In recent years, backpackers from all over the world have been drawn to Africa for an unusual adventure.
In Mauritania, a train loaded with iron ore runs regularly between the interior and the coast of the country, from the mining center of Zouérat to the port of Nouadhibou on the Atlantic, covering a distance of around 700 kilometres.
On the route, due to Mauritania’s precarious transport system, many locals get on the wagons to head towards the coast and for many hours cross the desert that lies on the iron ore.
And some time ago this practice became fashionable among fearless foreign travelers.
The Brazilian Cainã Ito (@caina.ito), for example, has experienced this adventure.
The journey took about 16 hours.
Image: Personal archive
Accompanied by a friend, he jumped into one of the wagons in Zouérat.
We climbed the stairs of one of the wagons and settled on top of the iron ore.
The Brazilian says this ticket will not be charged on the train and that there is no notice or person on site restricting the practice.
On the journey, travelers sleep on sacks of flour placed on iron ore.
Image: Personal archive
And when the structure is in motion on the rails, an unforgettable journey begins which in the case of Cainã lasted about 16 hours.
Sitting in the car you can see the entire desert around you. But soon his body is covered with iron ore dust.
Brazilian Cainã Ito travels in Mauritania on a train loaded with iron ore
Image: Personal archive
To protect his face, the Brazilian wore a typical Mauritanian turban wrapped around his head. And to make up for the lack of inflight service, he carried food in his backpack.
Of course, there are no toilets in these holds either.
“For a man, ‘number 1’ is not that difficult. You unpack them and make them in some corner of the wagon,” he says. “And luckily nobody had to do ‘number 2’.”
The train is also used by residents of Mauritania
Image: Personal archive
cabin on rails
Crammed with the noise of dozens of very heavy wagons cruising the tracks, the journey traverses the extremely remote desert landscapes of Mauritania, whose horizon is dotted with dark mountains and villages in the middle of nowhere.
Sitting on the Eisenerz, the travelers observe everything as if they were in a rustic hiker’s hut.
Lonely man seen from the train crossing Mauritania
Image: Personal archive
During the day, the desert seems to stretch on forever with its orange sand, often surrounded by very high temperatures, easily exceeding 40º C. And when night falls, the sky is usually full of stars.
I took a sleeping bag with me because I knew we would be sleeping on the trip. And he was already mentally prepared for the lack of comfort.
And there are some tactics to make the nighttime portion of the journey less painful.
“Many people use the train to transport their goods. And among those products there are flour sacks, which eventually become our ‘bed’ in the wagons, making it a little more comfortable.”
The train travels through remote villages in Mauritania
Image: Personal archive
Although this trip offers so many unique experiences, according to the Brazilian, this trip demands attention from the tourists.
“I’ve never heard stories of people falling off trains. But there is a risk factor in driving. There are bumps in the wagons. That’s why it’s important to try to support your back and avoid standing up. You can’t just hang on the edges,” he explains.
rain in the desert
Despite all care, Cainã encountered difficulties during and after the trip.
“After the trip I felt a little nauseous because I inhaled a lot of iron ore dust,” he reports. “And it’s really hard to get that dust off your body. It took at least four showers.”
The train has dozens of wagons and spends hours crossing the desert.
Image: Personal archive
However, the Brazilian faced an extremely unusual situation on the trip: he caught a heavy rain in the middle of the desert.
“I was sleeping and suddenly I started to feel the rain. It was good at first because the water washed some of the dust off my body. But after the rain went away, I had a very cold moment with the wind blowing against me. I had to curl up in my sleeping bag.”
Cainan has been to many countries and the train journey in Mauritania is one of the most unique experiences he has had on his travels.
The Brazilian has a podcast called Mochileiros sem Pauta where he talks about travel. And there is an episode dedicated to Mauritania.