Mauritania

Mauritania may be the most interesting country I have visited. It is a little-known country in west africa composed of 99.9% desert. I had only one goal before going to Mauritania, to ride the infamous iron ore train. My arrival was incredibly shaky. I had to pay $100 for a visa on arrival at the airport. Unfortunately, that was the only cash I had. Additionally, I had no Wifi, cell service, or money and I could not withdraw money from the ATM. Luckily, a Spaniard who was on my flight saw me in distress and let me share his cab. I made it to my Airbnb and met my host,

a wonderful and eccentric guy from Europe who moved to Mauritania of all places. Luckily, he knew everything I needed to know about the train ride I intended to take and helped me arrange it. After a long night of sleep, he helped me get my bus ticket up north on my way to the train. He suggested I stay in a small oasis village called Terjit. I rode the bus north, seeing nothing but camels and sand for hours. Eventually we reach a crossroad in the middle of nowhere. I got dropped off...My host told me someone would pick me up. But, the guy was not showing up and

I was left alone in the middle of the sahara. There was one police officer with me but he was hesitant to let me use his phone. Despite that, I eventually was able to call my host, who did not answer. Thus, I sat at the crossroad, cooking in the 100 degree sun with no water, praying someone would come pick me up. Luckily, they picked me up and drove me back to the oasis. It truly looked and felt like a different planet. I slept atop a hill in a hut made of many layers of blankets. There was nothing of modernity for miles if not hundreds of miles.

I disconnected from the digital world unlike any time in my life. While nobody spoke English, I was able to bond with the family of my host in Terjit. One girl spoke little pieces of English and told me of her dreams to learn English and move to the United States. THere son was a passionate and funny young man. Together, we all shared food and a form of broken sign language. We also observed the most beautiful night sky together. It was a great experience. The next morning I was to take another bus north to board the train in Choum, a small outpost in the desert. While I

waited in my taxi, the police took me into their hut and fed me. It was quite unique sharing a platter of food with the local police, eating with nothing but our hands. Eventually, my taxi arrives and we head for Choum. We stopped in Atar so I could buy a head cover, sun glasses, and a sim card. Eventually we get to Choum and wait on the train. I was sitting alone for quite some time when some amazing, kind-hearted young men invited me over to their blanket in the sand for Tea, food, etc. From there on out, they took me under their wing, and boy would I

need it. The train arrived 8 hours late. We had to wake up in a hurry at 4am to board the train. We technically boarded illegally. But nonetheless, we boarded the train and took off for the horizon. I was starting to feel quite bad in the train cart. Shortly after, I looked out the window and in the 6x6 inch hole, I saw a shooting star. I don't believe in much of anything but that put me at ease. Later that day, the train made an unexpected stop in the middle of the desert. Out of nowhere, the military boards and starts arresting my friends, hitting them with the

butt of their guns. They loaded them up in a pickup and drove off into the desert...not even on a road. Right before that, they told me to put my head covering on and hide. I realized why we were getting arrested. Yet again they saved me. Eventually, I sneak my way on top of the train and ride on top of iron ore on my way through the sahara. Unfortunately, the train made an unexpected stop and I did not pack water. Hours after my friends got arrested and hundreds of miles down the line, they find me nearly having a heat stroke on top of the train. They

carried me into the wagon and cooled me off. They quite literally saved my life. We finally made it to Nouadhibou. One of the young men invited me to meet his family. Keep in mind, none of us speak the same language. The connection I had made with them was entirely non verbal. Still, he invited me into his home, I met his whole family, and they fed me a huge meal. Later that night we went for a walk by the beach. I slipped on a rock and hurt my knee pretty bad. Within 2 seconds, a crowd of something like 15 people carried me to a safe location,

made me tea, and we had a great time. The country of Mauritania is simply full of people who care and are so kind. Sadly, the next day I had to return to nouakchott. I took a 7 hour bus ride and got back to my original host's place. THere was a new guest this time, Aiyou. He was in Mauritania repairing a theater, visiting from Morocco, where I had recently been. ANyways, he turned out to be one of the most important people I have met during my travels. He taught me everything I know about Islam. While I do not follow any religion, I know the value in

understanding them and the lessons that can be learned, whether or not you believe. He treated me like a brother. We went to the beach together one day and he was fending off certain people that wanted to take advantage of or rob me. He took me under his wing and made it so that I could enjoy my time without looking over my shoulder. We talked in depth for countless hours for several days. He is someone I admire deeply and cannot wait to see again one day. The biggest takeaway from ym time in Mauritania was simply the benevolence of the people. Everywhere I went, I was treated

like a family member to essentially complete strangers. Mauritania won my heart. I thought the train would be the cornerstone of my trip, but it was the people.