Paris – Dakar: Crossing the Big Nothing
Our Man travelled from Brussels to Dakar. In the first leg of this adventure report, we covered the trip in the more or less familiar part of Morocco. After our rest day in Agadir, the real challenge awaited. And a surprise, as the BMW R 1300 GS was joined there by the Kawasaki Versys 1000, both bikes equipped with A41 tyres.
Merzouga, Zagora, Ouarzazate…all these towns present themselves as the gateway to the desert. We passed through these towns on the border of the Sahara, but didn’t go into the big desert. First, we continued west, to reach the Atlantic. Agadir was our gateway to the South. After the vibrant city of Agadir, the towns turn smaller, the villages are more remote and once you cross the Western Sahara border, you have a few thousand kilometers of the Great Nothing ahead of you. One of the most exciting things on the trip to Dakar.
Rain in the desert
But before that, we had a quick stop at Fort Bou Jerif, where the best camel tajine in Africa is served. The camp is situated next to an old French colonial fortress. Quite impressive! Unfortunately, after a rainy night, the tracks got muddy. Enough to skid in all directions and wondering for the first time if the Bridgestone AX41 should not have been preferred here over the road-oriented A41. A little air out of the tyres, some gentle handling of the clutch and eventually we reached the asphalt. Holding a Kawasaki Versys 1000 and a BMW R 1300 GS that looked like it had been raced in an MX race. All is well that ends well!
Where the streets have no name
That night, tired but satisfied, we reached Layoune, just across the border with the Western Sahara. This area is administered by Morocco but considers itself a separate country and most of its inhabitants want autonomy. For the first time there, you feel that civilization is a fair bit behind you. Some 3000 km separated us from the final destination, and once you go into this region you know the back up plans are gone. If you need an engine part in Agadir, you are more than likely to find it. In Western Sahara, you can forget about that. Further south? There is nothing until the you reach Dakar.
It doesn’t get any better than this
But before you get there, you’ll spend days riding on roads and tracks along the mighty Atlantic Ocean. The tracks there are firm, clear, and well cut out for big bikes like the BMW and the Kawasaki. The A41 tyres excel on the road but surprised us big time on these long off-road parts. They did great and gave perfect feedback!
There is no better place to clear your head than this. Endless riding. Alternating asphalt and trails. No traffic. Sea and desert. No worries, no traffic, no emails or mobile phones. Just you and a bike. Bikes and tyres that meet and exceed all expectations. It doesn’t get any better than this.
Dakhla is one of a kind
We chose to ride up a peninsula just below the Tropic of Cancer and spend the night in Dakhla. It’s every bit as unique as the route leading there. It takes you through a kind of lunar landscape to end up on a very special piece of the globe. We enjoyed some fresh oysters and a good bed there after a very hard day. We weren’t sure what would be in the cards for the next few days. Because after Western Sahara, Mauritania awaits. And before that: an infamous border crossing.
Country in isolation
Mauritania is not the most popular travel destination for a host of reasons; it is a country in isolation. Between the cities of Nouadhibou and the capitol Nouakchott, there is …nothing. Except a vast deal of desert, exceptional natural beauty and a staggering heat.
Slavery was only officially abolished there in 2007, but there are still thousands of slaves in this country. Perhaps the recent elections will bring change to that. And it turned out those elections were held on the very day we wanted to ride out of Nouakchott towards Senegal. Luckily, the owner of our hotel urged us to leave as early as possible. Because “it is guaranteed that riots will break out because of the elections. And when that happens, you don’t want to be here.” Sound advice. So, we left Nouakchott before dawn – before the riots could start.
Alone in the world
We ignored the very busy and corrupt border crossing at Rosso and opted for the lesser-known border post in Diama. Because, indeed, it is less corrupt, smaller and much quieter. The reason for that is that the only road leading to it, is a piste in terrible condition. During or after the rainy season, you just can’t get across. With a few more days before the rain was due to start, we decided to take our chances. The track is in a very bad shape and the vibrations caused by the small ridges are enough to drive you crazy. Still, nothing was shaking loose from the Kawa, or the BMW and the bikes were holding up well in this extreme heat. The riders were having a hard time, but there was no other option but to keep riding and still have a bit of riding wind. If anything, it is even more desolate on this isolated track than in the desert. This is a place where you really feel alone on the world. That is: if you don’t count the warthogs.
Closed
Just under three hours later, we finally reached the border with Senegal. As it turned out, the Diama border post was even more quiet than expected. Because it was…closed. A biker from New Zealand had been standing here since 7am and had been updated several times. First the border would be opening at 2pm, half an hour later word came that it would be 5pm… Just when we started preparing to spend the night next to our bikes, and for no apparent reason, the border post opened. One hour on the Mauritanian side, two hours on the Senegalese side, and we had crossed the border. Some 90 euros spent in transit; we found ourselves on the other side of the infamous border. Our friend from New Zealand wasn’t that lucky: he came prepared, with all the paperwork done, but lacked the visa. On the internet it clearly says that this is no longer required, but there’s no internet at the border and the customs officer’s print list from 2004, said otherwise – so the New Zealander was told to turn around. Even an attempt to bribe the customs officer was to no avail. I wonder if he made it to Senegal by now…
Finally
After crossing the border, we whizzed past Saint Louis. The city, once the capital of West Africa and now recognized as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, still recalls the days of grandeur. But Africans do seem to have more important things to do than maintain unique French architecture… So, after a short night in Saint Louis, we headed to our final destination. The Lac Rose! We chose not to weave through the dunes with the Versys and GS, but to ride the hard trails of the inland to Lac. Granted, you do encounter quite long stretches of sand there, so there was still a challenge. The best way to stay on two wheels, is to lower the tyre pressure in the Bridgestone A41s to one and a half bars instead of the standard 2.4. This makes a noticeable difference, and it provided the confidence needed to ride at high(er) speed through the sand. Which in turn makes sand riding a lot easier.
There’s the Lac Rose!
And so, on a day when heat and humidity were reaching record highs, we arrived at the Lac Rose. A memorable moment. 7,000 kilometers. Heat, difficult stretches, doubts, customs posts, fatigue, joy, euphoria… it all came to mind after what was perhaps my most emotional minute ever on a motorbike. A few minutes later, I rode past the improvised finish line held up by Gunther who joined on the Kawasaki in Agadir and Patrick that drove our Renault assistance truck through all these difficult zones.
From Paris to Dakar in three weeks on an adventure touring motorbike…an amazing accomplishment not only to myself, but perhaps also the many followers of this adventure. Our aim for this trip was to prove that those who have the right preparation and choose the best route can easily ride to Dakar and make an often-impossible dream come true. But we also wanted to demonstrate the versatility of the bikes and the Bridgestone A41 tyres. Mission accomplished by all means. What a trip! And hey, it wasn’t over yet. Dakar had an extra opportunity lined up. Read all about it in part 3!
