Since 1976, the Western Sahara region has been occupied by Morocco. The region is bordered by Morocco in the north, Algeria to the east and Mauritania in the Southeast. Initially a Spanish colony, the Western Sahara has made several attempts to be independent. The Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic was proclaimed the same year of the Moroccan occupation. To this day the conflict has not been resolved. There are many police and army checkpoints lining the route south.

Western Sahara is mostly arid desert with few settlements. The land is barren, and its landscape offers a habitat to only very well adapted creatures, yet this hot expanse has its own charm. Due to the heat and the current political situation, we drove straight through, heading south to the Mauritanian border. However, first we visited Ad-Daklah in Western Sahara, where we stayed for two days and visited its fishing port. This was an amazing and heartwarming experience ending with us receiving three fresh fish and we could have had hundreds more if we wanted. We experienced early on in our journey that people with few possessions liked to share what they had.  Also, we also witnessed how collectives organized themselves in communal solidarity so that everyone there had enough to eat, some money in their pockets and their families gathered in the evening. Nobody appears to be oppressed or excluded and they live true to the credo: Only together can we all make it well through life.