Day 43: Noaudhibou, Villa Maguela

Get up early again. We arranged to meet Victor (Tish and Victor run this wonderful place) to get SIM cards.

The first address is Moov Mauritel. Completely chaotic. The boss is not there to decide whether foreigners get a card. The queues are long (because according to a new regulation all Mauritanians have to register for mobile communications).

After about half an hour we change to Chinguitel. The boss takes care of us personally. Everyone else is sent out of the room, the line outside gets longer and longer, and ultimately the front door is locked.

Two SIM cards for Cathrine and Ian, one for Abdul, two for us. Plus charge straight away. We pay 700 Ouguiya for 2x12 GB, about 17 euros. After an hour we got everything done :-)

Now change the last dirhams. We get 82,080 MUR for 2,280 MAD. Who is supposed to find their way there?

We stop for some fruit and vegetables, some bread and cake. Then we go back and start planning the next few days.

Distances, tracks, gas stations – you have to plan relatively well if you don't want to get stuck somewhere along the way. An endless amount of information is exchanged, obtained, checked, weighed, discarded and rescheduled.

So the afternoon goes by and it's too late for a swim in the sea – low tide.

Today we're cooking for the group, Abdul, Ian and Catherine and ourselves.