January 28–29: After leaving Tamraght, we had some very long days ahead, as we wanted to reach the Mauritanian border as quickly as possible — Mauritania was the first country where we planned to spend almost two full weeks. We spent the first night, just before Western Sahara, wild camping in Khenifiss National Park. The road leading there was rather intimidating, with strong winds causing sandstorms and even some rain along the way. In the evening, we went for a short walk to see the fishing boats and flamingos, but the sand blowing in our faces quickly sent us back into the car for shelter. We discovered that we could sleep surprisingly comfortably just by folding down the seats and placing the mattress on top — we didn’t even need the wooden platform we had built in advance.

On the second day, we made it all the way to Dakhla, the second-largest city in Western Sahara. Western Sahara is the most sparsely populated area in Africa, and the second most sparsely populated in the world — so during the drive on the endless highway, we were mostly accompanied by camels. We stopped in a small village where we tasted the best meal of our trip so far: a simple bean stew, incredibly well-seasoned, for just a couple of hundred forints.

We arrived in Dakhla late, but the city was still buzzing even at midnight. On every corner, people gathered in teahouses to watch football matches, and skewers were grilling over charcoal. We had chicken liver skewers for dinner. After two days of desert winds and remote landscapes, Dakhla’s energy was a real breath of fresh air — and we fully understand why it’s becoming an increasingly popular destination, especially for backpackers.

On the third day, we woke up very early to reach the border, and just as the sun began to peek out — though the wind was still howling — we unknowingly crossed the Tropic of Cancer. Of course, we had to stop and take a few photos.