Leaving Mauritania

Rosso Mauritania, the border town on the northern side of the Senegal River, has a rather bad reputation. It did therefore not come as a surprise when I saw several guys jogging behind the car as soon as they saw me on board the shared taxi. Immediately when I got off the car, I was surrounded by hustlers pulling at my clothes and my backpack and shouting at me. Everybody wanted to change my money, show me the border or sell me something. It was quite overwhelming. After a long 15 minutes, with only the two most persistent "guides" on my heels, I found a shopowner who looked trustworthy and who gave me a good exchange rate. He was really nice, offered me a cold drink after the transaction and asked me to take a rest in his shop. When I stepped out into the street after some time, the atmosphere had changed completely. The hectic, bustling and chaotic town had transformed into a quiet, peaceful place. I was stunned. I had already braced myself for a tough walk to the border gate but was now walking undisturbed along lines of people who prepared themselves for prayer. It was early Friday afternoon, time for the most important prayer of the week. People prayed in the open on roofs, between vegetable stands in the main market and in front of the border gate. Also the border guards were praying so I sat down in the shade and enjoyed the peaceful atmosphere. Even after the prayer was finished this atmosphere persisted and I was admitted through the gate to see the Senegal River. Half an hour later, I crossed the river on a wooden boat to enter Senegal.

Looking across the Senegal River from Richard Toll, Senegal at the Mauritanian side