{"id":18227,"date":"2023-08-21T11:36:13","date_gmt":"2023-08-21T15:36:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/exploringed.com\/?p=18227"},"modified":"2023-08-21T12:13:35","modified_gmt":"2023-08-21T16:13:35","slug":"mauritania-where-the-sahara-meets-the-sahel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/exploringed.com\/mauritania-where-the-sahara-meets-the-sahel\/","title":{"rendered":"Mauritania – Where the Sahara Meets the Sahel"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Mauritania is a country most people can\u2019t find on a map. The few who are familiar with the name often confuse it with the very different Mauritius. It\u2019s a large country and not particularly far to fly to from Europe and the United States, yet it\u2019s one of the least visited. I\u2019m mystified why, as there\u2019s so much to see in its expansive deserts and long Atlantic coastline.<\/p>

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Here the Sahara Desert transitions into the semi-arid Sahel. The people of the northern part of the country resemble the Berber \/ Arab mix of people found in Morocco and Algeria and the southern part the tribal groups of Mali and Senegal. In the capital Nouakchott, all national ethnic groups live here, navigating the traditional and modern worlds.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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There\u2019s plenty of room in Mauritania, one of the least populated countries, even in the sprawling capital Nouakchott has few buildings over four-stories.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Almost all villages, towns and cities are small. and provide a snapshot into the slower rhythm of life there.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Most of the country is the intermingling of barren deserts and stark landscapes.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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You can drive for hours and the only living and moving thing you see are a few grazing camels or perhaps a line of them returning home.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Then seemingly out of nowhere, you meet people who have lived in the desert their whole lives.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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I could go on and on about Mauritania, but if you are intrigued by this intro, you must read on.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Where is Mauritania?<\/span><\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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It\u2019s bordered by Senegal, Mali, Algeria and the disputed territory of Western Sahara partially controlled by Morocco.  <\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Why We Went to Mauritania<\/span><\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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My wife, Khadija, and I were visiting a friend in Senegal and almost as an afterthought, we decided to spend time in bordering Mauritania. This rather impulsive action turned out to be one of my best travel decisions.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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How Long to Spend in Mauritania<\/span><\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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We spent one week in Mauritania which is the minimum anyone should consider, given it\u2019s the size of Finland or the combined Texas and Arizona. In two weeks, with an aggressive schedule, you could see all regions of the country. To see the whole country at a reasonable pace and explore a few places off the beaten path would require a month.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Is Mauritania Safe?<\/span><\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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It\u2019s a safe country but here, as everywhere you travel, employ basic safety precautions and use common sense to avoid problems.\u00a0<\/p>

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The police have had accusations of human rights abuses, but not directed towards tourists. The country has fended off insurgent groups which have destabilized Libya, Mali, Niger and Burkina Faso with its military forces.\u00a0<\/p>

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There are credible reports that some form of slavery exists in the country, although the extent is widely debated and the government vociferously denies it. However, a visitor is unlikely to notice anything in this regard.\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Is Mauritania Expensive?<\/span><\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Mauritania, for Americans and others, is generally inexpensive. However, reliable vehicles for driving long distances with drivers could easily be over $300 \/ day if there\u2019s a guide speaking fluent English or French, and this doesn\u2019t include lodging and food.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Where to Stay in Mauritania<\/span><\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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In Nouakchott, there are good hotels for the few tourists that visit each year. We stayed in the Sunset Hotel<\/a> which was clean, centrally located and offered a hearty buffet breakfast. Outside of Nouakchott, there are inns and guest houses or you can arrange to sleep in a tent in the desert.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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How to get around in Mauritania<\/span><\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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We used Idoumou, owner of D\u00e9sert Mauritanie<\/a> (aka Le Phare du Desert \/ Lighthouse of the Desert), who has been arranging tours for over 25 years. He is thoroughly professional and can arrange tours in English, French, German, Italian and Spanish. He uses only competent guides and drivers. Because of his connections in the country, he arranged for his son to walk our passports through Immigration, though it still took about 15 minutes. He is as flexible as possible if you want to modify your itinerary.<\/p>

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We had a great driver, Abdellahi, who knew how to drive on sandy surfaces, and also was our cook. Bouha was our excellent guide and he was always thinking of additional places we might be able to fit in.<\/p>

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It\u2019s possible to drive on your own in Mauritania but you would have to negotiate five to ten police and military stops every day and look for gas stations that are few and far apart. You also would have to deal with flat tires, being stuck in the sand and mechanical failure, as you can wait quite a while before you see someone else.\u00a0<\/p>

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In Nouakchott, you can flag taxis, but it appeared to me they were mostly shared ones and I was told they only travel in one direction. The main way of traveling between cities is in bush taxis, while crowded, could be a lot of fun if you have time and realize virtually everything is communicated in Arabic.<\/p>

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Here\u2019s a map of some of the main attractions in the country.\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Photography in Mauritania<\/span><\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Photography in Islamic Mauritania can be challenging, as the local population is generally wary of having their pictures taken. In Azougui, I saw this soil and grass-roofed home in the warm sunlight of the early evening and decided to snap a shot.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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I didn\u2019t notice there were children playing outside, who ran into the house when they saw my Nikon camera. Then the mother came out and carried her young daughter inside. This was definitely something I didn\u2019t intend to happen.<\/p>

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Despite this experience, I found Mauritania to be a wonderful place to photograph, as long as it\u2019s okay with the people in the images. As you see from this post and the photo gallery, it has dramatic landscapes, remarkable architecture and striking people. With my photos, I\u2019ll never forget this unique and special country!<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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What Languages Are Spoken in Mauritania<\/span><\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Hassaniya Arabic is the main language spoken and it\u2019s noticeably different from Arabic spoken in North Africa and the Gulf. About 15% of the population speaks French regularly. There\u2019s some English, but usually very basic and concentrated with those dealing with tourists.\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Brief History Mauritania<\/span><\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Berber people have inhabited this area for thousands of years, engaging in farming and trading. In the early 1st century AD, the Roman Emperor Claudius established eastern and western provinces in the region called Mauretania (essentially meaning \u201cwest\u201d) in Morocco and Algeria. However, the name came to be associated with the area south of Roman control, current-day Mauritania.<\/p>

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A few centuries following the decline of the Roman Empire, Arabs invaded and established Islam as the dominant religion. The heritage cities of Chinguetti, Ouadane, Tichitt, and Oualata (all have various spellings in English) were on trade routes which brought wealth and culture to them. They prospered between the 1000 and 1700 AD, then decisively declined.<\/p>

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By the early 1900s, the French controlled much of West Africa including Mauritania, which gained independence in 1960. Since then it has had many coups and changes in leadership.\u00a0<\/p>

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Mohamed Ould Ghazouani, a high-level military officer who assisted in the coup in 2008, won the 2019 presidential election. His victory marked a democratic transition of power in the country but the military still plays a key role and there are notable restrictions on political freedoms. Occasionally you can see his picture, such as in this rotary intersection in Nouakchott.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Culture of Mauritania<\/span><\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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The vast majority of the population in Mauritania are Sunni Muslims and religion permeates many aspects of daily life. Sufi brotherhoods, who teach ways to achieve spirituality, play a significant role in religious and cultural life. (Sufis can be either Sunni or Shiite.) Some aspects of traditional African religious and cultural practices persist in certain communities.<\/p>

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Mauritania is a conservative society, with traditional gender roles and modest clothing. Arranged marriages are not uncommon, and family ties play a crucial role in social interactions and decision-making.<\/p>

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The boubou is a flowing and loose-fitting robe worn by both men and women. It is often made from lightweight, breathable fabric and provides protection from the elements.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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The boubou can vary in style and color, with women’s boubous sometimes being more colorful and intricately decorated.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Both men and women in Mauritania may wear turbans or headscarves to shield their heads and faces from the sun and sand. The way the turbans are wrapped can vary based on cultural and regional preferences.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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In the past, in some limited cases, young girls were encouraged or pressured to gain weight as a way to conform to traditional standards of beauty, where a larger body size was considered desirable. To accomplish this, sometimes forced eating and overconsumption was employed. This practice has been virtually eliminated after a sustained effort to educate the public of the significant health risks.\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Nouakchott, Mauritania<\/span><\/h2>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Nouakchott (from Berber, “place of the winds”) is the capital and largest city of Mauritania. The region was historically inhabited by various nomadic groups. Nouakchott’s modern history began with the establishment of a small fishing village called “Cinqui\u00e8me” by the French colonial administration in the early 20th century. The village initially served as a stopover point for travelers and traders, and its population was relatively small.<\/p>

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Nouakchott’s significance grew after Mauritania gained independence from France in 1960. In 1963, the capital was moved from the city of Saint-Louis (now in Senegal) to Nouakchott due to its more central location within the country and access to the ocean. Afterwards, it grew in population as people from all regions of Mauritania, as well as neighboring countries, migrated there. It\u2019s now a sprawling, low density city with building construction everywhere.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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A significant part of the expansion is funded by miners extracting gold and other minerals, working for companies and on their own.<\/p>

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We spent an equivalent of a day and a half, which is the minimum I would recommend.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Marche Capitale<\/h3>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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The March\u00e9 Capitale is one of the largest and most well-known markets in Nouakchott. It’s a beehive of activity where you can find a wide variety of goods, including fresh produce, clothing, textiles, handicrafts, electronics, household items, and more. Khadija bought fabric from the father and son in the following picture to use as cover to protect her from the sun and wind and to enter religious places.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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National Museum of Mauritania<\/h3>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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This cultural institution was built in 1972 by the Chinese. The following photo with Khadija and Abdellahi shows the front of the two-story building.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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The second floor has permanent galleries open to the public. I\u2019m not sure if it\u2019s usually the case, but we were instructed not to take photos.\u00a0<\/p>

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We spent over an hour studying the archaeological and ethnographic collections. I was particularly interested in the maps showing the political divisions and controlling powers of the region over the centuries. Exhibits also helped us understand the country\u2019s culture, such as a photo of a bride on a palanquin, on top of a camel, as part of a traditional marriage ceremony.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Camel Market<\/h3>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Mauritania has one of the largest camel markets in Africa. We saw maybe 150 to 200 camels standing, sitting and with some of their legs tied. Men, many in boubous, were feeling their bodies and looking in their mouths.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Camels are known for being aggressive, but nothing happened while we were there.\u00a0<\/p>

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While some tourists come here, it\u2019s a commercial property and you should do nothing to interfere with the camels, buyers and sellers.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Miles of Empty Beach<\/h3>\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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The beach along the Atlantic coast of Nouakchott is a wide expanse and has white sand extending for miles. I\u2019ve never seen anything quite like it as we didn\u2019t see a soul for literally miles.\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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