Chinguetti and Terjit...

It was like this for many many many miles...

I don't even know where to begin.  First I have to thank Nitza and Chris and Joe and Masha for goingon this very short but wonderful trip to a magical place really far away from Nouakchott.  It took us maybe 7 or 8 hours to get there I think.  I am actually not sure exactly. But if you look on the map of Mauritania, you will see just how far we traveled.  We traveled in two vehicles.  Left at 6:30am in the dark.  And the streets were so quiet..even the mouton and goats were still asleep.  I can only describe the road as empty and flat...for quite some time until we hit some rock formations..here are some photos so you can see for yourself...

Nitza told me that it isn't usually this green.  Amazing to think if this landscape without the little shrubs and grasses.  I think we probably passed 20 cars between Nouakchott and Atar.  It was all just open flat space with the occasional small building, a couple of tents, herds of camels, goats and sheep roaming about. We passed through a small town and I tried to snap some shots of it..

The trip was fairly uneventful..no breakdowns with the car or people..here are some landscape shots of our trip..

So strange how the earth doesn't soak up this water..

We ran into some friends of theirs who were going to fish here..

I was put in charge of buying snacks..:)

The rock formations are amazing..

On the way into town..

We all arrived in Chinguetti ready to explore what it had to offer.  We were very  happy to get out of the car too.  Not all of the road is paved so it was quite bumpy in parts.

Nitza is friends with the Mayor, and so we went directly to his house to say hello!  And what did we find there in his lovely home, which was constructed using the old stones from the ancient city, a lunch prepared in our honor.  I will give you one guess what we ate...it was in fact, dates and grilled mouton (mutton) and bread.  We all ate and drank tea with his family.  People are so wonderfully generous and warm.  We discussed the lack of tourism lately in Chinguetti due to some reports about unsafe conditions for travelers.  It is a shame and the city is suffering because no one is visiting these days.  I highly recommend this as a destination if you find yourself in Mauritania one day.  We also talked about his family, some of who live in the US.  It was very comfortable and easy and we were all happy to have met him.

Inside the Mayor's house

Our lunch...

Masha and me..eating dates!

Close up of our lunch..mouton!!!!!!

Me and the Mayor of Chinguetti..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I will post more later..after the exhibition.  We will do the unveiling of the wall at 5:30pm and the Opening of the exhibition at 6:00pm!!!! Very excited about it all....