans buy back their own fish in cans at the souk.

On reaching Boujdour, two huge cement Ostriches welcome us at the city gates. The main town square is busting with people. Its still Ramadan for another few days and since the sun has set eating and drinking commences. Over our roast chicken and chips dinner we accept Rudi and Mirella’s offer of following them through Mauritania and onto Senegal to stay for a few days in the house they have had built in a town called Mboro. To have a little more peace and quite this evening we go back to the guards at the city gates and ask them if we can set up camp beside them, for a little more security too. Well, you do need to carry ear-plugs when on safari. The police stop every haulage truck through the night and the engine noise is deafening. Our ear-plugs gave us a quite night. November 18th. Today we will travel all the way to the last fuel station before crossing the border into Mauritania tomorrow. The good road and landscape of flat, flat land, broken once in awhile with sand dunes is quite tedious and never ending. We stop for lunch just before Dakhla at a bushcamp where, in the high season, wind surfers enjoy the Atlantic waves. Having left Tan Tan two days ago and reaching Bir Ganaouz, the last fuel station, coffee bar, restaurant and motel, we have travelled 1200kms! The Camel tagine here was awful! Used up our last DHMs on cheese, green tea and an obelisk of sugar.