23rd Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Travel
Tramping the Sahara at sunrise

Caught during sunrise on Mauritania’s iron ore train. We were about halfway through the 19‑hour ride, and the friends traveling with me braced against the wind and the rocking car to take photos as the first light spread across the Sahara.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 11.2024
Date Uploaded: 11.2025
Photo Location: Sahara Desert, Mauritania
Copyright: © Maxmilion Sperlich