Traffic is horrible, and people are unfriendly. They don’t seem to like tourists; someone even told me that to my face. It’s chaotic trying to get out of Nouakchott. Suddenly, we were GPS-directed through a trash-filled area. I wanted to take some photos, but many people got angry at me for it.We took a quick stop to drink Coca-Cola and buy some fruit, and finally encountered a friendly face. Mariam shared a bit about the breakfast and the food people typically eat in the morning.As we approached the National Park that separates Mauritania from Senegal, I had a handful of rocks thrown at me by a worker who thought it would be funny. I was really angry and, for the first time, I showed him my middle finger and yelled that it wasn’t funny. We took a break under a tree to reflect on what we might be doing wrong that makes us feel so isolated in Mauritania. It was then that Jérôme and Leslie stopped their 4×4 and asked if we needed anything they are both travelling from France to South Africa. We had a few minutes to chat and decided to try to meet up later to camp together for the night.

We cycled around 55 km through the Diawling park, surrounded by wild animals such as warthogs, African wildcats, Cape hares, patas monkeys, and desert crocodiles. All these animals are very shy and quickly disappear as soon as they sense the presence of humans.

After cycling for 60 km, a guard stopped us to collect park fees.

“But we’ve already cycled 60 km inside the park! Why were there no signs?”
“There is a sign, a big one,” the guard insisted.
“Where? We didn’t see anything.”
“I don’t know, but there is a very big sign.”
“Okay, okay.”

What worried me was that the first adult that was begging for money or something.. and the famous Sentence (give me your bikes) stared on the border to Senegal.
Despite this small misunderstanding, the park was truly wonderful. It gave us the chance to say our final goodbyes to the camels that will soon be replaced with to the extremely annoying millions of flies in Senegal.

At Diawling National Park, the dam is opened every year around late July to early August. This controlled release of water is crucial for the park’s ecosystem, helping to flood the wetlands and support wildlife during the rainy season.
However, after the dam is opened, many roads inside and around the park become impassable due to flooding. Travellers should be aware that access by vehicle can be extremely limited during this period, sometimes for several weeks or even months, depending on the rainfall and water levels.

When we arrived at the border, a police officer approached and asked for insurance. I explained that it was just a bicycle. He shouted from a distance, “Sir, please!”. A larger officer came over and started examining the bike. “Is this a bicycle?” he asked. “Yes,” I replied. “So you don’t have insurance?” he inquired. “No, we don’t have any.” “Do you have something for us?” he continued. “Sorry, no, I don’t have anything.” “Okay, go inside and get your exit stamp,” he said. As we prepared to leave, he asked again, “Do you have something for us?” I repeated, “No.” The last police officer followed us after he opened the gate to leave Mauritania, still asking, “Do you have something for me? Anything?”