Intercontinental Rally - RWTD Day 02

I dont plan to stay with the Rally for the entire time i'm here, i intend to explore the worlds 5th least visited country. i have enough food for 3 days, 8 litres of water, thanks to Barrie, but very little fuel. (After siphoning from retired competitors bikes - people crash out nearly everyday, like i did in 2020)

Below, a good section of  the main road from the border to the capital

After brief intro's to the team I set off towards the famous Mauritanian Train Track, it's about 100miles away. Every fuel station I pass has diesel, but no 'Essence', the local term for petrol. On the way the bike stops running! This is a bike I've only ridden for 200miles and now find myself panicked and feeling a little foolish, its not a good place to breakdown. Luckily it turns out I've just run out fuel! I have a few litres in the container on the back and pour it in.

Below, broken bike in a busy suburb.

i stop at small dust bowl settlement at the start of train track and ask around for fuel. I need thirty litres to attempt the train track desert crossing route that I've been researching. Chris Scott describes it his Sahara Overland book and you pass Ben Amera, the second largest standing rock, next to Ularu, on the way.

A typical small settlement

Running on fumes, I attempt to buy fuel from the local shop/shack owner who realises and monopolizes on my desperation. He wants to charge me £5 a litre, it's £1.10 normally. He tells me to go away with a wave of his hand if i wont agree. Obviously i cant push the bike through the desert sand.

A young fella from Algeria, whose teeth were stained brown, speaks English and approaches. He explains that Im being ripped off. I laugh with him and his friends and the shopkeeper leads him away, obviously because he was spoiling the opportunity.

The realisation that fuel is of a premium and not readily available means I won't be able to do the track route from here. I buy enough fuel to travel 50 miles to Nouadhibou, where I'm assured there will be Essence. (this will mean a 100mile round trip just for enough fuel to head back down the road!)

When fuelled the three young guys at the station come around and touch and poke the bike. One speaks English, learned from watching American TV. He explains there's not much need for English here. He's a friendly and I enjoy a conversation.

The train was 2.5km long! The driver waved and blew the horn on the way past.

Musing over my options I plot a course for Chinguetti, a town of significant importance to Muslims, its 1000km. I wonder how i'll make it in country with little fuel. Take the opportunity to explore the famous train track on the way back. People were riding in the iron crates, the vibrations and loudness of the train was unbelievable.

Tracks in the sand follow the road for 100's of KM.... so why not.

To break up the road miles i ride over the open piste. You can ride anywhere here , the landscape is endless.

Later that night I wild camp in the desert, pitching my tent as the sun sets. What an amazing 24hrs it's been!

Below, i imagine that's a fulfilling job. Push sand around a desert!