This is the fourth in a series of articles I will be posting about my days as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Mauritania. I originally wrote these articles during my second year in the country, 2007-2008.

Boghé is about an hour south of Aleg on the Senegalese River.  It is the financial capital of the Brakna and is a predominantly Pulaar site, even though at least 40% of the population is Moor.  It is actually like a smaller version of Kaédi.  It has the best mint and nice selection of wax prints.  Unfortunately the market is rather dirty.  However it is the beginning of the “typical” African landscape.  Also it is possible to change your ouguiyas into CFA’s and cross the river into Senegal in a pirogue (wooden boat). 

Pirogues in Rosso, Mauritania

Kaédi is about an hour southeast of Boghé on the Senegalese River.  It is one of the most ethnically diverse cities in Mauritania with a large population of both Pulaar and Moor as well as strong communities of Wolof and Soninké, thus making it an ideal city for the Peace Corps to conduct its summer trainings of new volunteers.  Kaédi is well known for its fabric and its tie dying.  There are also a lot of cows there.  Everyday during training a herd of cows would pass by my host family’s house in the morning and afternoon.  There is also a lot of fish for sale and it is the main source of protein for most of the residents.  There were even awesome summer thunderstorms where the sky would turn brown in the afternoon.  This was followed by a strong windstorm and usually followed by a torrential downpour with awesome lightning.

It is about a 5-8 hour drive south east of Kaédi on the Senegalese River where the river dips low. After Kaédi it is only a dirt road so the length of your travel greatly depends on the time of year. Travel is extremely difficult during the rainy season. The Guidimaka is where the majority of the Soninké population lives. It gets the most rain in all of Mauritania. I even heard that a brousse (rural) Peace Corps Volunteer owns a pair of long workmen’s boots so that she can wade through knee-deep water in order to get to her job. Yarn embroidery is one of the crafts down there. They draw their design on cloth and just follow it using some pretty stitches. The Guidimaka is another way that you can travel overland to Mali from Mauritania.

You now know more about Mauritania than the average Westerner.  If I’ve piqued your interest at all in this country then the best time to visit would be between November and early April because otherwise it is unbearably hot for vacation travel.

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