Andrew is a happy camper. The matresses and pillows in the tent were very comfortable and we were lulled to sleep by the sound of the waves that, at high tide, were only feet away. Everybody slept like babies and after morning ablutions, we're ready to hit the road again. Only there isn't one! We are still 60km from tarmac so there are a good few hours of desert driving still ahead of us. Despite absolutely every nook and cranny being filled with a coating of gritty dust (even the boot which was shut the whole time) Phoebe is still up to the challenge, the suspension has held up, she's not overheating at all any more, she's not using any oil and if anything the engine seems to be running smoother the more miles we do.
As Andrew has got the hang of getting us through sand, he takes the wheel and we do not get stuck once all morning. But others do, so it's the usual drill that we all now know so well; stop on hard ground, walk back, push the stuckees out and then do the long walk back to the assembly point.
When we do get to the road some of us kneel down and kiss the tarmac. Solid road again!
The landscape changes again as we head towards Noukachott, we are now into the Sahel, and dunes gradually start to give way to sparse vegetation, but human habitation is still far and few between with but the Gendarmerie Nationale security checkpoints on the road far outweighing local inhabitants. We are travelling behind Cinema Team (Jacint and Gustavo) with their heavily-laden citroen AX diesel van and it's clear that all is not well, clouds of black smoke come from the exhaust every time they accelerate together with a horrible stench of burning oil and they are they are getting slower and slower on uphill sections. They have been using nearly 5 litres of engine oil for each 100 kilometres so it's probably the piston rings and the engine is most definitely on its' last legs.
About 60 km from Noukachott their engine finally packs up. The engine oil has run dry and to cap it all their battery has also given out. Norm from Rocks Paper Scissors offers to give them a tow with his Jeep Cherokee and so our little caravan of weary, dusty travellers limps into Noukachott, 1,982 kilometres from Tiznit. Sidi parts company with us at this point, he's done a great job looking after us for the past few days, so if you ever happen to be in the Sahara in Mauritania and need a guide, give Sidi Yoba a call on 00222 6432559.
Idamo directs the Cinema Team to a local garage, but to be honest most of us aren't hopeful about their chances of getting it fixed, let alone in time for the run into Senegal tomorrow. Oh yee of little faith, this is Africa! In the space of about 5 hours and working non-stop into the night the garage locate a new engine, hoik out the knackered one, fit the ancilliaries, winch in the new one and have it running again.
Our hotel is tardis-like as from the outside you wouldn't give it a second look, but inside has vast cool tiled corridors and fortunately our room (unlike some others) has comfortable beds and more importantly than anything else, hot water and a bath. Yaaay! After 3 days camping in the desert wearing the same clothes everyone is undescribably filty, sweaty, dusty and dirty so after the most appreciated bath of my life and with clean clothes, it's all down to the bar for several cool beers. After 16 days together on the road the first stresses and tensions are starting to appear as cabin fever sets in and there are a few arguments and squabblings between and within some of the teams, but with others acting as mediators the peace is kept. Refreshed and replete everybody heads gratefully off to bed.
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