Stuck in Mauritania - Anyone passing?
 

Hi,

My friend Martin is stuck in Mauritania for a job that was cancelled. Now he can't get back to NZ because Mauritania closed the airport. We're looking for alternatives and one might be to travel by land to Dakar and fly from there if possible.

I just want to put this message out here to see if anyone is in the area, going to Dakar and have room for a passenger? Any other advice is also very welcome.

Best regards
Andreas

Hi Andreas:

I'm in a similar situation - I'm in Tunisia at the moment, all the borders are closed and all the flights and ferries in and out of the country are cancelled.

I'm planning to stay here, in as much self-isolation as I can maintain, and just wait it out. I don't have much choice about staying here - there's no way to get out.

Best advice I can offer your friend is to try and find a hotel or hostel or bed & breakfast or even a private home (in about that order of priority) that he can hunker down in. The hotel I am staying at is offering a very reasonable rate for long-term stays because they are happy to get any money they can - the tourist industry has collapsed. The reason I think a hotel is the best place to stay is because of all the alternatives mentioned above, a hotel offers the best possibility to self-isolate and avoid contact with others.

Personally - and this is just my opinion, so keep an open mind - I don't think it would be wise for your friend to set out towards Dakar. He might have great difficulty finding food and accomodation along the way, and once he gets to Dakar, it is very possible that he will find that he cannot board any flights (if any are even operating) because of restrictions other countries between Senegal and New Zealand have put on entry of non-citizens.

That's what is affecting me right now, as a Canadian - even if there were flights available out of Tunis to Europe, the Europeans would likely not let me in unless I could show them an air ticket with a very short "in-transit" time between my arrival in Europe and my departure to Canada.

Michael

Thank you Michael for your reply. We have come to the same conclusion, just wait it out and stay updated on the latest information.

/Andreas

Hi Andreas:

My guess is that both your friend Martin and I will be stuck in our respective countries (Mauritania & Tunisia) for at least another 3 to 4 weeks.

I say that because the European Community has imposed a blockade on anyone but EC citizens coming into the Schengen area, and until that blockade is lifted, I don't think there will be any passenger transportation options of any kind from Africa into the EC available - not to mention that neither Martin or I are EC citizens, which doesn't help matters.

I am also going to speculate (I stress the word "speculate") that what will happen worldwide in the next 30 days will sort of go like this:

1) Restrictions on travel, restrictions on going outdoors, and curfews will increase in severity over the next 2 weeks.

2) After about 2 weeks, various governments will come to the conclusion that the battle against this virus spreading has been lost, hence, there's not much point in prolonging the economic hardship, and;

3) After about 3 to 4 weeks, citizens will be unwilling to co-operate with the originally imposed restrictions on movement, and people will stop self-isolating.

4) After about 4 weeks from now, we will start to see some travel options (air transport, road transport, ferry transport) begin to operate again.

That's just my guess, but I think that's how it's going to play out.

Please tell Martin to feel free to send me a private message here on the HUBB if he wants to get in touch with me and commiserate & compare notes.

Michael

Personally, I would have headed for Dakar or Morocco asap by any means, but it may be too late now.
It's a short journey, there would have been food and lodgings of some sort.
And possibly an NZ or other supportive consulate to help.

RIM is not a great place to get stuck unless you can hook up with comfortable and inexpensive lodgings with good comms.

After thinking it over, last Saturday I decided not to cross from Morocco and risk getting stuck there.
I turned back north, passing a few other overlanders and pushbikers still heading south.

As we know, events then moved very fast.
I got one of the last flights out of Marrakech yesterday.

Glad to hear that you are safe and well back at home in the UK.

Michael

I am Swedish and left Nouakchott last Thursday.
Arrived Dakar in the evening (going by car, then sept-place to Dkr, hot dusty and crowded but going with small taxi cost €150).
Planned to stay on the beach one day before going home.
But 2.30 in the morning there was a message that Morocco had closed
Awoke the hotel owner and he took me to the airport and I was on the next flight home.
Lisbon Saturday there was still no signs of what would come within 48 hours, all flights were normal with a few exceptions.

I believe Morocco closed the border with Mauretania.
To Senegal is probably still open, check with the Senegalese embassy.
No visa needed for a Swede.
Better be in Dakar than in Nouakchott, more to do and more ways to get out.
Dakar is well ahead in virus research btw, with the Pasteur Institute.
They were working on 10 minute corona tests when I was there.

Here's the charming Rosso bureau a week ago. We crossed with small boat.

Border of Mauritania and Senegal is totally closed as from today with agreement of both governments.

Maybe RIM is not so bad now.
China hands over infectious disease treatment center to Mauritania - China.org.cn