Nouakchott quickly became our ‘home away from home’, as the days turned into weeks. We found a comfy place to stay and passed the time by researching our next move, hanging out with a lovely group of American expats that treated us to home-cooked meals and lots of laughs, running errands, and getting sucked into the show, Dexter (thank you, Jacque).
Originally, Senegal was next on the list, but we quickly swapped it for Mali after discovering that Senegal is to the French what Hawaii is to Americans. No thanks, we’ll pass.
Prepping for Mali meant getting our Mauritanian visa extended, getting vaccinated for meningitis, waiting for a package from the states, and obtaining our Malian visa, among other things. They all seem like easy tasks, but nothing is easy in West Africa… nothing.
Our visa extension was first on the list. We located the office, but were told to return the next morning to fill out the necessary paperwork. When we arrived, we filled out our forms, handed over our passports, photos, and a hefty stack of Ouguiya, and were told to return at noon. When we came back to collect, we were told that the pickup time was in fact 3:30pm, not noon. Awesome – a fourth visit was just what we wanted.
We arrived at exactly 3:30pm, as instructed. They handed us our passports and sent us packing. While walking back, we discovered that they made a mistake. It was November 21st and our original visas were good until the 30th. We requested a two week extension, which would allow us to stay in the country until December 14th, but instead it said December 5th.
Now, we’re not sure if this was intentional or just an oversight, but we definitely didn’t go out of our way for an additional 5 days. We wanted to turn around, but the office was already closed, meaning we would have to return for a fifth time the next morning.
To make sure we didn’t get lost in translation due to the language barrier, I wrote down the specifics in French on a flashcard, with the help of an online translation site. Oh, how I love the internet; I’d be lost without it, and chances are, you would be too.
We woke up early and marched into their office, ready to battle it out, but were pleasantly surprised. They looked at my card, grabbed a pen, and turned the 5th into the 15th. No questions asked. We were in shock. Has the tide turned? A good deed finally repaid (me, not Rich, of course)? Luck of the draw? Not sure, but we’ll take it! Thank you, Jesus.
After that, it was time to get cracking on everything else. The Malian visa was a breeze, as was our trip to the doctor. Can you believe it only cost me $10 for an immunization shot? Unreal. At home it would have been around $150. Our healthcare system is so out of whack, but I’ll save that for another post; I could easily rant and rave forever.
So, despite the various warnings regarding the bus ride to Mali, we packed our bags and said farewell.
