We thought we left Nouakchott the morning of our one year on the road anniversary. But being on the road for a year, depending only on each other and what we feel like doing we have forgot how a calendar works. Or we just don´t really care. Apparently July has 31 days and not 30. Luckily we got Sarah in our lives kindly asking if we didn’t leave Uppsala, Sweden 1 of August and not 31 of July. She was correct, she was there waving goodbye and cheering us on.
On the day of our real one year on the road anniversary we woke up in our tent next to a gendarmerie post. The evening before they stopped us and asked where we would stay the night. They didn’t really like our “we don’t know, maybe in a village or something” reply and told us to follow them four kilometer to where they would set up their post. And that we did (it was actually 8km but who’s counting the kilometers when you’re on a bike loaded with panniers). In the morning we took our time, drinking coffee, taking pictures we couldn’t take when the gendarmerie was still there (since we can’t photograph them or their facilities).
We didn’t manage to bike that far before the sun reached it’s highest point on the sky and we decided to take our lunch break. And with lunch break we mean siesta in the shadow under a tree until the afternoon. We had only be sitting down eating our crackers and nutella for a couple of minutes when a guy turned up from nowhere and invited us to his families summerhouse on the other side of the road. I know we said a thousand times before that one of the best part of this trip is hanging out with locals and this day was no exception.
At arrival we were introduced to the Grimol family, invited to their mbar and treated with some kind of corn milk, which is delicious by the way. Especially after a day of biking in the heat. Then the treats never stopped coming, tea and bread, lunch and second lunch. When the family found out it was our one year on the road anniversary they decided to throw us a party. We were dressed up in traditional Mauritanian clothes and ate delicious food, they played drums, sang and danced the night away. We slept outside under the stars in a mosquito net and donkeys and goats stumbling around our tent in the morning woke us up. As always it´s hard to say goodby to new friends and wouldn’t it be for our visa we probably still would been sitting in the mbar drinking tea.
Even though the dates in the calendar is low priority on this trip we do have to care for the dates when it comes to our visas. “Brave” was the officer at the borders conclusion when he checked the visa in our passports, pointing at the expiry date printed on our visa. We just laughed and said we got the hole day to go, when we crossed from Morocco to Mauritania we did it the day it expired.
Read about our way to the boarder and our stay at a gendarmerie post here and everything about our first year on the road here.
Your pictures look so cool! Looks like a great trip!
Thank you!
AMAZING trip. Like epic-level can’t be replicated amazing. What a great way to spend your anniversary.
Yes, we loved it! And totally un expected as well!
As a bike fan i have to say that is one epic adventure! Congrats on your 1 year anniversary!
Thank you! We can´t belive we done this a year!
This is awesome! I love that the people threw you a spontaneous party! I love following your adventure. When you make it to the States, I want you to stay at my place in Ferndale WA. Near Seattle WA and Vancouver British Columbia Canada.
Happy One Year Anniversary on the bikes!
That´s so kind of you thank you! Looking forward to that. Even tho it will take us a long time to get there =)
Congratulations on making a whole year, that’s an incredible achievement! And what an awesome way to spend it, you will remember it forever I’m sure.
Thank you! Yes, the family will be in our hearts forever!
Beautigul!
I love the photos of those camel. Caught me off guard. Amazing set of photos too! Happy Anniversary!!!
Thank you!?
Happy Anniversary!! I love your photos! It made me think about my Morocco trip!
Thank you! We loved Morocco aswell!
Congrats on the 1 year anniversary. That’s great you were able to make the best of unexpected circumstances and make great memories! I’m definitely going to share your blog with my cousins they are huge cyclist enthusiasts and somehow managed to bike hundreds of miles all the way to Niagara Falls.
Thank you! Yes Please svar this with them. Biking to Niagara Falls seems like a great bike tour!
Härlig läsning
Tack! Kul att höra.
Hi
Just saw you on TV SvT UR. Interesting preject “life”.
Enjoy and take care
Thank you. I Hope you liked it!?
Hej och Hallå från Uppsala.
Roligt att läsa om er fortsatta resa.
Vi tittade just på svtplay som sände om er resa.
Hoppas ni har det bra och mår fint.
Hösten är på ingående i Uppsala men fortfarande varmt om dagarna. Snart har vi taket klart på vårt hus på hjul (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7_AnG66-TQJSl4xwbHU4mA)
Många varma hälsningar era forna kolonilottsgrannar
//Benjamin och Siri
Hej, vad roligt att höra från er! Vi har det jättebra, tack!
Wow vilket coolt hem ni bygger! Så spännande!! Ska ni ha den permanent nånstans eller åka runt?
Lycka till med det fortsatta bygget!
Stora kramar till er!
Vilka underbara människor som bjuder in er och firar er årsdag!
Jag vet! Så snälla!