So last night we stayed in Nouadhibou. We were able to pitch our tents in a small sandy bit of a hotel...luckily there was an upgrade option. It was basic - there was a room with 4 mattresses on the ground - but to not have to put up and take down the tent - it was worth it!!! And - we wisened up and made sure that the tourleader paid for our camping spot so we only had to pay the upgraded price (like £2 each). I think we got ripped off by the tour leader big time in Todra Gorge when we upgraded because not only did we pay full price - we paid it to the tour leader - so I'm sure she took a big cut!!
Anyways - we had a bit of a wander around the market. I tried to find a light long sleeve top but there was nothing and then I tried on one of the big pieces of cloth the women wrap around them here. They wear really pretty color ones and they are quite light so I thought it would be nice to keep the sun off of me and still keep me cool - so I had a lady in the market wrap me up in it and then asked how much...she wanted like £30!!! For a big piece of cloth!! So I gave her my shocked face and told her how pretty I thought it was but it was too expensive and she didn't come down in price. So I waited a bit more and asked if there were cheaper ones...she said no - only more expensive ones!! So then I had to try my sad face - but still she didn't budge on the price. So I started to take it off, which is usually when they really start bargaining - AND nothing!! She just helped me take it off and put it away!! Craziness!! No negotiation - she thought I was worth £30 and she was getting that or nothing. So I left empty handed. And then we saw the hammam and were excited for a warm scrubbing - but of course it turns out it was men only in the evening! Booo!! Nothing worked out too well yesterday.
But to top it off was dinner!!! OMG people on this trip are ridiculous! So we have our room and were having a drink in there with a couple French guys that were motorcycling and staying at our hotel. They apparently live like 15km from where Eti grew up so she was super excited. Anyways - while we were having a drink they started serving dinner so we were the last ones to go...there was almost NO food left! Rude buggers had made sure to serve all the food before we could get there and then they put some away for lunch! So we each had a small bowl of veg and noodles and luckily 2 people weren't planning on eating anyways because there was no food for them! Ridiculous - so a bunch of us went out for dinner after while everyone else got drunk around the campfire (again)! We didn't go far and it wasn't anything spectacular but we got out of the hotel parking lot and had some local interaction!
Its so "dangerous" here that we aren't supposed to go out in groups smaller than 5! Apparently if we are less than 5 someone will kidnap us. Well-we were crazy in the afternoon when we went to the market and it was only Geoff, Eti and I as the others had all left. We managed to not get kidnapped...maybe its because Jenny joined us. When we got to the market the others were already leaving and poor Jenny (she's a super sweet quiet little girl from Northern Ireland) she loves exploring and is studying Arabic so she likes trying to talk to people - she joined us because she wanted more than a 5 minutes walk around the market that the others did. The Nouadhibou market was a different experience from Moroccan markets. There was no hassle anywhere!! People looked at us (I don't think they get a lot of white people) but no one touched us or pushed us to buy anything. It was great. I was able to look in shops without being attacked and hassled! Perfect! Some kid tried to pick pocket me but he was really bad and I felt it and stopped him - but all he would have gotten was my packet of tissues so it didn't really matter :P
So that was Nouadhibou. We came back after dinner and everyone was drunk and snarked at us about going to town. But that's ok - they are just jealous because they are too scared to leave the leaders side :P I got her to tell me where we are staying. I asked at dinner after her briefing when she asks if anyone has any questions and usually people are too scared of her to ask much - but I asked anyways. And she said she didn't know but that it wouldn't be in the Lonely Planet. And I told her I had a Rough Guide not a Lonely Planet and she was like - oh it really won't be in there. But when I followed up this morning and made her look and tell me where we are staying it was in my Rough Guide - of course it isn't the place on the beach that is a recommended place for overlanders and lovely and all - but its really central so we should get to spend quite a bit of time in town. Sounds like there is a bit market and not much else but hopefully we will stay 3 nights (Aussie and Kiwis need to get Senegal visas here) so we can do laundry and visit the hammam!! Yea!! Clean again!!
So now we are back in the truck. Rolling along bored shitless looking at the desert. Its scenic but you can only look so much and there is not much conversation because no one likes anyone else. Oh - apparently the leader remarked yesterday about how surprised she was about how much people were fighting! LOL - its her leadership - she's got no problem making fun of people behind their backs and saying rude comments so the others just follow right along! Of course if the leader doesn't try to be nice to most people no one else will! Ahhhh - the life on the Trans!! The happy thing is that my trip is almost half over. Actually - one month from tomorrow I think we get to Accra (20th of Jan) where I fly out of. So I likely will be free of everyone in a months time! Then I can have a few days sight-seeing in Ghana before I fly back to London! Is it sad that I'm excited for my trip to end. I am really enjoying myself and seeing lots of new things - it just sucks being with the group and sitting on the truck with them. It could be fun if people were nicer but oh well...c'est la vie. I can say I've done an Overland truck and I've crossed the Western Sahara and I might have FINALLY learned my lesson about group travel!
Anyways - we had a bit of a wander around the market. I tried to find a light long sleeve top but there was nothing and then I tried on one of the big pieces of cloth the women wrap around them here. They wear really pretty color ones and they are quite light so I thought it would be nice to keep the sun off of me and still keep me cool - so I had a lady in the market wrap me up in it and then asked how much...she wanted like £30!!! For a big piece of cloth!! So I gave her my shocked face and told her how pretty I thought it was but it was too expensive and she didn't come down in price. So I waited a bit more and asked if there were cheaper ones...she said no - only more expensive ones!! So then I had to try my sad face - but still she didn't budge on the price. So I started to take it off, which is usually when they really start bargaining - AND nothing!! She just helped me take it off and put it away!! Craziness!! No negotiation - she thought I was worth £30 and she was getting that or nothing. So I left empty handed. And then we saw the hammam and were excited for a warm scrubbing - but of course it turns out it was men only in the evening! Booo!! Nothing worked out too well yesterday.
But to top it off was dinner!!! OMG people on this trip are ridiculous! So we have our room and were having a drink in there with a couple French guys that were motorcycling and staying at our hotel. They apparently live like 15km from where Eti grew up so she was super excited. Anyways - while we were having a drink they started serving dinner so we were the last ones to go...there was almost NO food left! Rude buggers had made sure to serve all the food before we could get there and then they put some away for lunch! So we each had a small bowl of veg and noodles and luckily 2 people weren't planning on eating anyways because there was no food for them! Ridiculous - so a bunch of us went out for dinner after while everyone else got drunk around the campfire (again)! We didn't go far and it wasn't anything spectacular but we got out of the hotel parking lot and had some local interaction!
Its so "dangerous" here that we aren't supposed to go out in groups smaller than 5! Apparently if we are less than 5 someone will kidnap us. Well-we were crazy in the afternoon when we went to the market and it was only Geoff, Eti and I as the others had all left. We managed to not get kidnapped...maybe its because Jenny joined us. When we got to the market the others were already leaving and poor Jenny (she's a super sweet quiet little girl from Northern Ireland) she loves exploring and is studying Arabic so she likes trying to talk to people - she joined us because she wanted more than a 5 minutes walk around the market that the others did. The Nouadhibou market was a different experience from Moroccan markets. There was no hassle anywhere!! People looked at us (I don't think they get a lot of white people) but no one touched us or pushed us to buy anything. It was great. I was able to look in shops without being attacked and hassled! Perfect! Some kid tried to pick pocket me but he was really bad and I felt it and stopped him - but all he would have gotten was my packet of tissues so it didn't really matter :P
So that was Nouadhibou. We came back after dinner and everyone was drunk and snarked at us about going to town. But that's ok - they are just jealous because they are too scared to leave the leaders side :P I got her to tell me where we are staying. I asked at dinner after her briefing when she asks if anyone has any questions and usually people are too scared of her to ask much - but I asked anyways. And she said she didn't know but that it wouldn't be in the Lonely Planet. And I told her I had a Rough Guide not a Lonely Planet and she was like - oh it really won't be in there. But when I followed up this morning and made her look and tell me where we are staying it was in my Rough Guide - of course it isn't the place on the beach that is a recommended place for overlanders and lovely and all - but its really central so we should get to spend quite a bit of time in town. Sounds like there is a bit market and not much else but hopefully we will stay 3 nights (Aussie and Kiwis need to get Senegal visas here) so we can do laundry and visit the hammam!! Yea!! Clean again!!
So now we are back in the truck. Rolling along bored shitless looking at the desert. Its scenic but you can only look so much and there is not much conversation because no one likes anyone else. Oh - apparently the leader remarked yesterday about how surprised she was about how much people were fighting! LOL - its her leadership - she's got no problem making fun of people behind their backs and saying rude comments so the others just follow right along! Of course if the leader doesn't try to be nice to most people no one else will! Ahhhh - the life on the Trans!! The happy thing is that my trip is almost half over. Actually - one month from tomorrow I think we get to Accra (20th of Jan) where I fly out of. So I likely will be free of everyone in a months time! Then I can have a few days sight-seeing in Ghana before I fly back to London! Is it sad that I'm excited for my trip to end. I am really enjoying myself and seeing lots of new things - it just sucks being with the group and sitting on the truck with them. It could be fun if people were nicer but oh well...c'est la vie. I can say I've done an Overland truck and I've crossed the Western Sahara and I might have FINALLY learned my lesson about group travel!
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