Living the Dream Solo Around the World Trip
- Thread starter schalk vd merwe
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Draad said:
Die Danakil woestyn / depressive is teen die noorde grens van Etiopie, waar dit grens met Eritrie.
TVB
Grumpy Mutt
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Mr Zog said:
Ek het so rukkie daar rondgeloop......die koraal le daar rond, die locals se dit is n opgedroogte see.
Ons was op plekke nader aan 100meter onder seevlak volgens die GPS, en het ook geswem in die soutwater gate wat deur seismic spanne gegrawe was en dan kom die soutwater soos n fontein en maak kristalle al om die kant.
Die warmste plek waar ek ooit in my lewe was, en baie interessante local mense. Iets soos 'Amaric mense'....hulle is baie gehard, baie maer en vervoer soutblokke van die soutmyne na buite per kameel. Daai kameel karavane is baie lank. Die locals eet ook net een ete elke 2e dag op gemideld, en hulle maak die tande skerp (slyp hulle tande in v form) Hulle is egter baie foto sku en ek het destyds slegs fotos van die kamele ens geneem. Die ding wat Danakil op die kaart gebring het is 'potash', een van die grootse potash plants in wording en hulle bou derhalwe ook n pad om die myn finansieel te laat klop. Die potash is agv die koraal wat gedroog is.....tonne en tonne. As jy begin afsak in die depression is daar n pas gelykstaande aan Sani, en jy bly sak ondertoe. Daardie pas n n ds bike se droom, maar hulle is seker al naby aan teer. Letterlik n teer snelweg wat nou deur die depression gaan loop. Die manne wat nog wil besoek op die 'hardcore manier', het min tyd. Nie te min n plek wat ek sal aanbeveel om te besoek, en daar is sowaar klein dorpies in die depression met koue bier! Daai geel label, dint dis st Louis of iets.....
Weet egter net dat daar maar altyd n gevaar bestaan in die depression en dat daar al toeriste gedood is (nie eers baie lank terug weer 2 Britte daar geskiet) Dit gaan oor die ongemak wat heers tussen Ethiopia en Eritrea.
Jammer Schalk, ek het nou jou thread so effe gehijack, verskoning!
Laat weet ons asb asap hoe loop jou planne nou!
Mr Zog said:
Ek het al daar gewerk. Lekker warm pley >
brettp
Race Dog
This has been an awesome RR..... I started reading at page 1 this morning, and simply could not stop reading !!!
What an adventure, you make all of us arm chair wannabe adventure riders green with envy. Thank you for sharing this epic adventure with us, its a privilege for me to see the world through your eyes.
What an adventure, you make all of us arm chair wannabe adventure riders green with envy. Thank you for sharing this epic adventure with us, its a privilege for me to see the world through your eyes.
schalk vd merwe
Race Dog
Ek het hom nou net op sy sel gebel maar hy sê dit sal hom 40 jaar vat om my uit Egipte te kry.Draad said:
Casting from Turd
Grey Hound
schalk vd merwe said:
Just find ther honey hole. That will hurry him up a bit :lol8: :lol8: :lol8:
woody1
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Skerp Schalk :imaposer:schalk vd merwe said:
schalk vd merwe
Race Dog
On the morning of the 28th when I woke up and went to my bike I saw that the back wheel was flat. Unbelievable timing as I was going to change both tyres that day in any case. I then started to replace the Continental knobblies which have done 14 000km on the trip so far with the new ones that were send to me in Khartoum in Sudan and which I have been carrying on top of my luggage since then. The back wheel had a nail in the centre of the by now almost smooth tyre. So on the stoep outside the hotel I took the back wheel off but I battled to break the bead. So as a car stopped across the street I asked the guy with hand communication if he would mind just to drive over the side of my tyre. He was busy opening his shop and pointed to me that I must come in. He pointed to a steel vice and that was exactly what I needed. I then managed to break the bead and the guy would not even take any money for the use of his equipment. With my own tools then I managed to change both tyres. So the next morning on the 29th of July I took off from Port Said at 6am to go and see for the 2nd time if I could get through the tunnel at the Suez. I had to be there at 10 am and the German couple that I met at Jungle Junction in Kenya would wait for me on the other side of the tunnel and all I had to do was to convince the Egyptian army guys that they must let me through as we will then load the bike on the German couples 4x4 overland vehicle as they do not allow bikes on the other side of the Suez due to the security problem in the Sinai. I left in high spirit not knowing what was laying ahead around the next corner for me. About 50km out of Port Said there were road works. Brand new tar was laid over some existing tar. The road at this point was very wide as there were some existing tar sticking out to the left and the new tar double one way lane to the right. I was riding on the existing tar section which was slowly tapering to the right. The new tar section was quite a bit higher than the old tar and formed a lip. I thought that the bike will climb quite easily on top of the new section and I was already leaning to the right to make the bike go on top but the front wheel just skidded along the tar edge. Before you know it I hit the tar, my helmet hit the tar so hard and as I was skidding along I could feel this tremendous headache immediately and I still thought to myself I hope I do not have brain damage. It is amazing how many thoughts can go through you’re your mind in that space of time. When I and the bike eventually came to screeching stop I managed to get up. By then there was a big horse with two trailers behind it that stopped in the right lane as I fell in the left lane. In front of the truck there was a car that also stopped and the two drivers came and helped me to pick up my bike. They then wanted to help me onto the bike but I indicated to them that we must push the bike out of the road as we were blocking the whole highway and the cars were passing us on the left as the Egyptians are extremely impatient drivers. I first had to take the bike out of gear and if I remember correctly it was in 4th gear. The two drivers also did not waste any time as they were blocking the road and told me in broken English to go to a hospital before they left. I was standing there with my hand bleeding and I could feel there was some injury to my elbow on the right and my hip and I still had this tremendous headache and I knew I was suffering from concussion. Fortunately I took a decision before the trip to wear my upper body protection throughout Africa due to the way that people drive here. I think if I did not have that on I would have been in an even worse state. There was no time for sulking as I had to be at the tunnel at 10 am still 200km away. My handle bar on the right was bent and I just pulled the brake lever protector in line again. The back brake pedal was also bent but I thought I would fix that later. My luggage took the brunt of the off with some damage and fortunately the front cover of the bike did not break this time round. So with this headache and bleeding all over I was on the road again to Suez very nervous of any tar edges this time. I think the reason why the front tyre did not climb on top of the tar was that it never ran on the side wall yet and was still oily from handling every day when I load and off load the bike. As all the road signs were in Arabic I ended on the wrong road but as I had a good sense of direction I felled I was going the wrong way. I enquired at a road side shop and it turned out I was 30 km past my turn off so the detour cost me 60km. I made it just in time to where the army had their road block 14 km before the tunnel that go under the Suez Channel. It was the same story than a week and a half ago. “Sorry sir no bike to the Sinai side of Egypt”. I said but we are going to load it on a truck that side of tunnel. “No motor bikes on that side even on a truck” he said. Dirk the German guy did not have a phone but he was going to skype me to my phone but there was no signal and my phone would just not work. The Army guys eventually phoned their Captain in charge and he came over to come and speak to me. I must say they were always treating me with great respect and even offered me a chair. He explained to me that due to orders from the top motor cycles are not allowed to the other side as the country was in a state of civil war. I was worried that Dirk was now waiting for me on the other side and the only way I could contact him was by sending him an e mail by laptop but my phone just would not work. I then rushed off to a little town nearby to a Vodaphone shop to see if they could sort my phone out. There were two customers in front of me and eventually when it was my turn it took the guy 30 minutes to get my phone going. I then off loaded my bike to get to my laptop and linked it to my phone but the internet would not work. I later heard that the army blocks the signal in certain areas for security reasons. As I could not contact Dirk I contacted my wife in South Africa and asked her to send an e mail to Dirk to tell him to go and not wait for me any longer. I must say I felled a bit low. I am sore and suffer from concussion and after a week and a half of trying to get across with no success. I have been to Port Said twice, all the way to Alexandria to try and ship the bike to Italy and it felled like I was fighting a brick wall. I then got on the bike and started to ride towards Hurghada on the Red Sea where I thought the Argentinian Zapp family should be by now. During the day I tried to call them a couple of times when I stopped for fuel but their phone would not work. I arrived at Hurghada that night at 8pm in the dark. The whole day I never ate anything and I was in the saddle for just about 14 hours and covered 700km from Port Said to Suez plus the detour and then on to Hurghada. I booked into the same hotel than before and did not even unload the bike and without going to the room first I went across the road to the restaurant that serves beer as well. A rare commodity in this Muslim Country. I had two beers and only ordered a plate of chips as I did not feel like Egyptian food. After that I went back across the road and offloaded my bike. The hotel staff was nice and helped me to my room with all my baggage. For the first time now I could get undressed and look at the damage to my body. On my right hip there were bruises, around my right elbow there were 3 places where the skin was gone and of course the one on top of my right hand. My right shoulder was sore as well and my neck muscles. I did not even take a shower and just climbed into bed. It was extremely hot and in the middle of the night the air conditioner in the room packed up and I eventually I could hear the circuit breaker trip in the passage. I then got up and took my dirty shirt and wet it under the tap and laid it over me to cool me down as it felled like about 38C. The next morning I woke up stiff and sore and I went for a shower and afterwards cleaned my wounds with Dettol. I checked my phone and there was a message from the Zapp family with a new number. I phoned them and they told me that they are still in Quseir 150km lower down the Red Sea and they wanted me to come down to them. As I was only paying 100 Egyptian pounds for my room I decided to leave my kit there and just take one change of clothing along for the next day. It was a nice road to Quseir with the Red sea on the one side and the desert on the other side. They were staying in the 4 star Flamenco Hotel Resort and they organized me a room overlooking the sea and the pool area for 35 US$ which included all meals. It was a diving spot with a reef and that afternoon with my sore body I went for a snorkel next to the reef and I must say this was one of the best I have seen. I have been to the Great Barrier Reef in Australia but I think this might be better as they don’t allow boats nearby and the beautiful different colour fish is just out of this world. If anybody wants their contact details they can just contact me and I will pass it on. The manager here is a German by the name of Oscar who grew up in South Africa and can still speak Afrikaans and many other languages as well and we became quite good friends. I was supposed to go back to Hurghada today but instead Oscar and Herman Zapp and I went to Safaga to sort out our Carnet De Passage as mine expire on the 8/08/15 and they fine you 1200 Egyptian pounds for every day that you go over and you can lose your deposit of 200% of the value of the bike that you paid for the Egyptian Visa. In the mean time they are the reason that I am still in Egypt as there is just no way to get the bike out of the country. We also found out today that I cannot ship the bike across to Saudi Arabia either as they now also don't allow bikes there any more. The world has gone mad. So that’s it for now guys and girls.
Hmmm, bad luck indeed.
If they really do not let you to Sinai (I would still try to see if you cannot sneak in from Hurghada using the ferry, if you didn't yet), then I think your only option - excluding riding all the way back - may be to fly the bike. I know you said that you got some contacts who didn't speak English, but maybe try to give Egypt Air, or even DHL (they have fleet of planes) a call (or even better they may have an office in one of the tourist spots like Hurghada) and check the price of cargo.
I have checked google here, but these bloody cargo people do not have prices on web. Maybe some WD who is in the business may provide some advice regarding prices and availability of the air cargo from Cairo?
If they really do not let you to Sinai (I would still try to see if you cannot sneak in from Hurghada using the ferry, if you didn't yet), then I think your only option - excluding riding all the way back - may be to fly the bike. I know you said that you got some contacts who didn't speak English, but maybe try to give Egypt Air, or even DHL (they have fleet of planes) a call (or even better they may have an office in one of the tourist spots like Hurghada) and check the price of cargo.
I have checked google here, but these bloody cargo people do not have prices on web. Maybe some WD who is in the business may provide some advice regarding prices and availability of the air cargo from Cairo?
T Rex
Race Dog
Ai Schalk , ...... Jammer oor jou val , bly jy is darem in staat om te ry.
Jy is reg , die wêreld het mal geword ........ :-\ :-\ . Dit is vir my onverstaanbaar dat hy so sukkel om die Fiets deur daardie lande te vat.
Sterkte :thumleft:
Jy is reg , die wêreld het mal geword ........ :-\ :-\ . Dit is vir my onverstaanbaar dat hy so sukkel om die Fiets deur daardie lande te vat.
Sterkte :thumleft:
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Bliksem, that is not leaker at all. At least good to know you did not break an arm or rib. I agree with Xpat, try all you can to get the bike out to the North somehow. Is there not a ferry to Turkey, Cyprus or Italy? Try the oil companies supply ships or Maersk the Danish container ships.
Shit, wish I could help somehow. Be carefull boet.
8)
Shit, wish I could help somehow. Be carefull boet.
8)
schalk vd merwe
Race Dog
All ferry services have stopped from Egypt, not one from Alexandria, Port Said or Hurghada I have been to them all also the bike is not even allowed on a truck on the other side of the Suez I have tried all that and no bikes allowed in Saudi Arabia or Jordan. Monday will be two weeks that I have been trying to get the bike out. I am going today to extend my Visa for a month and tomorrow extend my Carnet for a month as that is all they are prepared to give me. The Zapp family with their 1928 Graham Paige car can get 3 months extension on their Visa and 3 Months on their Carnet as it depends on how long you originally applied for. Myself I have no problem as I can fly to Europe for R3500 but motor cycles have become a dirty word here in these Arabian Countries because one of the exstremist blew himself and some soldiers up 3 weeks ago in the Sinai.Xpat said:
schalk vd merwe
Race Dog
Yes I am thankfull for not breaking any thing and I can still carry on. I am trying all options to get the bike out at the moment.Ian in Great Brak River said:
schalk vd merwe
Race Dog
Dankie maat dit is seker maar die tipe van probleme wat 'n mens moet kan hanteer as jy so 'n trip wil aan pak.T Rex said:
woody1
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Sterkte Schalk en mooi ry man.... jy wil nie dat so 'n val jou hele trip opskroef nie. :thumleft:
gser
Race Dog
Blikskottel Schalk, sterkte en vasbyt !
Schalk, jammer om van al di gesukkel te lees, maar moet se dit maak v opwindende leesstof :spitcoffee:
Soms wys GOD met sulke voorvalle vir jou n ander pad of tyd om te ry wat 1000 maal beter is as wat dit sou gewees het as jy al uit Egipte was.
Vasbyt ek wag met groot afwagting.ot:
Soms wys GOD met sulke voorvalle vir jou n ander pad of tyd om te ry wat 1000 maal beter is as wat dit sou gewees het as jy al uit Egipte was.
Vasbyt ek wag met groot afwagting.
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