Finally, I arrived back in Ayoun. I promptly got ripped off for another 300 ougiya by a taxi driver who didn’t tell me that I could easily walk to Mohammed’s office near the Hotel Aioun, rather than taking a taxi. I went to visit Mohammed because I had to change money again. He seemed happy to chat with me and we eventually did our business. Then, he fortunately kept chatting with me because an American woman named Sarah stopped by his office. She is with the Peace Corps, stationed in Ayoun for two years after her initial three months of training in another Mauritanian city. Mohammed invited both of us to lunch at his place: couscous with meat prepared by his house boy, plus bottled water and the traditional three pressings of tea. He had the TV on. The houseboy also brought a pitcher of water with a bowl that had a strainer cover with a bar of soap on it, so we could wash our hands before eating. Mohammed had satellite television so we commented about the violence of American television shows and crazy new reality shows like one showing people bungee jumping from a skyscraper. Sarah had to go meet some Peace Corps folks, but after we said our good-byes to Mohammed, she walked me over to the Hotel Aioun. Later that evening, after I handwashed some clothes and was napping at the hotel, Sarah came by with two other Peace Corps volunteers and invited me over for dinner. I accepted and we feasted on some squished Uncle Eddie’s vegan cookies and some Batty (endangered species) dark chocolate with cacao nibs I had brought from San Francisco. We didn’t spoil our appetites for the excellent meal another Peace Corps volunteer named Brooke prepared at Sarah’s place, which was a meeting place for volunteers in the area due to its size and space for visitors to crash. The meal consisted of an amazing salad and pesto pasta. I hadn’t seen so many good fresh vegetables in quite awhile. For dessert, we had ice coffee and freshly baked brownies! We discussed the rioting that had taken place at the food depots around Mauritania after the government raised prices significantly on key foodstuffs. Sadly, the police killed one 18-year-old guy in Timbedra and another person in another town. Apparently, an opposition leader was inciting very young students to throw rocks and riot, and apparently no one was actually going hungry. We conversed about contemporary politics, the role of the Peace Corps and NGOs, my project, and other topics. All in all an excellent evening with the possibility of a reunion with some of the folks at the Festival in the Desert in January, plus some contacts in Nema and the recommendation for the Hotel de l’Amitié in Oualata. After a round of goodbyes, two of the guys walked me back to the hotel.
Ayoun Interlude
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