Our jeep has gone to a new owner!

We received a great e-mail to say our trusty jeep was sold at auction and they managed to get 80,000 dilasi for it, which works out about £1850 on the exchange rates the other day. The money is to be split between several projects all to help Gambian children. As we get more news I will post it. *well happy!*

Photos

Managed to upload some photos to three albums

Photo Album 1 UK France Spain Morocco

Photo Album 2 Morocco to Mauritania

Photo Album 3 Mauritania Senegal The Gambia

Day 26 Senegambia

We left the beach and went cross country for a couple of kilometres until we rejoined what we thought was the Diama piste. We were now driving in the changing scenery and now into savannah with low trees. After another detour getting lost for an hour or so we at last hit the very rough piste the final thirty odd kilometres to the border crossing river dam. We got there about eleven pm and after the usual ten euro police exit fee followed by the ten euro customs exit fee followed by the ten euro dam crossing fee followed by the ten euro Senegal police entry fee and finally the ten euro Senegal customs entry fee we were told we could go no further as we did not have a 'Carnet de Passage' The only way we could drive through Senegal was to have a police escort in the morning to our lodge at the Zebrabar just south of St Louis and in a couple of days time our police escort would return and escort us south to the Gambian border for one hundred and twenty thousand francs about one hundred and fifty pounds. After a relatively good sleep in the car we headed with our escort to the Zebrabar for a couple of nights of relaxing in a camping come beach hut site run by a couple from Switzerland. It was pretty basic in there with no electric or internet but good fresh food and the first beer for a while. We ended up in a hut on the beach for the best nights sleep in a few days and had an easy time there with a boat trip around the nature reserve. From we were collected about four thirty in the afternoon and drove the two hundred and fifty mile to the border in convoy with three other cars. Around eleven pm we dropped the other three cars and then headed the dodgiest 'road' of the trip following a car with the customs man and three young Senegalese men. After a an hour of wondering if we were about to be taken down a dark lane to be robbed we got back onto a better road and made the border in one piece about two am. My patience had gone and every demand for money was met with a firm no and we ended up sleeping in the car until five then we were finally in the Gambia. Twenty kilometres down the road we met our final hurdle of the trip crossing the Gambia river to Banjul. First ferry was at seven so after negotiating a three ferry tickets, one for the car one for Nora and one for our 'cargo' we boarded the overcrowded ferry to Banjul for the half hour crossing just as the sun was coming up. One of the best things on arrival in the Gambia is leaving my pigeon French behind in Senegal and suddenly everything being so much easier than the last few weeks. We had a look at a few hotels and headed to the freight company at the airport to ship my tools and camping gear back. Then round a few travel agents and airline offices for tickets home. We met Dan from another team by chance at the airport dropping his teammate Rose off at the airport and arranged to meet up back in town later. I ended up bringing way too much stuff with us even although we used almost all of it at some point well except maybe for the windscreen deicer! Nora is packing the bags just now and we are off to have lunch with Dan then drop the car with the charity then taxi to the airport for an overnight flight to Brussels then connection ton London to get there about nine in the morning. From there its throw everything in the washing machine sort out my tools and back to Heathrow to go to work leaving this trip as just a happy memory. Nora and I were talking about the trip this morning and agree it has been a great experience with only a few bad parts usually involving crossing corrupt borders. The highlights were definitely Marrakech and crossing the Atlas mountains, then seeing the all the birds including the pelicans and flamingos driving through the dunes and beach run of the National Park in Mauritania. If you are thinking of doing it we would recommend a car with the more ground clearance the better and a puncture repair plugging kit with electric pump even without any of that you will make it if a little harder. Off to enjoy the last few hours of the trip now.
*big grin verging on being a little smug!*

Day 24 Banjul

We are plotted up in the rather nice Kololi Beach Resort in The Gambia. We have made it to Banjul this morning after a long sixteen hour slog from the top of Senegal following our expensive border guard escort from pretty much the top of Senegal near Saint Louis to Banjul. Last week we left the comfort of our Auberge Menata in Nouakchott having said our goodbyes to the other three teams we had crossed the desert with. We were heading south to The Gambia with Chris in his Hilux as they were heading East to Bamako. So after taking our time leaving we headed south a hundred or so kilometres before Chris stopped with a nasty metal crunching sound coming from his back axle. On removing his wheel we figured out the wheel bearing was starting to break up and worse this made the oil seal not so the oil from the dif started to leak out. Fair play to Chris faced with the option of taking the tarmac back into Nouakchot  he carried onto the rough piste for the slightly less corrupt border to Senegal at Diama. We followed the really good corrugated piste all the way to the end purpose of it which was a Chinese test oil well. There was nothing left of the their work except a large levelled area of dune with a concrete plinth with a large christmas tree valve on top capping their test well making a good level bush camp for the night. As what is becoming normal we were in the middle of nowhere having not seen anybody for an hour or so a little shepherd man in traditional blue clothing pops up like the shopkeeper in Mr Benn from nowhere to ask us in French Arabic if we were oilmen. We got up fairly early to try for the border but after talking to a random remote Gendarme checkpoint we took there advice and headed for the beach as this was supposed to be the better route south. We carried on the worsening piste until we hit the biggest challenge yet a mile or so of the softest finest sand so far. Taking the lead I made it to the harder sand on the other side by not being the kindest to my engine and once on harder ground I walked back to find Chris stuck on the last summit of the soft dune. We used all four sand ladders and this gave him  enough traction to get onto the harder sand near me, From there it was back to driving twenty or so miles on the waters edge of the beach looking for tyre tracks to our left for the exit to the border. The last time we were told to hit the beach an hour after high water but this time we were early and the tide was on its way in making a few bits uncomfortably narrow. Discretion won and we found a good point to drive above high water to wait. As it was this wait gave us a good reason to stop and just enjoy the beach for a few hours. After about four or so hours we made a break for it and ended up t.b.c. when I can charge the laptop!

Day 18 Nouakchott

We are all safe and well in Nouakchott after spending four days travelling off road through the dunes. We left Dahkla and met up with nine other cars most heading for Bamako and we all spent the night either sleeping in the cars or in the rooms at the cafe in the queue border. The next day we didn't clear Moroccan customs until twelveish then after a detour past the locals all trying to change money and guide you through the minefield we ended up by-passing the Mauritanian side and being picked up on the road and taken back for a bollocking and a passport stamp. After splitting from the arranged guide after the border with three of the other teams we drove off the tarmac on the first track and headed west for the coast. We got to the piste we were looking for with the aid of the gps and after getting stuck a few times in the soft sand we camped for the first night in the dunes. The next day we made it to the northern boundary of the National Park by lunch time and drove on towards the town Ten Alloul. Not far from the town we came across a recent abandoned accident where an offroad Spanish camper van had hit soft ground and overturned. Tom and Duncan had a look round and collected the possessions from inside to try and locate the owners before it was looted. Just in time for the Park Rangers to come and sort it out. From there we drove in the last of the light to Iwik camp ground for a nice night peaceful night staying in one of their tents. In the camp we met a local guide to the park Sidi Ely who told us about the wildlife in the park. Later on after food we had coffee with Chris from Switzerland who was staying in his Toyota Hilux mini camper. Later we went with Sidi out in his Land Cruiser for what started as a hunt round the plains and village for Jackals but ended up in me having a good driving lesson about how to get out when stuck in the soft sand! The next day we got up and split the group in to two twos. Emmanuelle and Yike in there old Renault 4 and Anna and Clare in their Fiesta would take the guide round the dunes in a days time and Nora and I would head across the dunes with Tom and Duncan in their Isuzu trooper. We set off and after crossing the first dune driving too fast and with too much revs each one got easier with our fast first lessons in driving in dunes. Once we cleared the dunes we started getting brave driving up the dunes and back down off them. We looked over to see Tom and Duncan disappear at speed of the steep side to find them crashed on the other side with the roof rack ripped off and the chassis of their jeep bent far enough for the doors not to open and the clutch to start destroying itself. After an hour or so bending what we could back into shape we headed back on the road south. Towards the end of the park we still had a lot of daylight left so rather than camp early we decided to take an different piste on the map back up to Iwik. After a few more deeper dunes the Izuzus clutch was now much worse with them struggling to change gear. We had a choice of finding the route south or cutting across what was the worst dune yet. Half way the Isuzu got beached with the clutch still getting worse we dug her out and Duncan just kept driving non stop to the coast. With no space in our car Tom sat up on the roof of our car until we caught up with Duncan on the beach at the other side. From there the route was straightforward back up to Iwik and another night at the campsite reunited with the other two cars. Yesterday morning we decided to go with Chris in his Hilux over the dunes again while the other three would go a longer route with Sidi the guide and all meet up in Nougmar. After another fun run through the dunes we stopped in Nougmar to wait for the others. We told the Park Ranger when they seen the others to let them know we were went out to the point to watch the Pelicans and Flamingos and would be back for the tide so we could all do the fifty mile run down the beach together. After the walk we headed back to the beach and waited for another hour with no sign having a swim to pass the time we headed ten miles down driving between the dunes to our left and the tide going out on our right. Chris found a spot to pull off the beach into the soft dune to camp and after an hour or so we were pitched up with a belly full of food and a little brandy inside. After a long night listening to the Jackal outside the tent eating what was left of our dinner we started packing ready for the tide again we spotted the roof of Emmanuelle and the fiesta whizz by. I rushed in the Jeep and tore off after them down the beach hitting seventy at one point hitting my head off the roof. On catching them we headed into the first fishing town and now we are sub Sahara it has changed into black Africa. We were surround by all the children of the village all asking for 'Cadeux' a gift in French. From there we were back on tarmac and police and army checkpoints for the first time in three days all the way down to Nouckchott. We are now plotted up in an Auberge ready to do the border to Senegal tomorrow. The past few days I will remember for the rest of my life for sure! We both have no phone signal but have wifi for email. *satisfied grin*
Sent from iPhone

Day 13 Dahkla

We made it to Dahkla late last night. The day started early from Tiznit getting on the road just as it was getting light. The drive south is now flat and fairly barren with the first sight of sand dunes into the first of many police checkpoints in Western Sahara. Each checkpoint we stop at we hand our passports for a look and hand them a 'fiche' which is just an A4 piece of paper with all our passport, car and entry details on photocopied so we don't have to wait as they copy all the details down. Once down into Western Sahara the road hugs the Atlantic coast so feels fresh in the ever increasing heat of the sun. A lot of the coast was cliffs to the sea and when it changed to beach you could spot regular shipwrecks on the shore. We stopped for lunch off the road next to a herd of about thirty camels munching away on what little scrub there was. As the sun went down we stopped again to watch it disappear and thought about stopping the night there. After a brief attempt at finding a suitable place to pitch the tent in between the rocks and fine sand we headed back on the road in the dark for a three hour drive to here. Today the plan is to sort the car out a bit and have a wander around the town then head south for a camp closer to the border. We will pass over the tropic of Cancer and all going well have our first camp up in 'the tropics' tonight.

Day 11 Tiznit

We spent the morning back round the souks haggling for a couple of candle holders to add to our couple of nineteen twenties posters then a wander round the Kasbah taking a load of photos before returning to the embassy to collect our successful applications for our Mauritanian visas in the afternoon. Spoke to Dan from one of the teams and he said that we may meet in Dakla on the sixth. From their we were back in the Jeep the three and a half hours to Marrakech and a night at a quiet Riad Bledna on the outskirts about twenty minutes outside of town that Nora found in the lonely planet. Mohammed came into town to meet us and lead us back. There were two other couples staying and after a chat we tucked into a good spicy soup with sweet bread and a lamb and vegetable dinner. We stayed up chatting to Mohammed and a nice bloke from Plymouth who was there on his honeymoon before his wedding because the paperwork got messed up meaning that they couldn't get married before they came! With a later than planned start today we drove the hair raising drive over the single track pass to Tizi n Test. Once back down out of the mountains we headed to the beach in Agadir just in time for the sunset then drove an hour or so down the road to the Idou Hotel in Tiznit. We haven't done much milage today and this means we have to have a big punch tomorrow to get back on track. Hopefully we will get close to Dakla tomorrow night. 

Day 9 Rabat

Got up early and headed to the Mauritanian Embassy for opening time. On arrival the road outside was a collection of overlander vehicles of various shapes and sizes from an old guy with a handlebar mustache on his bycycle all the way up to a six wheel drive truck with a custom 'caravan' bolted on top. After joining the queue and filling out the application in the line with the help of a few others in the queue we spoke to a couple of the other teams from our rally swapping a few stories. The queue was fairly orderly until it came close to the eleven am closing time. I finally got to the front and after a being told to fill out a few blanks with my best French guess he took my six hundred and eighty Dirhams (about fifty quid) and then shoed me away to come back tomorrow at two pm. I went back to Nora at the car as she was just locking the car to come look for me. I started to brew a cuppa as the French surfer from the next to me in the queue came back to his van and we ended up talking about the route to come. We were joined by a German man who has done the trip half a dozen times before and we ended up with the maps sprawled out over the bonnet listening to his many tips to ease the amount of times we are going to be hustled. Hearing the stories of what is to come filled us with a mixture of feelings knowing we are soon to be stuck at the Senegalese border for a half a day of standoff and dealing to still have to pay one hundred and fifty euros to get in. From there we went to head back but the battery was flat with the inverter being left plugged in so after bump starting the Jeep for the first time we went back to the hotel to dump the car and headed into the Medina for a walk around the Kasbah and souks. Rabat has a totally different feel to the hounding and bustle of Marrakech. In the souks they let you browse without the hastle which was a welcome relief. Hopefully we will collect our visas tomorrow and then head back down to Marrakech on the road south again.

Day 8 Rabat

We had another easy day today leaving the villa about eleven this morning after having breakfast outside in the sun again. After packing the car and saying our goodbyes we headed the three and a half hours back to Rabat. Khalid from the villa used to live in Rabat and gave us the address of a car breakers to try and find a headlight as I went to change the bulb yesterday and found it was a sealed beam with no bulb. We found the yard quite quickly and he rummaged around for a while and found a headlight about the same size with a bulb fitting and after a bit of creative packing with cardboard we now have two headlights working again. Hopefully this will save us a few pounds in fines over the next couple of weeks. From there we drove along the seafront of new Rabat to the harbor and Kasbah and tried to hunt down a hotel. Most of the old town is narrow streets with little or no parking so after Nora had a quick look in one rhiad we opted to head back out of town a bit closer to the embassy for the morning. We are now in a cheap and cheery hotel with secure parking so I don't have to empty the car. We went for a walk and found a French cafe come restaurant for a not very french lasagne. We are aiming to get to the embassy first thing tomorrow for the bun fight of the application process.

Day 7 Marrakech

Happy New Years. We have had a couple of nice easy days around Marrakech. Yesterday we drove the five or so miles into town after having a tasty scrambled egg and toast breakfast outside on the terrace in the morning sun. First stop was to get the air conditioning charged up in the car at a garage in the 'new town.' The guys had it done in ten minutes while we waited. From their we got some passport photos taken for our Mauritanian visas and then on down into the Old Town for a wide eyed trip round the markets stalls of the medina and down to the main square with all the madness of hogmanay thrown in. Nora ended up with a 'free' henna tattoo for twenty dirhams and I ended up lost after walking through one too many turns. We ended up finding sanctuary up in one of the restaurants above the square for an hour before descending back down past the snake charmers, story tellers and stalls. After a long day of it we headed back to the car and drove back to the villa managing to pick up my second fine of the trip of sixteen pounds for a blown headlamp and not carrying my car owners documents.
Again we had breakfast the same as yesterday and headed off to drive up the top of the Ourika Valley. About ten miles south of here the flat plains stop and for the next twenty five mile we climbed up and into the Atlas Mountains via a switchback road past the Berber villages to the Ski resort at the top. At the police checkpoint at the top I bought a one pound twenty car park ticket from the young man with the ticket book and change bag only to find the ticket was photocopied fake as you didn't have to pay. Hustled with a smile. Between us we have taken about a hundred photos today on the drive. We arrived back at sunset and had a lovely meal made by the cook Nissa with a couple over from Bournemouth for the New Year. Sadly this is the last night here as tomorrow we get up and head north for Rabat.