Good Day – October 14th
Last night I missed out on mentioning that we went to a Yemeni restaurant. Yemeni food – it was really good! And in the morning yesterday, we visited the famous fish market, which required us to pay 20 of their “funny money” just to park. We walked around and took in the sights – endless fish, countless boats, and an intense, bustling atmosphere.
Departing for Senegal
Now we are departing for Senegal. It promised to be a very interesting day. Our target was St. Louis, a coastal town. To get there, we needed to choose between two border crossings: Rosso or Diama. On the way, we got stopped several times and were asked for a fiche – a copy of our passport that’s often handed out at checkpoints. We opted not to use it yet and just showed our passports each time, which worked fine.
Choosing the Rosso Border
Rosso doesn’t have the best reputation for border crossings, but we decided to try our luck there anyway – and I think we really did get lucky. Before we reached Rosso, a man on a motorbike appeared, seemed trustworthy, and guided us to the right places to begin the exit process from Mauritania. Since entering Mauritania had been an ordeal, leaving was no different.
The challenge is that none of the offices are marked, and it’s far from obvious where to go. Thankfully, our guide knew every step and how much each part would cost.
The Ferry Crossing
An added complication was the ferry. There are actually two ferries there – both can carry one or two large trucks and trailers at most. The ramp is makeshift, so there are separate fees for that and for everything else. Our helper managed nearly all the formalities since we gave him access to the passports and car documents so they could be processed out of Mauritania. Eventually, we lined up with two other cars and had to drive through the water to get onto the ferry!
Arriving in Senegal
Once on the Senegal side, things were even busier. We were advised not to take photos. Our guide and his assistant stayed with us the whole time – for hours, actually – while handling all the paperwork. During this period, we had no passports or car documents in hand, which caused a fair bit of anxiety. To pass the time, we parked in a shady spot and had a cold Heineken. Not bad after being dry for the past few weeks, since alcohol is hard to find in those countries!
The Waiting Game
We found out that one of the key offices wouldn’t open until 3 o’clock, and when it did, the officials were late – closer to 5 o’clock. After hours of waiting, everything finally came together and we got our documents back. There were definitely some anxious moments, but we kept faith and stayed patient. The whole crossing took about four hours.
Arrival in St. Louis
We still had an hour’s drive left to reach St. Louis, but thankfully it was all in daylight. Johan had found a place for us in the old part of town – an island connected by a bridge to the larger city, with another small island beyond that. The place was more like a bed and breakfast – basic, but it had Wi-Fi (sometimes) and cooling, which made a big difference.
Reflections on the Day
All in all, it was a successful and intense day. Crossing the Rosso bord
