Go back to Mauritania.
Go back to Ben Amera Day Four.
Stranded in the desert.
The following day we had the opportunity to do a quick train ride starting from the village; not the famous iron ore train but rather this posh, 2-car set up that’s owned by Kadi’s company. On our first night in Nouakchott, we had met a group of European tourists who were visiting Mauritania specifically to ride this train and spend the night on it. We’d tag along with them for a few kilometers and be picked up from the desert by Dah and Mohammed. It was a surprisingly enjoyable experience.
Photos
A camel carcass and Ben Amera (Nov. 2024).
Skeletal remains of a camel. Harsh environment with no natural water sources (Nov. 2024).
A manmade watering hole for the animals just outside the village (Nov. 2024).
Checking out the market in the village (Nov. 2024).
Shopping (Nov. 2024).
Shirley, Mohammad, and Dah negotiating (Nov. 2024).
Shirley and Mohammad at the village market (Nov. 2024).
One of the many shops in the tiny Ben Amera village (Nov. 2024).
Endorsed by Shirley (Nov. 2024).
Rail equipment rolling through the village (Nov. 2024).
The short passenger train owned by Kadi’s tourism company (Nov. 2024).
Imported (Nov. 2024).
The ore train approaching the village of Ben Amera (Nov. 2024).
Shirley and Mohammad. Click for a video (Nov. 2024).
Rolling through the village (Nov. 2024).
Into a cloud of dust (Nov. 2024).
Hanging out in a village shop while waiting to ride the tourist train (Nov. 2024).
Hobos (Nov. 2024).
Tail end (Nov. 2024).
Disappearing into the desert (Nov. 2024).
Sid Ahmed, Mohammad, Dah, and Shirley at a village shop (Nov. 2024).
Village life (Nov. 2024).
Finally ready to ride the rails (Nov. 2024).
Boarding (Nov. 2024).
We tagged along with a group of European train enthusiasts for about 30 minutes before getting dropped off in the desert (Nov. 2024).
Shuffling around the 3 cars that make up the train (Nov. 2024).
Tea time on the train (Nov. 2024).
Ben Amera from the train (Nov. 2024).
Another ore train rolling by (Nov. 2024).
Enjoying the ride (Nov. 2024).
Disembarking in the middle of nowhere (Nov. 2024).
A couple of wankers (Nov. 2024).
Stranded in the desert (Nov. 2024).
Waving bye bye to the train. Click for a video (Nov. 2024).
Departing (Nov. 2024).
Little train, big desert (Nov. 2024).
A closer look (Nov. 2024).
Back in the village of Ben Amera (Nov. 2024).
Dah leading one of the nice single pitch lines at the base of Ben Amera, known as Ecole D’Escalade (Nov. 2024).
Dah nearing the chains (Nov. 2024).
Mohammad TRing something on Ecole D’Escalade (Nov. 2024).
Mohammad climbing (Nov. 2024).
Shirley and four girls from the village who wanted to try climbing (some of them have in fact climbed before; Nov. 2024).
Tying in (Nov. 2024).
Shirley belaying (Nov. 2024).
Dah and one of the girls being lowered from the top of their routes (Nov. 2024).
Proud to top out on the climb (Nov. 2024).
Shirley belaying another one of the girls (Nov. 2024).
Climbing (Nov. 2024).
Ecole D’Escalade (Nov. 2024).
Sunset back in camp (Nov. 2024).
Go to Ben Amera Day Six.
Go back to Mauritania.