Taoujafet

Nouakchott \| Route de l'espoir \| Nouadhibou \| Banc d'Arguin \| Oualata \| Ouadane \| Chinguetti \| Chinguetti-Tidjikja \| Moudjeria \| Rachid \| Tidjikja \| Taoujafet
Taoujafet, just north of Rachid, is one of the reasons I was even tempted to make the desert crossing at this point. In hindsight I could just as easily have driven up from Tidjikja to the South and saved a great deal of uncomfortable, though fascinating, desert driving. From the photographs, it appears a very romantic oasis, with pools of water, wandering nomads with their flocks...and if you hold your nose, the reality is similar. Unfortunately, the watering hole is effectively a cesspit for the animals which both drink and, well...you know! As a consequence, in the Saharan sun, the smell is, as you might imagine, rather ripe. Got talked into tea with a nomad who also showed us the cave paintings. Return to Sahara Itinerary 2008►