old tiger's Blog

Nouadhibou..was called Port Etienne before..
it borders Western Sahara..not much of an interesting town..
mostly harbour and fishing port..as said before..don't recall.
the name of the hotel where I stayed..I went to the bank..
to change peseta's and FF=French Francs into local currency..
funny name=ouguiya..dived into khoums...the rate they gave me..
towards the peseta's was awful..anyhow..local currency..is needed..
i got into a restaurant where I recall the excellent couscous meal..
for the rest..well..Nouadhibou..nothing special..I went to the train
station to catch that longest train in the world..some passengers
coaches are attached..but what a hassle..people fighting for a seat??
I got myself into one of these huge container like wagons..it's a free
ride..I was in there with the U.K dude...and some turban clad local Mauretanians..
it's a horrible ride really..starts in the evening..
it got really cold at night..lots of noise..dust..lucky I could tie some
towel before my mouth..and even then..I swallowed desert sand..
train goes to Zou?rate..iron ore mine..the containers return empty..
after being loaded for transport at Nouadhibou harbour..
the trip to Choum..where I got down..took half a day..
I was happy to get out of these wagons..quite an experience..
in Choum..pick up trucks(Toyota)take you to Atar and Akjoujt..
funny people these Mauritanians..they only know Arabic...
it was a windy ride towards Atar..so I reached Akjoujt...
I got lucky there..very lucky...met some French dudes from Nice..
they told me..they knew some friends in Akjoujt..French..
who were working for some organisation..I could stay over..
for the night there..and continue with them..all the way..
to Dakar(Senegal)woohah...we even had a party with French wine,
cheese etc..these dudes knew the chick who was working in Akjoujt
for some project..don't ask me which??nice French chick she was..
the 2 French dudes..were very funny..they told me..
they won a car in a poker game..a Peugeot car..
they drove it all the way from Nice to Dakar..to sell it with profit..
these days..French cars in West Africa were highly valued..
I did not believe much what these French dudes told me..
funny people..but..I got my free ride to Dakar..
I guess they were just adventurers..that's all..
we left Akjoujt next day..bit of a hangover from that wine??
we reached Nouakchott..capital of Mauritania...
I did not like it at all..it looked like a refugee camp to me..
I heard it was not a safe place..lots of theft etc...
we did not stay there..but went on to Rosso..
Rosso..is the border into Senegal..quite a hassle..
lots of corruption,smuggling,bribery..
we had to take a ferry to cross the Senegal river..
but on the other side...Saint Louis..and finally black Africa..
aww..I did like Senegal very much..will tell you all later on..
a link for Mauritania.. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mauritania
Tiger

The boat would take more then 3 days to reach La Gu?ra..
we boarded in Las Palmas harbour..I recall one dude from the U.K..
and a couple from S.Francisco(Issa+Eric)these U.S.A.citizens..
did NOT make any visa for entry in Mauritania..I made mine in Paris..
I knew they were gonna be turned back..but..they were gonna try it..
the boat trip itself..went in smooth sea..I don't recall much of it..
so..we were anchoring inbetween in Vila Cisneros(Western Sahara)
this area was very much in turmoil..Polisario front wanted independence
while Morocco claimed the Western Sahara territory..
it was a former Spanish colony with El Aaioun as capital..
Morroco took over in 1976..but the rebels of Polisario gave a hard fight
back..they are still claiming their Sahrawi land..and now are in refugee
camps in Algeria..I've heard it's NOT possible to travell into Western
Sahara..the border close to Mauretania is full of landmines etc..
even in the early 70's there was a tension..
El Aaiuon got some very rich mineral underground...and mining.. for it..
was a foreign affair??like the iron ore mines in Zou?rate(Mauritania)
so..reaching Vila Cisneros..I recall a little harbour..sunny weather..
and one could see the fish swimming..very clear water...
Issa was a loveley and jokefull chick..she had very long hair..which she
put into a ponytail..her friend Eric was a nice dude as well..
The U.K fellow was a real adventurer..he was gonna do some Sahara
crossings into Mauritania etc..my goal..was reaching black Africa as
soon as possible..the journey through desert Maureatania was rough..
but..it was quite an experience..I will tell more in the next entry..
as expected..Issa+Eric could not enter Mauritania..they took the boat back..
me and the U.K dude went into Nouadibou town..finally..Africa..
but Mauretania is an Arab speaking Muslim country..woman covered
from top to bottom in long robes and veils..that would change a lot after
crossing Rosso into Senegal..there black Africa begins..
we stayed I believe in a small hotel in Nouadhibou..
I recall these mint tea ceremonies..in the hotel..
where tea is poured into small cups..very sweet tea..
food was based on rice mostly..with mutton or lamb..
we were gonna take a free train ride..
from Nouadhibou towards Zou?rate..an adventure??if you ask me??
an iron ore mining town..the train is more then 2,2kms.long..
I was gonna get down in Choum..travel to Akjoujt and Nouakchott.
by truck or taxi??I thought that hitchhiking in this desert was crazy..
Tiger

So..Las Palmas de Gran Canaria..beautiful town..
palm trees..big beach boulevard..lots of tourists..
good weather..tropical vegetation..the Canarian Islands..
were already touristical in the early 704s...nowadays..
it's a tourist boom..lots of Germans in the 70's..
Las Palmas reminds me of a typical holiday destination..
the inland of this island....was undiscovered these days..
me and the Canadian guy went once outside Las Palmas..
to look for a job..in a fruit plantation..but nope...
I had to stay 8 days on these islands..because my boat..
to Mauretania was going only on certain dates..
so..mostly we wandered around in Las Palmas..I recall..
the harbour..some German..took tourists on his boat..
for shark watching or fishing..in the evenings..all rucksack
travellers gathered in town..I recall a French guy..
waiting for a job on a boat to go to Brazil..
food..was cheap..if you took measures not to indulge..
some tapas..a coffee..a beer..one day me and this Canadian
took a ferry to Tenerife..just a trip of 2 days..
capital is Santa Cruz de Tenerife..nice place..
but I prefer Gran Canaria..real nice place=Las Palmas..
the Canary Islands consists of Gran Canaria,Lanzarote,Tenerife,
Fuerteventura,La Palma and Hierro...and some smaller islands..
it would take time to visit all these..some islands have volcanic
backgrounds..in Gran Canaria lush vegetation..fruit plantations..
especially bananas..Tenerife and Gran Canaria are very tourist
minded..I recall my days in these islands as a good experience..
P.S..in this link you will get an idea..of Las Palmas..
I recall Las Canteras beach vividly...we slept in a cave..
overlooking a beach..it was difficult to reach...but safe..
http://www.gran-canaria-info.com/wiki/tiki-index.php?page=Las+Palmas
but the day was near that I was gonna take that boat..
towards mysterious Mauretania..I was wondering myself..
how it was gonna be..the boat..would take few days to reach..
La Gu?ra-Nouadhibou..we had a stop in Vila Cisneros..
I believe this place changed name..and is now called Dakhla?
more about this boat trip and Mauritania..later on...
Tiger

Cadiz..is a nice town...when I reached there..
I first inquired about boats to Gran Canaria(Las Palmas)
it turned out they sail once a week..ferry starts in the evening..
next day is a whole day at sea....and then following day arrival
in the Canarian Islands..I booked a place in a 4 persons cabin..
it also turned out..that I had to stay 2 night in Cadiz town..
to wait for this boat to take..I took a small but very clean hostal...
i recall it was at the third floor....and no elevator..I crossed Cadiz
before..but just went in transit..now..Cadiz is an important harbour
and I liked the old city very much..old city means narrow streets..
http://www.cadizturismo.com/ing/1024/index.php
the local beach was called Caleta..
but it's not like these big beaches on the famous costas...
for the rest..the usual stuff like in other Spanish towns..
plaza's..churches..musea...tapa bars..but always local identity...
typical Spanish mentality..Cadiz was usually quiet around the siesta
hours..but in the evening..it became very lively...I took cheap food..
a tortilla..or some tapa's..so..the day came..I went aboard this huge
ferry towards las Palmas..in my cabin was a French Canadian dude..
he was a rucksack traveller as well..funny French Montr?al accent..
the crossing went smooth...and Gran Canaria...well..
it was 20 degrees there..a real good climate here..
me and the Canadian looked around for a free place to sleep..
we found a cave like place...very remote..and absolutely safe..
it was quite a climb...to reach this spot..and out of town..
we stayed there for 4 days..my boat to Nouadibou(Mauretania)
was only going on settled days..I had to wait more then a week..
the Canadian was staying on in the Canarian Islands..will tell you all
about my adventures in Las Palmas..and my visit to Tenerife..
Tiger

So..ferry Alg?ciras-Ceuta(Sebta)took about 40 minutes,I guess??
in fact this ferry reaches Frideq=few kms..from Ceuta..
all these ferry ports looked the same to me..busy with coming
and going from passengers,vehicles..I took a shared taxi to the
Morroco border..big shit there..one border official..said to me...
your hair is too long..only if you cut it..you can cross..
what kind of bullshit talk..obviously if I had showed some heavy
Morroco Dirhams banknotes..I could have crossed as well...
so..I was sent back to Ceuta..someone told me there...
try to cross as a bus passenger..it might work..so..I took a bus
ticket...but same scenario..could not cross into Morroco..
corruption was well practised..even in 1970's...
so bye bye..Morocco..went back by ferry to Alg?ciras....
and booked myself a bus ticket to Cadiz..I was gonna take a boat
from there direction Las Palmas(Gran Canaria)
I had heard there was only 1 crossing every week..
if I got lucky..I should be able..to move out soon??
to get a ticket..I was thinking that could be a problem..
will tell more later on..Tiger