You think it’d be one of the simplest tasks while travelling, washing clothes. Annoying and time consuming sure, but it’s never really too much of a problem. You’d think.

We experienced things differently. Turns out in West Africa, well in Nouakchoutt, Mauritania at least, the Laundromats (Lavages) are pretty much only for the top end of town and act more as a dry cleaning service rather than a quick clean for backpackers. After spending 15minutes trying to explain we wanted the most basic wash possible, you can imagine the surprise when we returned 5 hours later to this.

The equivalent of 15 Euros later – It was a lesson learnt by amateurs the hard way and was the most expensive load of washing we’ve ever had. In saying that though, the bow tie sticker on the neatly pressed, folded and plastic wrapped collared shirt was touching.

In West Africa it pays to ask around in house as often there will be a local who swings by to operate an on site hand washing service. We wish we had known that.

Knock, Knock.
Who’s there?
Amos.
Amos who?
Amos Quito. Bzzzz.

We know – lame joke right? It’s almost as lame as our efforts to take Malaria seriously until recently. There is no doubt we definately underestimated Malaria and we’re travelling into the heart of Malaria affected territory and we’ll be doing whatever we can to minimise the Bzzzz.

We’ve managed to get together just enough pills to get us through the rest of our trip, along with one tube of bug repellent and half a mosquito net. Once you do some research, you’ll soon realise we’ll need more pills to cover the first month or so once we leave Africa as well.

Learn from our amateur mistake and if you are travelling to a somewhere with a Malaria risk, don’t be like us, find out about Malaria and find out what you need to know about travelling in Malaria affected areas.

To support anti-Malaria campaigns in Africa check out the great campaigns we’ve come across Nothing but Nets and Africa fighting Malaria.

It’s probably the longest train in the World and it’s probably the wildest train ride in Africa – So naturally we got on board. If you can find anything more epic involving a train – let us know and we’ll do it.

The Iron Ore Train – Mauritania from Amateurs in Africa on Vimeo.

It’s not only probably the longest train in the World, it’s not only probably the wildest train ride in the World, but it’s almost definitely one of the most epic things you could ever do anywhere in the World and it won’t even cost you a cent.

3.30pm any day of the week at Nouadhibou Station in the Sahara desert, Mauritania there’s a hive of activity. For most locals, it’s another day of commuting and transporting supplies but for a few, it’s much more. We dared to be one of the few.

We won’t lie, until about an hour beforehand we were still unsure whether we would jump upon this infamous, yet largely unknown train, but as we waited amidst the chaos and the sandstorms, the thought of stowing away in a train carriage is something you could only dream of in most countries – Naturally, it was far too irresistible.

Yes – we’d read the Government warnings that advised us not to travel and we had heard all the hype about the Western Saharan border region with extremist groups etc, but we’d also read about a train, the Iron Ore train and the more dangerous it sounded, the more seductive the it became.

Through the winds and sands in the distance it arrives. A seemingly endless number of sun-baked old wagons waltz by in the searing heat of the Sahara. As the train eventually comes to a halt you’re almost pulled into the carriages by it’s character and charm. In our case, we were actually pushed in by a local Police officer, either way we made it in.

Clamber aboard, dump your backpack and look around. If you’re like us, it’ll be hard to wipe the smile of your face. Within a few minutes we were amongst the locals and after the initial looks of surprise, the nervous laughter and the awkward exchanges (we don’t speak French) it was clear the locals were pumped to have a couple of fresh faces onboard. It more than stretched us trying to hold conversations amidst the excitement but failing that, as always you can count on football to communicate.

As always, we were incredibly unprepared for the next 12 hours, we had both just lost our head scarves, had only a litre of water each and a couple of bags of nuts. By the end of the trip we’d had a loaf of bread each, a range of snacks, fruits, 5 cups of Mauritanian tea and a local had even offered his jacket to us as the sun set. Yes – of course we shared our nuts.

The locals were only too happy to share their culture and even rolled out the red carpet for us – literally. If you haven’t figured it out yet, this simply isn’t your average train ride. Each carriage isn’t just another carriage, they might only measure about 10m x 3m each but the cultural exchange you’ll experience in that space transcends thousands of kilometres.

So who else is actually on the wagon?
18 Mauritanians. Mining company employees up one end organising the fire, tea and food exchanges and the young lads at the end of the carriage quick to dance, play Western tunes on their mobile phones and pose for photos. You’ll get a bit of everything on this train and it’s something special to see 16 men on a open carriage on a moving train assemble as one when it’s time for prayer.

Hold up! This article is pretty long, particularly for us. Why not break it up and get a real feel for the journey! Check out the video we filmed on board.

What else can you expect over the 12 hour journey?
The winds and the sandstorms are relentless and the taste of Iron Ore is something you’ll have to get used to. It’s incredibly hot in the day and incredibly cold late into the night but you can expect to see the Sahara at her best and its hard imagine clearer skies and as many stars elsewhere. You probably won’t sleep either, but you can find space amongst the crowd and bags to huddle in for warmth. You’ll also get the added bonus of seeing the Ben Amira rock, which is the world’s 2nd largest rock after Uluru in Australia, which despite the surrounding darkness still casts an impressive shadow on an otherwise desolate plain.

What else can we tell you?
The conditions are pretty rough and it’s definitely not for the faint hearted. You can of course get a ticket on board the one and only passenger carriage but that would set you back about 5 Euro. We’re sure it would still be a great experience, but the feeling of stowing away in Iron-Ore wagon without paying a cent for us was far more appealing.

The train runs from the Saharan Iron-Ore mines of Zouerat to the port city of Nouadhibou and links communities from the Sahara to the sea. Once on board, you’ll soon realise that the train is a lifeline for the remote communities as along the way dozens of locals will make the trip to the tracks to greet those onboard, from groups of women to young kids, there is a sense of excitement as the train rolls by.

3.30am you’ll make it to Choum, a decrepit station some 400km later where you would think your journey ends, but it’s just the beginning of another. It’s a strange feeling – one where despite getting off probably the world’s longest train in the middle of nowhere, you realise you have just been somewhere you had never imagined and experienced something you will never forget.

That said, we hadn’t anticipated an hour later we’d be sitting on top of a Toyota Landcruiser packed with luggage and supplies with 6 others pieced together like a jigsaw puzzle. Luckily for us, Michael Schumacher had recently come out of retirement and was driving, with precision at top speed across the dusty, corrigated tracks, narrowly avoiding wildlife, trees and everything else guided only by the 20m of visibility provided by the headlights.

So how does a Landcruiser loaded with 8 people and a few tonnes of cargo hold up in the conditions? Maybe we were just lucky, but we received a lesson in Mauritanian roadside mechanics as one of the tyres blew out at top speed.

What lasting advice do we have?
Do it. There’s nothing else like it. Take some food to share, plenty of water, be ready for anything and just go with it. Everything else is provided and if you can’t speak French like us, know that everybody supports either Barcelona or Madrid so choose wisely.

We need to mention as well that the region is still considered to be highly dangerous, so be sure to speak with locals in the area and other backpackers for the latest information. We did and we went.

The first 3 places in the week that Africa broke us in. Over 2700kms – the hardest week of long haul travel in our lives. We’ve seen plenty on the road less traveled so it’s time for the brief analysis, Amateur style.

Morocco
Without doubt, Morocco definitely has better places to visit, but we had to start somewhere and you can always grab a cheap flight to Agadir. It’s not the Morocco you’d imagine but you’ll still find glimpses and a bus to get out.

What sticks out?
If you’re after some nudity, the beach scene here might be up your alley, however, you’ll soon discover those topless bodies are actually old overweight westerners. It’s a tourist resort hotspot although we’re not really sure why.

If you like to smoke, you’ll no doubt enjoy it. It’s the question on everyone’s lips.

The food here is a definite highlight once you follow the locals to their eateries. Moroccan’s can make a mean soup which you’ll find for about 60 Euro cents and the Tajines are not to be missed. The 50 cent banana smoothies at any juice bar are a real winner.

If it’s your first time to Africa like us, it’ll be a good adjuster and you’ll have time to get used the waste management issues, the heat and the people. It’s also a great way to get used to flashing your passport if you’re heading south with 5 checkpoints before Western Sahara on the 21 hour bus.

Western Sahara
This place took our breath away, with the highway hugging the desolate coastline for close to 1000kms, it’s untouched and it’s incredible to see as the sunsets. Understandably, those who do travel the route find it hard not to stop and spend some time and as a result you’ll find people scattered every 10 – 20kms with their own piece of prime real estate.

What makes it irresistible?
Apart from the epic coastline, the Saharan sand dunes through the night are really something special. The moon casts shadows over the majestic mass dunes and the road weaves in and out between the sands and the coast.

Fresh fish on sunrise at the local restaurants goes down a treat and once you make it to the border, being stuck in no man’s land for 30mins between borders is a unique experience and reactions to the landmine warning signs might give you a photo opportunity.

For all the details on Morocco and Western Sahara, click here or for some insight into the scenery check out our video here

Mauritania
The country full of surprises from Nouadibou in the north where the goats rule the streets, to the Iron Ore Train across one of the most dangerous borders in the world, to the organised chaos of the capital combined with the friendliest people you might ever meet.

What reels you in?
Being stuck in a Saharan sandstorm has a certain ring to it and first impressions count, so when you enter a country and the border official spends 25 minutes telling your fellow passenger how beautiful she is, it’s hard not to be intrigued.

Kids playing football well into the night set the tone for what we expect in Africa and they love it here. The heat here grabs you and the shops will even shut from lunch until about 4pm. You’ll find it hard to haggle over cab prices in 40 degree heat with your backpacks on.

The Iron Ore train is without doubt one of the most epic adventures you could experience in a lifetime and thus deserves it’s own article and it’s own video.

Being stuck in the searing Sahara is something like no other. Heat exhaustion got us both, but Harty’s hallucinations where the highlight when in the midst of the desert over a period of 30 minutes he’d seen a lake an elephant and an airport – none of which existed.

On the road there’s a love for checkpoints which gets almost unbearably frustrating in the heat of the desert but dig deep for some patience and you’ll get through no worries. You’ll also find a great network of hand signals for those wanting to hitch hike and although it might delay you some time, it’s truly admirable how the locals will stop to help anyone pulled over along the way.

For all the important and not so important details on Mauritania, click here or for some insight into the scenery check out the pictures we snapped or the video we put together here.

The first 3 places that broke us in to Africa and how we saw things over 2700km. You might think the sound quality’s not up to par, it really isn’t,but seriously – sandstorms in the Sahara are pretty rowdy.

An Amateur Overview
Everything we can tell you about Mauritania, starting with the basic facts so you can impress your friends.

Mauritania
Capital: Nouakchott
Population: 3.5 million
Economy: GDP (PPP)- 6.232 billion, Per Capita GDP $2.055 143rd
Exchange rate: 1 Euro = 350UM (approx)
Human Development Index: .520 154th
Random sports trivia: After chatting to a couple of Mauritanians about their sporting prowess, they remained adamant that no Mauritanians were playing football in any European leagues & they have yet to win an Olympic medal. They then rightly added that the country faces bigger challenges. As far as supporting a team goes, our straw pole on the Iron Ore Train was evenly divided between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid fans.

Travel Info
Mauritania, a country where before coming we didn’t know much about except for its ongoing battle with slavery. It’s blessed with a pristine coastline, a burning desert and probably the world’s longest train (no one appears to be able to actually confirm this, anywhere). All of this combines to make for an unforgettable experience in a country where we were originally just going to pass through.

Visa/Entry Requirements: It’s no longer possible to get a visa at the border. We had to resort to getting ours 2 months earlier in at the Mauritanian embassy in Berlin. Costs depend on nationality and which embassy you apply at. For us it cost 60 Euro for a single entry 1 month visa.

Parlez-vous Anglais?
Rating: 60% – You can probably just get by with English here, but the people speaking English are generally the one’s who’ll charge you a bit more. Head out onto the street to get into the culture. Usually amongst every group, people are more than willing to help with any problems and somebody might have a bit of English.

@ Nouadhibou
Where we stayed: Auberge Chez Abba – camping 1500UM (4 Euro) or twin room 2000UM (5.5 Euro) per night. Friendly staff, a few who speak English & hot showers.

How we got there: From bush taxi from Dakhla (Morocco) 350DH (30 euro).

Difficulties: We struggled to find a good internet connection here, it was extremely slow so make sure you have a good look around. 200UM/hour.

Traveller scene: Met an English lad and a French lady at the camping grounds who had just jumped off the Iron Ore train. It’s a great place to exchange stories with people who’ve been trekking off the beaten track in West Africa and more importantly to get some tips for the region and the travels ahead.

Getting a feed: There is no way we can go past the grilled fish and rice served at local hole in the wall eateries along with Mauritanian tea, a national specialty.

Out on the town: You’ll struggle to get a beer here as alcohol is illegal in the country, however you can find it if you look hard enough.

@ Nouakchott
Where did we stay: Auberge Menata – in 3 bed dorm – 2500UM (7.5 Euro) It has very basic beds, internet available, cooking facilities, large outdoor areas, a shop at the front and a turtle. On the negative side, if you want some information from the staff here you’ll probably be hooked up with one of their ‘mates’ who will help you, but they’ll help break your budget as well. Everything’s cheaper in the street.

How we got there: We took the scenic route, the Iron Ore train from Noudhibou – Choum – 12 hrs – FREE in the wagons, departing Noudhibou at around 3pm. Then from Choum-Atar at 4.30am jumped aboard with 6 other people on top of a truck to Atar through unsealed roads for 3hrs – 1500UM (5 Euro) Then from Atar-Nouakchott in a shared taxi for 4500UM (13 Euro) for a 6 hr journey.

Difficulties: We jumped in a taxi from the Gare Routiere for our hotel, we had the address and a map, in the middle of the taxi ride our driver asked somebody else in, this person grabbed our guidebook and ‘showed’ us the way. He then came into the hotel demanding 500UM for his ‘help’. Be firm, but polite in response to this.

We had read about problems with finding an ATM, however there seems to have been a recent boom and on a few main streets in the capital you’ll find them guarded with security.

Learn from Us: Doing a load of washing. There are plenty of places to get your clothes washed, but you’ll pay per piece so it adds up. 15 Euro for a load was a high price to pay for that lesson. Ask around in-house or plug up the bath tub and get your hands dirty.

For the onward traveller – if you’re going to Senegal and need a Visa, make sure you get it here and leave yourself 2 days for processing. Trust us – this was a lesson we learnt the hard way.

The traveller scene: There are quite a few French speaking tourists, particularly campervans around the place.

Getting a feed: There are plenty of food options available around the centre of the city. Alternatively head to the Fish markets for something straight from the ocean. Take a stroll around to find what you’re after for a reasonable price. You can grab a large lamb sandwich for 400UM (1.20Euro) at small local restaurants and we also stumbled across an Algerian restaurant serving traditional cuisine for 700UM (2 Euro) or at lunchtime Senegalese style fish and rice for 400UM (1.20 Euro).

>>> The Amateur low down
Highlight: Iron ore train. It’s that good we’ve dedicated a whole video and a featured article to it.

Biggest surprise: The hectic, smelly, amazing fish markets. Make the journey down there late in the afternoon to see the boats bring the day’s catch in, watch people clean fish and soak up the atmosphere at the markets just 50m from the ocean. The beach is lined with boats painted in all sorts of colours that make a great backdrop.

The sheer amount of Mercedes Benz on the road is staggering and it’s another thing you’ll notice, along with the roadside hand gestures which local hitchhikers use to hail bush taxi’s in all directions.

One thing you can do to break down a barrier: Slavery was only outlawed in Mauritania in 2007. It is estimated that 18% of adults are still in forced labour, It is estimated that it is the highest % of a population anywhere in the world. Click here to continue the campaign to condemn slavery to the past and you can do your bit to help local Mauritanian groups like SOS Esclaves.

For all the pictures you’ve got to check out the gallery.

An Amateur Overview
Everything useful we can pass on and the basic information you might be able to use in local trivia.

Morocco
Capital: Rabat
Population: 32 000 000
Economy: GDP (PPP)- 146 Billion 55th , Per capita GDP $4.388 101st.
Exchange Rate: approx. 1 Euro: 11DH
Human Development Index: .654 (130th)
Sporting Triva: The first African country to play in a Football World Cup Finals in 1970.

Travel Info
Morocco has much to offer with major tourist destinations like Casablanca, Marrakesh, Fez and more. We skipped these places, they will have to be left for another time. We flew into Agadir as it was the cheapest flight into Africa as far south as we could get as we headed into the West African region.

Visa/Entry Requirements: No visa required. Allow half an hour to get through the queue as the planes arrive, but once at the desk it was a painless 30 seconds to get the entrance stamp.

Parlez-vous Anglais?
Rating: 25% – It’s easy to get by here with just English, but it’s a good place to try out your French skills, if you have any. With the basics you will be understood and will often get the response in English anyway.

@ Agadir
Where did we stay: Hotel Sindibad – Twin room with bathroom, cable TV for 13 Euro. Good WIFI in lobby, breakfast not included, small rooftop pool and great characters.

How we got there: From Agadir airport (about 30km from the city) there is a bus service available for 4DH, but we arrived after 7.30pm and they’d stopped for the evening. That meant the only option into town was a 20 min fixed price taxi for 220DH. During the day you can grab one for 150DH (13euro), but clearly the prices get jacked up when the buses finish.

Difficulties: None really, the biggest hassle we had was trying to find sunscreen for a reasonable price. You’ll get hit up a lot on the way to the beach about all shapes and sizes of stuff, and after the hard sell on their legit products doesn’t work you might just get asked if you want to buy something to smoke. Saying we were Australians encouraged them and the assumption was that we just wanted to just surf and get high.

Learn from Us: As with most tourist destinations, avoid eateries with menus translated into English and other languages. Some here are cheap and good value, but you’ll still save at least 60% at a local stool and table set up.

For the onward traveller – check the bus timetables as early as you can as buses are sold out in advance and longer southern routes only run a couple of times a day.

The traveller scene: Agadir boasts a wide, albeit littered beach that seems to be the main selling point for visiting. The scene here is dominated by middle aged/elderly Europeans looking for a tan.

Getting a feed: Stay away from the restaurants with touts and down on the beach esplanade. Find where the locals are sitting down for a meal and grab some Beef Tajine for about 1 Euro.

Out on the town: Alcohol not widely available. We came across beer at a restaurant for 16DH (1.5 EURO). You can also grab it from the larger supermarkets in town and the clubs on the beach at a heavily inflated price.

@ Western Sahara
Officially part of Morocco as a non-self governing territory. These region is recognised by 81 countries as the Sahrawi Arab Demoratic Republic, whose Polisario Front leadership are in exile in Algeria.

How we got there: Agadir to Dakhla on large private bus cost 350DH (30 Euro) – 1200km. From Dakhla we grabbed a shared taxi for 350DH to Noudhibou (Mauritania). Save yourself a couple of Euro by getting off at the checkpoint on the edge of Dakhla rather than taking the bus into Dahkla, as the shared taxi’s for Mauritania leave from the checkpoint. Through Western Sahara it’s a good idea to make some photocopies (around 5) of your passport with details of your Moroccan entry info to speed things along on the journey.

>>> The Amateur low down.
Highlight: The unspoilt coastline of southern Morocco and Western Sahara. Along the coastline you will see lines of campervans waiting for sunset and locals who daily must wake up to views people spend millions for.

Biggest surprise: The border between Morocco and Mauritania gives new meaning to the term ‘no man’s land’. 3km bumping through sand dunes and rocky tracks, with no clear direction of where the other side is, burnt out cars, litter and cars stopped waiting for their travel companions to make it through. This would definitely be a challenging border to navigate if you were driving yourself.

One thing you can do to break down a barrier: Travel to Western Sahara and spend some time there to understand the unresolved issues and the unspoilt beaches.

What gear do you need to backpack Africa?
The answer is we don’t really know yet but this is what we are taking.

Our Gear
The below picture covers our basic medical supplies for the next 4 months.

Along with those we have the following:
- Summer Sleeping Bags – Poncho’s for rain
- A Tent – Towels
- Clothes – Mosquito Net.
- Phrase books – Travel Guides

To ensure our ticket to Hollywood or Nollywood (Nigerian’s answer to Hollywood) we also have
Audio Visual Equipment
- One average waterproof camera. Hopefully practical in monsoons, dust storms and the beaches.

- One low grade camera. Featured above right. Let’s face it, we won’t be winning and photographic competitions with this.
- One pen sized tripod. Terry our most reliable item, being non electrical.
- One Panasonic video camera (not compatible with our laptops – a fact recently discovered so it’s effectively useless). This means our footage will be captured solely using the above two digital cameras.

The Computer side of things:
- 1 Acer notebook which is over a year old.

- 1 Asus Eee PC which has recently had issues with charging meaning it only works every few days. Featured above.
- We’re using Windows XP Movie maker. It’s not ideal and probably one of the most frustrating/limited movie making software programs around. Yet it’s the only one we have.
- 3 cheap mobile phones. None of which actually have network coverage so far in Morocco.

We know our productions are pretty ordinary, but at least you can see our talent isn’t the only factor contributing to our low grade, non existent budget efforts.

More on the Medical
There is a list of all the recommended equipment that we read you should take if you are travelling to Africa. We’d advise you to follow this list over ours, we didn’t want to carry it all and to be honest we were just too tight to buy it. The full list of medical supplies adds up to about 25 – ranging from malaria pills, to headache tablets, to water purification. We have about 13 of the items – who doesn’t like to gamble?

You should see your doctor about Vaccinations as well. You need Yellow fever for entry to some countries but the others are up to you – find a friendly doctor – the needles aren’t cheap.

On the eve of adventure it’s hard to describe the mood. Probably due to the fact we aren’t prepared and it’s realistically too late to do much about it.

However, during our last minute rush before we go, here are few other things we thought you should know.

How did we actually end up here?
We wanted to go to the World Cup. It happened to be in South Africa. We thought if we were going to go all that way we would see more if we travelled Africa overland. Then we thought it seems like everybody travels overland through the East so let’s travel through the West. Then we thought if we’re going through the West let’s make it interesting. Then we thought if it’s going to be interesting let’s make sure it’s important. Then we thought if it’s going to be important let’s make sure we make a difference.

Which brings us to now – we’re backpacking to break through borders and break down barriers.

With a few hours left, you might be wondering what we are actually looking forward to. So here’s a few things you’ll see in the coming weeks:
- Stowing away on the longest train in the world, Mauritania.
- Soaking up the atmosphere in hectic markets of some of Africa’s busiest metropolis’s.
- The wildlife and possibly wrestling with Gorillas and/or Guerillas.
- Being able to say we have been to Timbuktu, Mali.
- Participating in a Voodoo ceremony in Benin.
- Sharing meals and transport with people from some of the world’s poorest communities throughout West Africa.
- Trying to make a little difference to a few lives along the way and helping out in as many organisations as we can.

What can you do to help us?
You can get involved and show your support by engaging with our website, telling us what you think and passing on the site to others spreading the word of the Amateurs . Basically, we figure the bigger the audience, the greater the resources we can raise at short notice should something go horribly wrong.

In terms of the rush – it’s amateurish. We’ve run out of time for medical supplies, rations and outdoor survival equipment. Tomorrow it’s on. All we could manage was a Chinese buffet with Australians followed by Guinness with a Chilean, Argentine and a German in in an Irish nightclub. Fairly impractical but that’s how we roll.

Africa – we are coming to meet you.