12/04/2023 Bikepacking Morocco Day 118 : Change your LAttitude

by Brian · Published December 4, 2023 · Updated March 3, 2024

Remember those Corona Beer commercials from the 90s with the tagline “change your latitude?” I actually reference that commercial in my mind most days so I can remember which one is latitude and which one is longitude. Corona beer is South of US (Mexico) so change your Latitude is North-South. I use this “mnemonic” a lot with my work in GPS file repair. Today, I made a significant change in latitude: I crossed the Tropic of Cancer. Bonus tip: the way I remember the difference between the Tropic of Cancer / Capricorn is by thinking: there are more people on the Northern Hemisphere with cancer (more people in general), so the Tropic of Cancer is in the North. You might think this is is macabre, but you’re going to thank me next time you get a blue card in Trivial Pursuit.

I’ve been changing latitude quickly. Latitude lines are only 69 miles apart, while longitude lines depend where you are on the planet. If you were at the North Pole, you could run through all 360 longitude lines in a second by doing a little circle. That wouldn’t be so easy at the equator. Conversely, if I ride 138 miles due South, I can cross two full lines of latitude in a day like yesterday. If there were a flat paved road from the North Pole to the Equator, you could knock off a hemisphere in 45 days at that rate. Makes it seem like it’s a small world after all, huh?

In that sense, it is a small world… one with limited resources. I look around me in Western Sahara, and it doesn’t always look like there are many resources to go around. Water has to be trucked in. Outside of towns, electricity is generally off during the day. My 120 miles today were quieter than ever, making for superb cycling, but limited commerce, as it was a 1.4 degree of latitude jump (100 miles) between resupply. In spite of the limited resources, Moroccans have been munificent, giving of the things they do have in abundance: Smiles, tea, man-hugs, and patience.

Tomorrow, I am leaving Western Sahara (Morocco if you prefer) just in time for my SIM card to expire. I am patting myself on back for the exquisite timing.

Speaking of patting yourself on the back, you should be doing this too if you were one of the people who simply THOUGHT helping with the puppies. It means you are a kind and thoughtful person who is willing to give what you have to help. So how can I give back to Morocco? I think about this a lot during my rides, and I know I’ve mentioned this before in Latin America with coffee and bananas, but by buying Moroccan olives, and olive oil, Moroccan dates, and (if in Europe) Moroccan fruits and veggies, it’s possible to give to some of the people. Admittedly not everyone. And yeah, the money might go to go to kids wielding big sticks… but it’s going to be the ones using them to whack olives and dates out of the trees. Not the kids using sticks and shrubberies to block the road and demand a cadeaux 🎁.

Maybe it seems like buying these foodstuffs is a drop in the bucket?

I equate it to voting.

Transoceanic shipping pollution?

As people have better financial situations, they gain the latitude to have smaller families.. decreasing the population burden (and thus pollution) on our little planet.

Ok, enough soapbox. 🧼

Speaking of soap, I washed my clothes last night at my dry camp in the desert. “How is this possible?” You might wonder. It turns out that one can reliably find water in the desert alongside the road. I’d estimate that I could find about 1 liter every two miles. The majority of littered water bottles I found along the side of the road still had quite a bit of water remaining. Of course, there is selection bias, as the lightweight empty ones blow away into the vast Sahara. Pro Tip: That is not liquid laundry detergent in the yellow ones.

I gathered a couple of bottles right before heading to camp, poured them into my dry-bag, and threw in my cycling kit for a wash. Even had enough water for a rinse.

Tomorrow I cross into Mauritania. As my latitude changes, so must my attitude. Sticky skin, sand in zippers, flies for company… but in spite of that, tonight I got a golden nugget: It was the first time on a week I’ve sat on a toilet seat. 🚽 Luxury!

Photos:

Today I crossed into the tropics.

Remember this beer commercial from the 90s? Latitude is N-S, like Mexico is South of USA.

Here is what it looks like down here in Western Sahara.

An example of the useful litter I find every day. Making use of it too!

After over a week of using toilets like these, I got a break tonight. By the way, this one is above and beyond cleanliness-wise compared to the majority of such toilets I’ve been encountering.

Strava Comments:

J&K S.

I've been surprised and impressed by the quality of the paved road, day after day. Need to get CalTrans to take a look. And equally surprised that its not covered by drifting sand. Overall, we're really enjoying riding along with you!

Ann L.

Great timing on your SIM card and leaving Morocco. Wonder what’s in store on the next leg of your journey. It’s like starting the next chapter in a book.

Janet W.

Good luck for a quick and easy border crossing tomorrow to Mauritania. I know you have more adventures coming up! So happy we can video chat almost very day! The Tropic of Cancer is not very tropical. 🌴

DogMeat Q.

Toilet seats are NOT over rated! Good luck on the next chapter!

Megan M.

Hi Brian. I recently started following your trip, although I've been hearing about your and Janet's adventures for some time from my partner evan freeman. I lived in Mauritania for several years, as a Peace Corps volunteer and later on as UN WFP staff (both in the south of the country). It's been nearly 20 years since my last stint, so i don't likely have too much useful info to share (there was no road between Nouadibhou and Nouakchott in my days). But after living, working, and/or traveling in upwards of 35 African countries, it is the one that remains closest to my heart. I wish you a safe and rewarding trip. Please feel free to reach out if there are any insights i may be able to offer.

Brian L.

Megan McGlinchy - seems like I’ve been following your footsteps a bit! Janet and I enjoyed following your tour in New Zealand last year… I think you guys did the “best of” too. Happy to hear that Mauritania was a positive experience for you too!

Stephen Mark R.

Squatting aint so bad

Brian L.

Megan McGlinchy - also, where did you work exactly? Any projects you did that you would like to see 20 years later… maybe I can drop by.

Megan M.

Thanks for that offer, Brian! My Peace Corps village was quite a ways off the beaten path so there isn't an easy route to get there by bike (I often opted to illegally cross the border to/from Senegal where there was a road about 10k away). I remain in contact with my village family so it's been nice to hear updates on the projects we did together. Similar to Morocco, Mauritania can first appear a harsh place (environmentally and culturally; expect calls of "toubab" from the kids in the larger towns), but it's also where I've received extreme kindnesses and hospitality. Consider crossing into Senegal at the Diawling and Djoudj national bird sanctuaries (Mauritania and Senegal sides, respectively), west of the main border crossing in Rosso. But you'll want to make sure they are open (and to bikes) since there is not much else out there. The island of St Louis in Senegal is a great stop. The Cap St Louis was a favorite place to stay, but that's pretty dated information!

Brian L.

Megan McGlinchy - I’m thinking of crossing at Matam, Senegal. Definitely not Rosso. Although I’ve been on the “beaten path” the last five days, that is only because it’s the only option. Further south, more obscure options that I desire exist… what is the name of the village? Maybe I’ll swing by. I wasn’t planning on St Louis either… do you really think it is worth it? I feel like I’m happier in places where they haven’t seen tourists yet. Maybe that doesn’t apply in Africa where I’ll stand out no matter what? Oddly, my map does not have those bird sanctuaries on it. I’ll try a different map after I send this.

Megan M.

Oh, wow! Most travelers, if they go through Mauritania at all, stick to the Nouakchott-Rosso road. I was a PCV in a small village in the Trarza region called Saldne Medina Fanaye. It is across the Senegal river from Fanaye Dieri. I lived in Kaedi when I was with WFP. I believe there's still a WFP sub-office there if you pass through on your way to Matam. Unfortunately, the Peace Corps hasn't been in RIM since 2009; the volunteers' regional houses would have been great places to stay. I do like Saint Louis for its liveliness and beaches, but a trip into the interior of Mauritania and Senegal will definitely be more memorable.

Megan M.

My email is , if that's an easier way to communicate. Raki Ba is also the Pulaar name that people in my peace corps village will know me by. 🙂

Mark G.

Nice when we realize a toilet seat is luxury...been there.

Mark G.

Love reading the Megan McGlinchy (Carson City, NV) comments. Nice to have the tips from a Local

Brian L.

Megan McGlinchy - I had a chance to look for “Saldne Medina Fanaye” and found nothing. If it happens to be near my loosely plotted route, I’d like to go there. If anything to send you some photos. My reasons for travel are not to go see the tourist destinations; those always let me down because of the way that tourism changes the local people. As a generalization, the people in the tourist industry gain wealth that is disproportionate for their community. This seems to frustrate the majority of locals who are not involved, which causes angst (and rock throwing in my cases). So having a “destination” provided by you better aligns with the style of my journey. It may not work out, but if you can help me find the village, I’ll give it a try.

Megan M.

Hi Brian, it sounds like you've had an adventurous few days from Atar. You won't find Medina Fanaye on a map, but it's right across the Senegal River from Gourel Salnde. Try this link: The easiest way to access the village is from the Senegalese side, via the road that runs the north of the country (an area called Fouta Toro). It's technically illegal to cross the border there and there used to be a police officer posted in the village. I can try to find out if that's currently the case. While this wasn't the case when I was a volunteer, it looks like the road from Rosso eastward *may* be paved now. There's a branch of the Senegal river that goes between the road and Medina Fanaye (about 5 km away). Do you have a general plan of where you are going from Tidjika? The farthest east I've been on the "Road of Hope" (that goes to Nema) is Ayoun. The road was so bad that the cars drove next to it rather than on it. But it looks like a lot of road work has been done in the past 20 years (thankfully!).

Brian L.

Megan McGlinchy - I found it thanks to your link! That is 100 miles further west than I planned to go. Although it is more difficult with supplies and amenities, I am enjoying being further East - so now that I know your old village, I probably won’t go that way (though the winds seem to want to blow me in that direction!). Everything is flexible. When people say, “the roads are bad,” I gravitate! I’m on a full suspension mountain bike. If cars are forced to 15 mph by a bad road, it is safer and more fun for me. Plus, I’ll often pass cars on these types of sections. I think I have a 100 mile waking trail planed for Senegal. On the map it is shown as a national highway 😂 , but in the satellite, you can see it is a double track / single track. Thank you, and I’ll let you know if I change my one and go to your little village!

Megan M.

I assumed my village will be off your route. You'll experience a similar vibe to my village in Senegal. I used to feel like I was going "to Mauritania" when i had to go to Nouakchott or Rosso. Your observations that relations, both intra-communally (between genders) and with outsiders, relax as you move south is right on. The Moors are known for their hospitality, but it's a very closed society. Meanwhile, my host mom would tell people that she breast fed me as a child, to indicate she saw no difference between me and her other children. 😄🥰