"Ecris tes peines dans le sable, le vent les emportera. Grave tes joies dans la pierre, le vent ne les effacera pas". (Proverbe maure)
"Write your sorrows in the sand, the wind will blow them away. Engrave your joys in the rocks, so the wind will never erase them"
Three years ago, Mauritania had a dream. Avoiding the construction of resorts along its unknown hundreds of kilometers of coast between Nouakchott and the morrocan border, not wanting to be invaded by hundreds of half naked and disrespectful tourists, yet to earn its part of the touristic wealth, shared by the other north african countries. Mauritania had this dream, to make trekkers come back and nature lovers come to the Adrar, its 800 km preserved desert. Tour operators and foreign countries having turned away fearing terrorism after 10 years of an interesting growth of this destination.
The survival of Ouadane, former portuguese commercial settlement in the 15 th century-where nobody lived anymore 1( hers ago, of Chinguetti, slowly sinking in the sand with the now forgotten remains of its up to 33 camel hostels, its renowned dozens of 15 th century libraries is at stake. And the mere existence of the inhabitants of Terjit, Toungane or the "white valley". If nobody ever comes anymore, families will renounce to collect the dates or grow the mazing carrots in the midst of the desert as they still do. And simply grow the flow of nomads that already left the desert for Nouakchott, 500 kms away. Mauritania had a dream. Another terrorist attack in Nouakchott made it blow into pieces again. Planes have again stopped to land in Atar. Chinguetti lost yet another hostel leaving the desert gain the sand battle.
"Write your sorrows in the sand, the wind will blow them away. Engrave your joys in the rocks, so the wind will never erase them"
Three years ago, Mauritania had a dream. Avoiding the construction of resorts along its unknown hundreds of kilometers of coast between Nouakchott and the morrocan border, not wanting to be invaded by hundreds of half naked and disrespectful tourists, yet to earn its part of the touristic wealth, shared by the other north african countries. Mauritania had this dream, to make trekkers come back and nature lovers come to the Adrar, its 800 km preserved desert. Tour operators and foreign countries having turned away fearing terrorism after 10 years of an interesting growth of this destination.
The survival of Ouadane, former portuguese commercial settlement in the 15 th century-where nobody lived anymore 1( hers ago, of Chinguetti, slowly sinking in the sand with the now forgotten remains of its up to 33 camel hostels, its renowned dozens of 15 th century libraries is at stake. And the mere existence of the inhabitants of Terjit, Toungane or the "white valley". If nobody ever comes anymore, families will renounce to collect the dates or grow the mazing carrots in the midst of the desert as they still do. And simply grow the flow of nomads that already left the desert for Nouakchott, 500 kms away. Mauritania had a dream. Another terrorist attack in Nouakchott made it blow into pieces again. Planes have again stopped to land in Atar. Chinguetti lost yet another hostel leaving the desert gain the sand battle.
Mauritania, the forgotten desert
