Man its hot here!!!

Ok...I haven't been able to keep up with the blog the way that I would like too but c'est la vie. I am going to go ahead and fast forward past the last days of Morocco which were nice but fairly uneventful. I basically said goodbye to my new found friends and relaxed on the beaches of Essouria until I left for Mauritania.
Here is where I begin.
I was unusually calm on the flight over although it was at 11:30 at night and I had some coffe before I left so was wide awake at 2:30 when the plane landed in Mauritania. I didn't know what to expect but the capitol city's (Noukchott) airport was very small and a bit of a free for all. Thkis was no big deal because Egypt was not much different. However Casa Balnca's airport and Morocco's transportation system had grown on me and left me with slightly higher expectations of Mauritania. I had planned to sleep at the airport because it was so late but...the airport isn't necessarily conducive of a good nights sleep. I tried haggeling with the taxi drivers knowing I shouldn't pay more than 1000 ognyia for the ride to the hostile style residence but was tired and agreed to pay more that...700 more than that. But at 250 to 1 I still felt ok about it.
My friends told me this is a different place but you never know a statement like that until you are there. Mauritania is very poor. Very poor. Not much money is put into the things like parks and roadways or even city planning. I got to the hostile place which turned out to be more like camping on the rooftop. Literally. but for what I wanted to pay this was the deal...and it was clean camping. My friend Abdel malik had told me about this place soI brought that up to the guy and exchanged friendlies that go along with having a mutual friend. Even though it was 3 in the morning and it was still very hot. But all I was concerned with was a mosquito net which there was in the hut which I rented.
When I woke up I realized how different this was.Noukchott is also a very dirty place. Which is qllright but it really does make you sick to your stomach after awhile to see and smell all kinds of garbage decomposing all over the streets and sides of the roads. I didn't sleep much because of the flight but did manage to squeeze out some hours of shut eye well after the morning prayer and closer to sunrise. I then caught a cab to "downtown" to this moswue I read about in Lonely planet and realized once I asked which street I was on that no one knew. The city isn't developed like other cities so it is very hard to circumnavigate and in fact locals don't use street name the only use landmarks to get from place to place. This kind of frustrated me because I like to get oriented on a map so that I can keep busy with finding places and feel acomplished as well. I realized how hard this was going to be so I found a internet cafe on the corner and decided to retreat to the comforts of connecting to those who I now and catching up on email.
In the cybe cafe I heard an American accent dressed in local islamic Sahara clothing and decided to ask where he was from. It turns out that Isa (african american guy from California) knew Abdel Malik (the guy from fes) and he said not to worry from there on out and that I could stay with him. Wow. I then read an Email from Abdel Malik which said to get in contact with a guy named Isa who was now sitting next to me. Double wow. God is good. We then hung out for the day meeting Sheikhs and friends from Kentucky (I know...go figure) and even had a hamburger and some donuts shortly after! Ill fill you in on the rest in a bit! Pics coming soon.