Mauritania from the east
 

We'll be entering Mauritania from Mali en route from Taoudenni to the Adrar region of Mauritania. A couple questions:

Are there any legitimate border posts out there? If we enter without getting stamped in will this pose a problem when it's time to leave the country?

How 'bout money? When/where can we expect to be able to change for oogs? Do they accept CFA in eastern Mauritania?

thanks,
~Gregg

"en route from Taoudenni to the Adrar region"

What, not via Timbuktu/Nema? Are you sure about this and have reliable transport? Sounds a bit radical. See:
http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/ubb...ML/001256.html
Tao is just some salt pits and shacks, not a town

>Are there any legitimate border posts out there?
Only Chegga, but that's far from direct and not so secure an area I hear.

>If we enter without getting stamped in will this pose a problem when it's time to leave the country?
Of course! but you can get stamped in whatever first town you reach, Ouadane, Ching or whatever.
Not getting stamped OUT of Mali is less of a problem in my experience

How 'bout money? When/where can we expect to be able to change for oogs?
At the first Mori town. There will be nothing to spend it on up till then anyway.

Do they accept CFA in eastern Mauritania?
I believe there is no one around to accept anything in eastern Mori.
There is only Nema in the SE (from Tim, a bit risky I hear, an American cameler got murdered that way once), or Ouadane etc in the Adrar.

Seriously, even dressed in a head-to-toe maple leaf outfit and moose antler headware, I would not get too far off the map around here. As far as the CIA are concerned, it's the new Al Q training zone.

If you are going to Kidal, come back to the river and work your way through to Nara or Nioro for south Mori if not flying out of Bamako.

Ch

Chris, to clarify:

We're arranging transport north from Timbuktu to Taoudenni and on into Mauritania with a guide in Timbuktu. Here's the route:

Timbuktu via Araouane to Taoudenni, west to Foune-Elba, Tagaza, Elb-Mreitie, Maqteir (dunes), Challaouya (prehistorical graves), Guelb-Abdi and Guelb Jamal (dunes), Ouadane, Chinguetti and Atar.

Question outstanding as to whether the guide has done this route before.

Would love to know your thoughts on this. I'll get the order in for the moose antlers.

~G.

Well that is quite a trek, around 400L of fuel, I hope your man is up for it and would expect a couple of good cars.

I havent heard of/cant f ind half these places after El Mreiti tho I assume Challaouya is Ghalaouya (old fort and rock art) near Guelb (which is near Ouadane, etc).
And why west to 'Foum Elba' (where ever that is) if there is a regular-ish track NW to Taghaza?

I am sure the way to Taoudeni and Taghaza is well known to Tim guides but west of there looks like 300km cross country until the El Mreiti well where a piste runs down to Ghalaouya, etc.

>Question outstanding as to whether the guide has done this route before.
Where have I heard that before... Still, Allah often provides.

Sounds like a great run, would love to do it, but as William L found, not all tours work out to your plan. Unless you really trust the organiser, it could turn into a right old epic.

Ch