Stuff I Saw In Mauritania, Africa

I saw a kid asking for leftovers at a restaurant while the waiter was clearing the table. I also saw families feasting on mechoui, a whole lamb slowly roasted for 8 hours to perfection.

I saw old junk cars, literally readily falling into pieces any moment packed with people roaming the street. Heck I even saw donkey carts on the road. I also saw monstrous 4x4s and big ass SUVs and fancy wheels like Jeep and beamer 5 series.

I saw kids running around in dusty and crusty old over-sized shirts. I also saw ladies wearing beautiful and brightly colored malaffa, a cloak wrapped around the body from head to toe, flowing gracefully in the wind. I also saw men wearing boubous,  a long robes with intricate embroideries and costing a bomb.

I saw a family living with their goats and chickens in a flimsy shed built from scraped metal sheets and tarps, needles to say with no running water and electricity. Life is certainly tough. But a 180 turn around I saw Jeep driving into a garage, door remotely controlled, of a solid brick house, fenced up by a 6-foot high wall.

I saw men coming back of the day from the violent Atlantic drenched in sweat and sea water and smelling like fish. I saw ladies in their pretty malaffa, all dolled up waiting on shore to pick up the freshest of sea produce.

I saw men sitting by the road in the scorching heat of mid day by the road, selling cell phone credit reload cards. I saw men setting up his sewing machine under a tree next to the main drag sewing for a living. I also saw men in the pin-stripe suits and silk ties sitting in front of the desktops typing away or discoursing away in meetings, in a air-condition office.

I saw kids with their little faces infested with flies. I saw ladies with faces delicate and smooth with cosmetic products.