So which way out of here?? We need to find fuel as well so this is going to be fun. After driving through what appears to be a market we end up at the first of several fuel stations. We have to go through the rigmarole of trying to find one with leaded fuel for all the cars apart from ours. At number 4 we find one that fits the bill, however fuelling 6 cars takes it time and provide street theatre for all the locals. Especially when some of the teams try to change euros to local at the pump. We were like honey to ants!!! Naomi and Tara (Stephan and Achkim) are posing for photos again and are looking so relaxed if they were anymore so would be horizontal. After resolving the fuel we have to jump the Zebra bus up and down the street as she is having a hissy fit this morning. While we are faffing we are passed by some Spanish and Norwegian teams who wave and blair their horns. We are off, till we hit the second roundabout. The bus sticks its nose up and stops, it is helped out of the traffic flow by the Germans taking her roughly from behind. Once clear we inspect the problems and help the Germans fix their first problem, they squewed their bumper pushing the bus. It is fixed quickly by using bag ties and the bus is got back running again.
We head out of town and find loads of fuel stations that would have better suited our requirement but we could have easily found none. At the second police checkpoint we pull off and have to work on the bus she definitely got up on the wrong side of the bus this morning!! The tarp is put between Pickled Onion and the Zebra to give some shade for the people working. Chris catches up writing some blogs and is asked for the laptop as a cadauex by the guards, let me see.... 2 words first starts in S and second O. The kettle is put on as you can always do with a brew. We also distribute some cakes from the grub box and they are extremely welcome. Some of the guys play hurling with the kit the Irish brought. Its a strange sight playing with camels in background. After an hour or so we get back on the road. The road is good going and we get up and hold a decent speed. We are attempting to get across the border tonight if all goes well.
We travel well and the same bush taxi keeps passing us, it stops to pick up people and we overtake it. We arrive at the point where we head towards Diama rather than Rosso and its completely as the road book describes. We however haven't read the road book and we travel through it feeling a bit unsure. Especially as we are travelling along what is only just wide enough for our wheel base. As we go further the dust level increases and so does the car temperature. We end up having to have the heater on and windows down to keep the car running. As we are tail end Charlie we are eating dust sarnies and the shemaghs are warn as masks. The road degrades and the size of the pot holes increase. We come across the Spanish teams from earlier and they have their radiator in pieces whilst we top up our water liquid metal is handed to the team repairing the radiator and we are off again.
As we are bouncing along the road we finally get phone signal and are back with the world again!!! Avoiding the pot holes takes a huge amount of concentration and wears the humour down quickly. Especially when you have two people driving seeing the road from different angles.
As the sun sets we arrive at a random road block and have to pay to get out of the national park, we are also told that the border is open later than we thought. We had been told 7pm but it turns out it is open till 11pm :). The gorgeous sunset has finished and the night doesn't help the pot hole avoidance. The bus decides to let out a big cloud of steam with a bang and have another hissy fit and is promptly put on tow till it can be investigated more. As we travel on to the border we have to stop as the BB think they have lost their passports, after a quick search they are discovered under the seat and we are off again till they get a warning light come on. We pull over to investigate and realise we aren't alone when people appear from the shadows, they are probably just interested in what's going on but humour has waned and we don't want to find out so quickly get going. As the rest of the group have gone ahead we have to drive at speed to catch up, but at least the border is in sight!!
We are learning that nothing is quick at borders and UK customs should be praised in dealing with people in 30 minutes. We have to go through several stages, Chris is really feeling it now and is wandering round like a zombie. We clear the Mauritania side pretty quickly and with minimal cost. Apparently we have to pay more euros to get the exit stamp. We have afew minutes of "too many chefs spoil the broth" but its all sorted and we head off. While this has been going on Paul has been working on the van and has got it going again.
The convoy is on the roll into "no mans land" before reaching the Senegal Border. We que up and are checked off by a guy that looks like a smurf. This wasn't pointed out to him. Simon is designated negotiator for the entry requirements and goes with the Kiwi Mark to get the first set of stamps required. It goes well for us but not for Mark. Apparently Kiwi's are on a list that need a visa and there is no way he can buy it at the border. As we head on through the next stage he is marched off and put in a 4 x 4 that heads back to the Mauritania side. He will then have to take bush taxi back up to Nouakchott and visit the embassy, which rather unhelpfully is 100m from where we had stayed the night before.
While this is being sorted there is the lamest attempt ever to steal the Audi. We are all stood round being hassled by afew locals for gifts when one of them leaning against the Audi starts to push it away. 10 out of 10 for blatancy with a 0 out of 10 likelihood of success. The bus is now running on the battery from the Audi while its one is recharged. Again the locals being so in your face about asking for gifts is disconcerting but De points out it that we are lucky we have come through so late as we would have been swamped if it had been during daylight. We then move on to the negotiation of the vehicle passes, there has been several stories that we have heard of other teams this year and previous paying huge amounts. The truck driver we met had told us that he had been stung for 100 usd and his guide had also been caught for the same when they were separated by the guards. Colin is prepared for this to be a long one.... the prices starts high and even higher if we don't want an escort through the country. After explaining we have no space, and blah blah blah the price moves to nearer the one we are thinking and we finally get away with 70 euros per car and no guide.
The final stage is now the car insurance and the first person through is Chris. Chris is currently dribbling and has pencils up his nose and underpants on his head. Communication is slow with the lovely woman who is completing the documentation and after assistance of both another border crosser Dean and Adrian the insurance is purchased for both Senegal and Gambia. Cost 50 euros for a month (same cost as 7 days) and the change is given in a bottle of pop. This is gratefully received and emptied in about 10 seconds flat!!! Colin arrives to late to get a sniff of it and it would have required someone either very brave or stupid to try to pry it out of Chris' hands. The rest of the group get through the insurance buying and we find out the woman is a grandmother and her daughter has got twins who's birthday it is. She shows us all pictures on her phone and is very proud of them.
We are now clear and on our way to Zebra bar. Apparently this place is famous and worth a visit and definitely should not be missed. Being rather slow Chris and Colin have never heard of it it is now 11pm and they are both wondering if it is a case of afew km to far for a day. We hit our first road block and it feels like this is going to be a long slog but we think Dean and Brian were handing out the 4 year old fags at the front to speed up the process and we travel quickly through several. The road however is great and well lit but the taxis have their backends jacked up so high they look like dragsters. Within 5 km we find out why as the road conditions deteriorate. The good news is the bus is back on its own steam but has no lights.
As we travel into more built up areas we hit a police stop with a guy that wants to check just about everything in the vehicles and promptly fines CH for a number plate light not working. Paul is in the bus driving and can believe it as they haven't got any lights at all and are seeing where they are going by using a head torch! It turns out that in Senegal you have to carry a fire extinguisher, florescent jacket and warning triangle. Luckily we didn't throw out the jackets in Morocco. As we hit the next stop the spare extinguisher is dropped to the Audi as we don't want to invite hassle. However this is not enough and both the Audi and Van get stung for 30 euros for not having seat belts.
Dean has the gps of the Zebra bar and is heading to the way point but it appears to be taking us to the back of nowhere down less than dirt tracks. We do however start to see signs for it and head on hoping that the place is an oasis and not a cesspit. We pull in under our own steam and the bus rolls to a halt outside having decided that it is not travelling any further. We all traipse through what turns out to be the kitchen and grab a cold one. It is most welcome especially when it come in what appears to be nearly a milk bottle. As CH have already called ahead there is hot food being prepared for us, this is the puppies danglies as its 2 am :) While this is going on rooms are booked and Team Rubbish end up in the split level unit with a view and double bed. It costs a bit more but we really arent in the mood to play silly buggers with the hammocks or tents.
The guy handing out the keys shows Chris to the room and it doesnt bode well as he has trouble finding the hut. We finally find it, he has only been working their for 3 weeks and is on a recess from university. OMG the place is like curry to a piss head. Downstairs there is a shower and sink upstairs is a massive room with both balcony and en suite. Raymond keenly points out the ceiling is new, Chris is more impressed that he is stationary and has a room with a balcony that looks out on to the beach and bay. Both of those being currently about 5 foot away. We head back for more drinks and the smile that is plastered across Chris' face is like he has just won the lottery.
As we relax and unwind we are all glad that the long push was worth it. We meet up with Chasing Rainbows and Brew Crew who have been here for 2 days. Nippy Racers are off in St Louis painting the town red. Its good to talk to others about their experiences and see what problems they have had. It becomes a standing thing to compare war stories. When we decide to retire Chris inbuilt homing skills fail drastically and Colin and he wander around the area shining torches in random directions trying to find the room. In tears of laughter they finally find it and pass out.
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