Gael warning in the Congo

[simondippenhall]

Did I mention that this pump was as much use as the proverbial chocolate tea pot?

So I decided to wander down the road which I had noticed served as a general auto workshop... All the work being done on the street itself.

Found this tyre shop... few people speak much English and my Amharic is even worse . But I can do a great imitation of a foot pump or a track pump!

However the excellent Buruk showed me on Google maps where to go and then volunteered to get me a good one himself in the morning. The kindness of strangers yet again!

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[Northern jock]

Great read of an excellent adventure, thanks for taking the time to write it up. You are certainly getting into the roads less travelled parts. You say you haven't seen any non African bikes for a while, have you seen other travellers in 4wd's?

If you put up with the hassle of Egypt, is a ferry north from Alex an option rather than Saudi?

 

[Posh Pete]

Great read of an excellent adventure, thanks for taking the time to write it up. You are certainly getting into the roads less travelled parts. You say you haven't seen any non African bikes for a while, have you seen other travellers in 4wd's?

If you put up with the hassle of Egypt, is a ferry north from Alex an option rather than Saudi?

Might be worth checking this out ... http://www.traghettiweb.it/en/tw_compagnie.php?compagnia=visemar_line

Oops, sorry! Looks like it's an old link.

 

[twizzle]

Think the Alexandra ferry hasn’t run for a while...

I think you can get a ferry to Greece from Israel - so Sudan - Egypt - Jordan - Israel

Quite an ask I reckon

 

[twizzle]

Looks like the Israel ferry is finished too....

 

[mspenz]

Brilliant, utterly brilliant

Red Sea Ferry ? Any cargo boats leaving from Israel to Turkey ?

Or a long detour to the Persian Gulf and a ferry to Iran

Mike.

 

[Kritou]

Louis Lines Alexandria to Limassol?

 

[simondippenhall]

Thanks guys. My 7+ option decision matrix includes and assesses all those of the above which are extant. (Many are not).

To give you a flavour of my leaning at the mo':

Avoiding Egypt as it requires an expensive carnet that ties me to the bike, is incredibly hassley and shipping from Alex is right pain and slow. The route through Sinai is today forbidden to and 4x4 due terrorists using these so no land way to Europe.

The advantage of the Saudi route (if granted visa) is there is potentially a roro ferry from up the road in Duba (NOT Dubai) to Iskerendum in E Turkey and does not require crating up and long (multi-day) and costly customs agent delay at both ends unlike all the other options.

Been to Iran and done that, plus requires a carnet anyway. So NO.

If I can make this work I will probably ride across Turkey (that will be the 7th crossing of Turkey for the old GS!) and park the GS at Motocamp Bulgaria (great place to have a bike for expeditions into E Europe and Balkans etc).

But...one step at a time! Today it's about the Sudan visa and then off to the gravel roads towards Lalibela and the apparently wonderful churches of N Ethiopia.

Cheers guys and really appreciate the support and encouragement!


Simon


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[simondippenhall]

And Jock, met a couple of overlanders ( but maybe not end to enders like your nutty correspondent) in Nairobi, that's all


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[Northern jock]

And Jock, met a couple of overlanders ( but maybe not end to enders like your nutty correspondent) in Nairobi, that's all


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Cheers, not as many around as there used to be!

If you need research on any of your forward options and have limited or dodgy wifi, post something here if you can and a collective will be on the case

Enjoy

 

[simondippenhall]

Thanks- much appreciated!


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[barak666]

Another excellent report, Simon....really enjoying this - good luck with the rest of the trip.

 

[Posh Pete]

Apparently the Saudis are keen on encouraging tourism now so that might work in your favour?

The ferry to Turkey goes through the canal? Either that or it's a very long trip! I assume it's there mainly because of the Haj? So maybe restricted to that time of year?

Good luck anyway!

 

[twizzle]

Apparently the Saudis are keen on encouraging tourism now so that might work in your favour?

The ferry to Turkey goes through the canal? Either that or it's a very long trip! I assume it's there mainly because of the Haj? So maybe restricted to that time of year?

Good luck anyway!

Looks like it takes 4 nights Via the Suez Canal and sails every ten days....

 

[simondippenhall]

Yeah that’s my understanding although the agent tells me ‘it’s too early to know if there will be a ferry around 1st November’ so I suspect the schedule is rather fluid


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[MikeS]

Looks like it takes 4 nights Via the Suez Canal and sails every ten days....

That sounds like quite an interesting passage through the canal.

Great thread as usual.

 

[simondippenhall]

So today I must have walked 20 kms whilst about my business- which at 2300 metres and steep streets is no trivial affair for an ol’ fella!

Net result was I now have my Sudan visa, had a good look around Addis, have some cash and a replacement pump thanks to Buruk’s efforts.

Having said I had met no overlanders I then bumped into Daniel Shuken, who has been riding his DR650 around S America and has now done a lap like mine but with proper off-roading.

I will share a photo of Daniel and of the sights of Addis when I can get tinternet to behave



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[simondippenhall]

Faded Churchillian relic

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[simondippenhall]

Daniel, who as an American is having a prolonged wait for his Sudan visa unlike my one day turnaround.

Statue celebrating Cuban Ethiopian cooperation

The old station, known as La Gare, is uncannily like that in Pointe Noire, Rep of Congo. This was the Eriopua Djibouti line

It has wonderful old office signs for the various grades of station supernumeraries in the past

Despite having a brand new train behind it and some new poles that look like electricity carriers

it is going to be part of a big apartment development project

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[simondippenhall]

Hard to imagine it on opening day in 1922

It is probably a good summary of Addis whchbis a mixture of the big and ambitious alongside old and rundown history

Many people live on the street and get by on very little, begging or shoe cleaning or bustling farrange (foreigners).

There are lots of stone paved alleyways throughout the city to tempt you down

Jim has already asked me to put in a bid on this bike for him, so fine is the pannier system

As I ambles home I had a bag of chips, this time wrapped in someone's French homework

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