Our Shared Planet Motorcycle Adventures مـغـامــرات كـوكـبنا المـشترك للـدراجـات الآلية

Looking for New Bikes

2012-01-10T07:08:00.000+03:00

During our last trip Ali & Hussain felt that our current bikes (R 1200 GS Adv. ) was bit too high and heavy especially after we installed the Ohlins on them. So we decided to look into smaller and lighter bikes for our next trip.

The search covered BMW, KTM, and Kawazaki . However on paper the BMW was better since the F 650 GS was really a detuned 800 with two cylinders which meant that there would be less vibration. Also the horse power and weight carrying capacity were huge.

The only thing that bothered me was that the F650 has cast wheels which would give you a rougher ride on tough terrain while the F800 has spoked wheels and was geared more towards off road, so we decided to test ride both.

The dealer here managed to get us both to try out and we all liked the F800GS for it's power and it's immediate throttle response. Now we need to look into what we need to modify, the first three are the wind screen ,suspension , and fuel tank.

Bye Bye Bike

2011-06-15T22:09:00.006+03:00

It started raining heavy this morning, especially when we left for the shipping company (Pioneer Freight) to deliver our bikes. We managed to get there quit easily and met Neil and Dean who took over the bikes and the carnet and got us a ride to the airport to get a taxi to the hotel. Tomorrow we leave Cape Town and expect to arrive in Kuwait the day after.

Meeting the BMW Motorcycle Club

2011-06-14T22:03:00.008+03:00

We have been in contact with the BMW Motorcycle Club here in Cape Town all the way down Africa and today they picked us up from the hotel and took us first to the dealer, then to a ride around the peninsula.

We ended up in Hout Bay for lunch and then went back to the hotel, thanks to Peter and Tony for the ride.

The dirt road to Cape Town

2011-06-13T20:53:00.018+03:00

While in Pretoria we found out from the Ambassador that the only Kuwaiti citizen living in South Africa Mr.Tala Al-Shuaish is in Hermanus so we got in contact with him and decided to visit him and his family then take the coastal road to Cape Town.

There are two ways to get to Hermanus, the easy way which means backtracking 30 Km of Tarmac on a road we have already been on , or take a dirt road across Agulhas National Park for 45 Km. We took the dirt road it was more interesting and in the spirit of the adventure.

We managed to see Ostrich on the road and the Blue Crane as well as some type of dear. The road was great and we really managed to practice our off road skills. When we reached a tarmac road I turned to the guys and realize that their bikes were full of dust from the ride.

We continued to Hermanus had some tea and coffee with Bu-Aziz, then continued on to Cape Town reaching there around 3:45 pm.

The southern most point in Africa

2011-06-12T20:42:00.025+03:00

We had breakfast on a seafront view restaurant, then continued heading to Port Agulhas the southernmost point of the African continent, and the contact point of the Indian ocean and Atlantic Ocean.

The day started with heavy fog on the roads for the first hour and a half, then it got wormer and we started to enjoy the lovely scenery with all the farms and mountains. We stopped for some coffee and muffins then continued on to the Port Agulhas.

To reach the southernmost point we had to ride for a kilometer in gravel, and then there was a trail to walk to the plaque erected to mark the place. I managed to squeeze my bike through the wooden poles and ride the rough trail to the plaque while Ali and Hussain thought there bikes were too heavy to manage the trail.

After taking a few pictures we went to the Agulhas Country Lodge and got our rooms, then we went into town for some lunch at a great restaurant "Angelo's" with the freshest and tastiest fish we had ever tasted.

hen when we left Hussain mentioned that he would not be able to sleep tonight if he didn’t attempt to go to the plaque especially since the bike is lighter after putting the bags in the hotel.

So we rode back and both Ali and Hussain managed to get their bikes to the plaque and took really nice pictures.

To Mossel Bay

2011-06-11T21:59:00.017+03:00

Today we start the fun part of the trip and go down the garden route to Cape Town. We left PE and headed down N2 highway , it was still cold outside especially in the mornings.

When we reached Storm River Bridge we started looking for the entrance to the Tsitsikamma national park so that we get close to the mouth of the river.

The park entrance was 50 Rand per person (2 KD) and the view was spectacular. We rode down until the restaurant and had something hot to drink before riding on to Mossel Bay.

We passed many bays and seafront towns that were very nice and roads along the coast that reminded us of Pacific Route 1 in California.

We arrived in Mossel bay around 3 pm and stayed at the Point Village Hotel which was right by the seafront, we had lunch at a restaurant that overlooked the ocean where we could see surfers trying to catch waves.

To Port Elizabeth

2011-06-10T21:03:00.003+03:00

We leave early since we know it will be 680 km to Port Elizabeth and it is still cold. We left at 8:30 in the morning and it was around 7.5 Deg. C. we rode for 410 km none-stop except for the road construction stops that were frequent.

We had lunch in Cradock and then continued on reaching Port Elizabeth at 4:20 pm.

The Big Hole in Kimberley

2011-06-09T21:35:00.022+03:00

It is still cold and there is some slight rain. The forecast is for partly cloudy later in the day and the rain stopping.

Today we visit the Big Hole here in Kimberley. This is the biggest man made hole which started as several diamond mines that collapsed into one hole.

We viewed a video history of Kimberley, saw the big hole, and visited the big hole museum and diamond vault which had several types of diamonds with different cuts and colors.

We then got on our bikes and headed to Bloemfontein as a stop on our way to Port Elizabeth. During dinner the hotel Duty Manager approached us and informed us that due to severe flooding the road to PE was closed today and thinks it may re-open by the time we get there tomorrow.

Cold and wet road to Kimberley

2011-06-08T22:06:00.001+03:00

We woke up to the sounds of thunder and rain and realized that we hadn't really checked the weather forecasts since the weather hardly changes in Africa. But in South Africa the situation is different and there is a storm front crossing the nation.

We left the hotel at 9:30 in the cold and the rain; it was 10 deg. C and got down to 8.5 along the route to Kimberley which was 530 km away. We stopped one midway to have something warm to drink and continued until we reached the Hadida guest house by 4:30.

Shivering from the cold we called a taxi to take us to the only restaurant open that night for dinner, and slept with the heaters running all night.

Visited the Embassy

2011-06-07T20:33:00.013+03:00

Today we visited the Kuwait Embassy in the morning and met the Ambassador Mr. Hasan Al-Oqab, and his staff Mr. Mohamad Al-Ruwaished, Mr. Bader Almunayekh , and Mr. Abulaziz Al-Ajmi .

We then picked up the bikes from Bavarian who have excellent after sales service (thank you Lynn and Pierre), and went straight to the Ambassador's house for lunch.

Hello South Africa

2011-06-06T20:19:00.011+03:00

We have been in contact with Bavarian Motorcycles with regards to new tires since mine has a patch, and Ali's tire has a bump. We left Botswana and crossed over into South Africa with the easiest border crossing that took about 45 Minutes.

We headed straight to Pretoria and along the way we entered our first real tolled highway, with modern rest stops along the way which reminded us that the real adventure has ended, and what we have to look forward for is a nice vacation.

We arrived at Bavarian Motorcycles at around 2 pm and delivered the bikes. These guys a super-efficient they started right away with putting on the new tires which were reserved for us. We had some tea and coffee, and they ordered a taxi for us to go to the Hotel.

The Monkey Attack

2011-06-05T20:16:00.006+03:00

After the morning prayers I restarted the camp fire so that we can cook out breakfast. We then took down our tents, packed our bikes and headed for the Botswana, South African Border where we spent the night at the Kwa Nokeng Lodge.

We each took a Chalet and Ali went and got us lunch where we decided to eat on one of the picnic benches in front of Ali's Chalet. While I was getting something from the bike a woman who works for the lodge shouted something at me but I wasn't sure what she said until she pointed to our food and the monkey on the table. I quickly chased the monkey before he could take our food. Later while eating the monkey brought his friends about 5 and they surrounded us trying to disorient us and then take our food. We soon took our food and went inside Ali's Chalet to eat.

Camping at Nata

2011-06-04T21:50:00.005+03:00

We left the hotel for the town to get some money from the ATM and then continued on to Nata through several national forests and reserves.

We were told that the animals are mostly visible very early in the day or very late afternoon which meant we would miss many of them along the way.

We did get to see Giraffe, elephant, and ostrich along the route to Nata. We had lunch in Nata at a nice rest stop, and then continued on to the bird sanctuary rest camp where we would stay the night under the stars.

We put up our tents cooked dinner under the camp fire and went to bed early since we would be up with the morning prayers.

What Kasane ?

2011-06-03T20:57:00.014+03:00

After having a good breakfast we headed early to the Kazungula border post which is where we leave Zambia and then get on a ferry that crosses the Zambezi River into Botswana.

The paperwork was mostly straight forward immigration, then customs for the carnet (KT) , and buying the tickets for the ferry.

We got to the Botswana side without having a visa since Botswana recently open an embassy in Kuwait and were not equipped to give out visas when we left. So they did the next best thing and issued us a letter requesting the border immigration to issue us the visa on site.

We waited for four and a half hours for that visa. By the time we left it was almost 3 PM which was too late for us to drive to Nata so we decided to spend the night in Kasane and ride to Nata tomorrow.

Lions at Victoria Falls

2011-06-02T19:18:00.023+03:00

Don and Jennifer also recommended the Micro Flight over Victoria Falls so we booked a morning flight which was great. We got to see the falls at a good time right after the rainy season when the water was still flowing through the whole gorge.

We also got to see the gorge and many animals from the air including elephants, giraffes and hippos. Ali got to see a crocodile.

Hussain and I went first, and then Ali went last with a pilot who is a biker also. We went back to the hotel for some pizza and prepared for our Lion walk. Yes the receptionist at the lodge told Ali that you could walk and touch lions so he booked us for an afternoon stroll.

At first we didn't know what to expect, but soon saw that we were not the only one's doing this. We got to watch up close and touch two sister young lions.

We went back to the Lodge for a restful night since tomorrow we will enter Botswana.

To Livingstone

2011-06-01T18:54:00.021+03:00

We left early as usual happy that we managed to save one day by traveling a little further than planned. We continued on to Livingstone where we wanted to see the famed Victoria Falls.

The road was fairly good with many farms along the way and some factories. We reached Livingstone around 2 PM and went to Maramba Lodge and camp site which was recommended by Don and Jennifer back in Nairobi.

We stayed in a modern tent covered by a roof, each with its own bathroom. Two beds a desk and a porch to sit and look at the river where hippos swam all day. At night we could the roar of the falls as well as frogs and crickets, it was quit peaceful.

All the way to Lusaka

2011-05-31T21:04:00.018+03:00

We left early for the Malawi Zambia Border thinking it was going to be difficult based on what we have read , however when we got there it was really straight forward especially for motorcycles since we do not go through the road safety paperwork.

The exchange people came out of the woodwork trying to sell us Zambian Kwacha luckily we already had some from Lilongwe, got insurance and finished in little over an hour.

Initially we were headed for Petauke, however since the road was fairly good and we were doing go time we decided to continue on to Lusaka.

We got to the Intercontinental hotel by 5:30 pm just as the sun was setting.

Rest Day

2011-05-30T21:01:00.006+03:00

Today we mostly rested, washed some cloths, fixed Hussain's CB cable, and updated the blog.

Hello Lilongwe

2011-05-29T21:37:00.004+03:00

In the morning I tested the rear tire and found that the mend was not holding, so Hussain and I removed the tire from the rim and patched it from the inside, and then put it back on the rim. Ali took the tire into town to seat the tire with a burst of air from a big compressor at the local repaire shop. We left the hotel by 10 am and continued along the costal route with the view of the lake to one side and the green hills most of the way.

When we reached Lilongwe about 3 PM we noticed that Hussain was not responding when talked to on the CB radio. It turned out that he no longer can hear nor talk to us, most likely due to a kink in the cable. Tomorrow Ali will get a multi meter from town to try to fix the wire.Before dinner Ali discovered that his laptop was covered with ants. He got the bag cleaned and then opened the laptop that was not working and we found even more ants inside the laptop which have hitchhiked from Nkhata Bay inside the laptop.

The Puncture at Nkhata Bay

2011-05-28T20:11:00.022+03:00

We left early for Nkhata Bay which is on Lake Malawi. Along the way we were stopped several times at police check points asking to see our license and insurance.

The M1 road was very nice and twisty at times. We stopped for a break on top of a hill overlooking the lake, then continued on until 5 Km from Nkhata bay when my bike started to give me an alarm that the rear tire has a puncture.

I continued on the deflating tire until we reached Mayoka Village Lodge where we found out that they had rooms for only one night since they had a big group coming in the next day.

We patched the tire from the outside and decided to go tomorrow to Lilongwe for two nights to rest.

Entering Malawi

2011-05-27T21:27:00.020+03:00

After a good breakfast we left for the Malawi Border , on the way we got up some mountain pass where it turned foggy and the temperature reached 16 Deg. C.

It took us about an hour and half to get through the borders all the while listening to the money exchanger guy trying to sell us some Malawi Kwacha at an inflated price.

We then continued to Karonga and on the way we were stopped at one of the police check points who asked for our license and Insurance. Luckily we had purchased Insurance at the border.

We reached Sumuka Inn around 3 PM where we found out that Malawi is one Hour behind Tanzania.

On to the Old Farm House

2011-05-26T22:04:00.029+03:00

We were excited today since we were going to a highly recommended lodge called the Old Farm House in Kisolanza Tanzania, and on the way we would pass the Mikumi National Park where we could see some animals.

Before the park we got to see baboons on the road and then after there was a sight "Don't feed the Baboons" later we found out that cars and busses sometimes throw food out the window at the baboons and the baboons start running to grab the food even though there might be another car headed for it, or in our case motorcycle.

We entered the park and got to see an elephant, giraffes, zebras, and gazelles. We stopped at the side of the road to take some pictures and then continued on until we stopped for some dates when we saw a couple on Kawazaki KLR 650s who went past us and then mad a U turn and came back.

They were Nick and Kristine from Durban - South Africa just starting their round the world trip. They were just at the Old Farm House lodge and said it was a great place.

We got the lodge and were very impressed we all got cottages with great decor a terrace, fireplace, and space for the motorcycle. The whole lodge was running on solar power and the water was heated by fire wood. We met people who organize trips in trucks going through east Africa and showed us their vehicle and setup.

Rainy Road To Morogoro

2011-05-25T21:57:00.002+03:00

The breakfast at Honey Badger was great, it rained earlier before we left and we were afraid that the dirt road out would be muddy, but it wasn't. We headed towards Morogoro which was over 500 km away.

We really needed to pick up the pace and we did. This is where we like having the big bike since we can do many Kilometers on good roads, and the roads were good although it rained half the time we were ridding.
We stayed at the Morogoro Hotel at the foothill of the mountains with a great view but the hotel was run down, and had problems with electricity and keeping the air conditioning units running.

Into Tanzania

2011-05-24T22:34:00.000+03:00

In the morning after breakfast we said good bye to all our friends in Jungle Junction and took pictures with Chris and Don. We then continued towards Tanzania reaching the border around 12:45 we filled up with fuel and entered Tanzania at 3:00 pm.

We then continued on to Moshi to see Kilimanjaro the tallest mountain in Africa but it was covered with clouds. We stopped at a place that both Chris and Don recommended which is the Honey Badger Lodge it is nice and cozy and away from the town traffic.

Our last day in Nairobi

2011-05-23T23:33:00.000+03:00

All the bikes were finished and ready Chris from jungle junction and his staff were really great and helpful. We later had lunch with the Ambassador of Kuwait to Kenya Mr. Yaqoub Y. Alsanad, and Mr. AbdulKareem Almjeem.

At night Don and Jennifer mad Pancakes for dinner then we started packing our things when I realized that there was no power to my GPS. It turned out to be a short in the wire near the end. Don helped us out with a multi meter, a soldering iron , and shrink wrap and we were done by 11:30. So we decided to get a good night's sleep and leave a bit latter tomorrow for Tanzania.

Baby Elephants

2011-05-22T21:23:00.005+03:00

Chris told us yesterday about the reserve that caters for abandoned baby elephants so we went to visit the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust where we got to see many elephants and warthogs.

We also got to visit the giraffe center and got to feed those tall animals.

Bikes getting fixed

2011-05-21T21:12:00.019+03:00

It is great to meet other people who are traveling as we are and exchanging route and accommodation information. We met Don and Jennifer (www.travelsick.nl) who have been traveling in their Land Rover for over two years now; we are trying to convince them to visit Kuwait on their way back home.

Ali's Bike is finished and my bike is back on the rack to change the suspension. All the bikes are expected to be ready by Monday since we are planning on leaving to Tanzania on Tuesday. We also turned on the tracker but it was not giving any signal , the further south we go the worse the signal gets since all the satellites are in the northern hemisphere.

Arriving in Kenya

2011-05-20T21:11:00.007+03:00

We arrived at Jungle Junction in the afternoon. My bike was finished and Ali's bike was on the bench being worked on. We gave Chris the suspension to install then hanged around with the other over-landers exchanging stories and routes.

Change of Plans

2011-05-16T21:10:00.004+03:00

All of our parts have arrived and we are revising our itinerary since we have less time now due to some work commitments on Ali's part. So we decided to skip Uganda and go straight to Tanzania, then Malawi, Zambia, Botswana, and finally South Africa.

Half of the parts were sent to Nairobi last week for Chris to work on the bikes early; we will be leaving on the 19^th and arriving on the 20^th in Nairobi Kenya.

To Jungle Junction

2011-04-20T16:41:00.000+03:00

Hussain woke me up for prayers, and by this time we were really tired have not slept well for two nights. We continued on and were lucky that our GPS map had the location of Jungle Junction "JJ".

We got to JJ around 10:00 am and started to unload the bikes, and get our things in order. The bikes were damaged from the transport so our parts list got bigger fast. We cleaned out things from three days of dust, and managed to get a flight booking for the same day at night since it made no sense to spend our vacation waiting for parts to arrive.

We would leave our bikes and things in storage at JJ and came back with the parts to continue once they arrive. Chris was a great help and went to through the damage in preparation for the spare parts list. This was also a good opportunity to send back two of the Helmet cams since they were faulty and needed to be repaired.

We should arrive tomorrow morning in Kuwait.

On our way to Nairobi

2011-04-19T22:22:00.001+03:00

We spent the night about 40 km form Marsabit at Bubisa where Ali took out his mattress and sleeping bag, and Hussain and I slept in the truck cabin.

When we reached Marsabit we bought better rope, and had breakfast at a restaurant. Then around noon we continued on to Nairobi. At this point we had made our phone calls and contacts and realized that the spare parts would take a long time to reach Nairobi. Also there was only one place for us to go and that was to Chris and Jungle Junction.

We reached tarmac by 3:30 pm and continued stopping briefly for dinner and prayers. at one town we stopped and realized that the truck was in bad shape, for one there were problems with the brakes, and one of the injection points on the engine was leaking diesel , and the front suspension strut was loose.

The driver wrapped the injection point with tape and moved on until about 50 Km from Nairobi were we stopped on the side of the road at 2 am to sleep, as usual Ali took his mattress and sleeping bag and slept under the truck while Hussain and I slept in the cabin.

Oh No Moyale Road

2011-04-18T21:45:00.046+03:00

We loaded our bikes early, and then had breakfast so that we can make use of the daylight. We left Moyale on the gravel road with plenty of water with us just in case we don't make the 250 km to Mersabit and have to camp. Although we were told there would be villages on the way that sold water.

We started slow, and then I began to pick up the pace going 60 to 70 kph , it was great on the knobby tires standing and having the suspension to the work. Occasionally I would slow down and wait for Ali and Hussain to catch-up. I saw blue birds that were running across the road as well as camels and some sort of midget dear.

About 44 km in Ali stated that his bike is smoking so I made a U turn and saw the smoke. It turned out that his suspension was leaking fluid onto the exhaust pipe. Hussain also mentioned an alarm on his bike ( It turned out to be the anti-skid) but his bike also was leaking and smoking.

We waited a while to see if we can get a truck to take us to Nairobi since ridding the bikes long distance was not an option. A truck going into Moyale (Opposite the direction we wanted) He stopped and started to help us , he made phone calls and directed us to go back to Moyale and get a truck tomorrow since all the trucks have left for the day.

We rode back to Moyale and on the way I saw a baboon in the middle of the road then started to feel some knocking, and when I stopped I realized that my bike also started leaking suspension fluid.

When we got to Moyale we were able to rent a truck to take us all the way to Nairobi, we loaded the bikes and then left Moyale at 2 pm. On the way we stopped several times because the bikes got loose and fell on each other, especially since the ropes were not good quality and not enough, and the road was very bumpy.

2011-04-17T19:24:00.001+03:00

We left after having breakfast consisting of a few eggs and some tea and realized after leaving that the tall shapes we have encountered yesterday are in fact termite mounds. So we decided to take a picture with one.

After stopping near a village where one of these mounds was the villagers came to right to us to see what we were doing, we wanted the village in the back ground but the villagers refused to let us take pictures unless we paid them. So we left and found another mound with no claims on the right to take a picture.

When we arrived at the border we had some trouble with getting fuel since one of the stations started to change the price once we arrived, and after Ali spoke to him he refused to fill our bikes so we went to another station to fill up.

We got to the border around 12:30 pm and were told that since it was a week end the lunch break is until 3:00 pm so we went to a nearby Mosque to pray and rest. The locals showed us were to have lunch and at 3:00 pm we were at the immigrations office getting our passports stamped and changing money.

When we went to the customs office to stamp our Carnet we found out that they were closed and would not open until tomorrow. Luckily Ali met a truck driver who knows the customs officer so he called him to come in with the promise that we would pay for his overtime.

Once we were out of Ethiopia, the Kenya side was straight forward and took only 20 minutes. We then went to the only Hotel in town that we can see from kilometers away since it was at least 5 stories high. We wanted to rest since tomorrow is going to be a long day traveling 250 Km on a gravel road from Moyale to Marsabit.

To Yabello

2011-04-16T19:04:00.001+03:00

We left Awassa knowing that we will not be staying at another place like it in a long time. We continued on the somewhat nice roads though many villages and hills, and stopped briefly for some pictures and dates.

When we arrived at the crossroads to Yabello we noticed a nice hotel on the road, Ali went to ask about their prices while I continued and asked some of the locals who stated that there was a motel nearby but when I asked which had the better accommodations it was the Hotel.

There were many mosquitos so we had to use our bug repellent to make sure we were not bitten to death.

It was a small town with nothing there. Tomorrow we go to Moyale Kenya and cross the border.

Lovely Awassa

2011-04-15T20:01:00.017+03:00

We left after having a god breakfast, and briefly visited the Kuwait embassy before fill up with fuel and leaving for Awassa. In the beginning there was too much traffic with many trucks blowing dark diesel smoke everywhere, when we got out of the city it was better with many hills and prairies to see.

Hussain saw a mosque so we decided to stop and pray, we met the locals and they recited some Quran to us since it was also a Quran school. When we wanted to leave we had some trouble starting the bikes. The sound is one I have not heard before it was as if the engine was turning without any combustion. Only when I had the throttle fully open that I sensed the engine coming alive. We believe that the fuel in Addis was not good or was mixed with something else.

We continued another 30 km to Awassa and entered the biggest resort that overlooked the lake it was named "Haile" after a famous marathon runner who owns it.

There were many types of birds there, and people were fishing. We had fish for dinner and rested for the next part which is going to Yabello.

Dinner Show

2011-04-14T23:51:00.002+03:00

Husain and Ali started the day by changing the tires while I worked on updating the blog. There is much footage to look at and the HD video takes a long time to transfer.

Hussain and Ali were so overwhelmed by the chaos at the tire installation shop that they didn’t notice that two tires were installed the wrong way , so after lunch they went back to the shop to get them done right.

We installed the tires in about 30 minutes which is not bad for three sets. Later we met the Ambassador and his staff at the local restaurant and witnessed their local music and dance.

Changing Tires

2011-04-13T22:44:00.000+03:00

In the morning; Ali and Husain went to look for a place to replace our tires, while I worked on the blog and video editing. Mr. Adel Haider informed us that we would be having lunch with the Ambassador Mr. Ahmad Al-Whaib at his house where we also met Mr. Mohammad Al Alati.

After lunch we took Ali's rear tire to make sure that the place we found knew what to do. They never changed Motorcycle tires before so we had to be there when they did the rest tomorrow.

The Ambassador also invited us to a folklore dinner at an Ethiopian restaurant tomorrow night to get a flavor for their art. We spent the rest of the evening removing all the tires from the bikes to save time tomorrow.

The twisty road to Addis Ababa

2011-04-12T19:16:00.019+03:00

After a good breakfast we left Debre Markos for Addis Ababa the capital of Ethiopia and the landscape continued to be very nice with farm land everywhere you see with workers still plowing the land manually with animals. The road was nice and twisty with only minor construction at some sites.

We got to the Hotel that has a slow internet connection so I don't know how much I can actually upload for all to see. The internet in Africa is not very accessible, and I don't expect to connect again until we reach Nairobi.

Mr. Adel Haidar took us on a tour of the city and informed us that our Metzler Karoo tires have finally passed customs here for us to install in preparation for the 450 gravel road into Kenya from Moyale.

To Debre Markos

2011-04-11T19:16:00.014+03:00

We hadn't filled any fuel since Sudan and we needed to fill up to reach Debre Markos which is only 255 km from here. It turns out that there is a shortage of fuel in Ethiopia and that in Bahir Dar it is getting rationed which meant that we had to go to a government office to get a slip to get some fuel and we were only permitted 10 liters each.

At the station Ali and I fill 10 each, and then when Hussain went to the pump it was out of fuel, so we went to another station and got only 5 liters for Hussain before it also went dry. We were told that there would be fuel after 84 km from here but we discovered it was after 170 km.

At this point the landscape was beautiful it was as if we were riding in France or Switzerland only the people were much poorer and had a darker complexion. The donkeys and livestock were all over the roads and in all directions which made our pace slower even though the roads were very good.

We left Bahir Dar around noon, and arrived in Debre Markos at 4 pm.

Lake Tana

2011-04-10T19:15:00.024+03:00

We took a tour of the town and a boat ride to the start of the Blue Nile and the Debre Mareyam Monastery on one of the islands of the lake.

We then went into town for some ethiopian coffie and then dinner at the Hotel.

To Bahir Dar

2011-04-09T21:12:00.024+03:00

After another breakfast of Dates and Digestive, we packed our tents and sleeping bags and headed out of Sudan and into Ethiopia. We started at 9:00 am and finally got the letter faxed to an Ethiopian town 35 km. from the border, then waited for the fixer to go get it and got into Ethiopia by noon.

We also discovered that the Ethiopian Calendar is 2003, and Ethiopian Time is 6 hours ahead. Once we left the border it was 39 deg. C and didn't get any cooler until we started getting into some elevation about 120 km later.

The terrain started to change and we started seeing mountains. I saw a snake cross the road and we all saw some monkeys.

We all didn’t get the proper rest from the border town so we rested along the road; however the locals are always curios and kept Hussain up while Ali and I rested.

We reached the town of Bahir Dar and decided to stay an extra night to see where the Blue Nile starts at Lake Tana.

The Way to Al-Qallabat

2011-04-08T21:11:00.011+03:00

We left the hotel around 9:30 am and headed to Al-Qallabat which is the border town between Sudan and Ethiopia. We had to stop several times at check posts since all foreigners need to register entry and exit. We passed several villages that are starting to take a different look than the ones we had seen in the past.

After a few hours we stopped for fuel but the petrol station didn't have any so we headed to Gedarif to fill up. On our way towards the border right before Doka we passed a couple riding bicycles from Spain who started from Sharm Al-Shaik in February. We said hello gave them our contact email in hopes that we keep in touch.

When we reached Al-Qallabat we were told to register at the local authorities, and then a fixer mentioned the need for a guarantee letter for our bikes from the embassy to enter Ethiopia. After finding a "Hotel" yard to sleep in Ali went with the fixer to the Ethiopian side to inquire about this letter since we hadn't heard of it before. It turns out it is a new rule that any foreigner needs a letter from his embassy stating that he will not sell his vehicle in Ethiopia. It is Friday, and tomorrow the Kuwait Embassy is closed for the weekend. So Ali called Mr. Adel Haider from the Kuwait embassy in Ethiopia to see about getting the document faxed to us by tomorrow when we enter Ethiopia.

An hour later the letter was ready but we needed to wait until tomorrow to get it faxed.

The Nile

2011-04-07T19:10:00.005+03:00

We took a taxi to where the white and blue Nile comes together, unfortunately we couldn't see much since there is nowhere to view it from unless you are in the car on a bridge.

We take the rest of the day off to rest for the ride tomorrow to the border.

Visit Kuwait Embassy in Khartoum

2011-04-06T19:10:00.004+03:00

We visited the Kuwait Embassy in Khartoum where we met Mr. Khalid Al-Harbi, and Mr. Nawaf Al-Nemran, we also got interviewed by KUNA and Kuwait TV Channel 1.

To Khartoum

2011-04-05T20:48:00.013+03:00

After waking up for prayers and breakfast consisting of a few dates and cookies we set off on our way to Atbara with a distance of about 400 Km. We passed many villages with old mud houses and rode along a railroad track that looked abandoned, however we did hear a train last night so may be it is still in use.

When we reached Atbara we didn’t like the hotel there so we decided to move on to Khartoum, but before we did we had lunch at a local restaurant since Hussain wanted to taste Nile fish.

We moved on to Khartoum and reached there near sundown where we stayed at the Rotana Al-Salam Hotel. When we wanted to register we found out that credit card companies are not operating in Sudan, and that our ATM card would not work here either. Luckily we have our cash to relay on in such situations.

We were very surprised by the weather; it was 36 to 37 deg. C with a nice breeze

We are in Africa

2011-04-04T19:42:00.009+03:00

We woke up to the sound of prayers waiting for the arrival on Africa soil. We were told that the ferry will travel for 12 hours which made the arrival after 1 pm. By this time I am not feeling well I think I have a cold. It took us more than 3 hours to finish customs and leave Suakin.

We were told that the weather is nice and cool in Sinkat so we headed there which is just 60 km. We stopped at a local shop to fill up with water in preparation to camp for the night, when the local authorities requested to see our papers and took their good time deciding what to do.

By the time we could go, it was too late it was almost sundown and we don't ride at night. So we managed to spend the night at the police station and head to Atbara tomorrow.

The Ferry to Sudan

2011-04-04T07:41:00.023+03:00

We had to leave Al-Taif around 9 am to reach Jeddah at noon. So we took a shorter mountainous road (Al-Hada Road) which had a great view and was very twisty and a great motorcycle road.

We got to the port and with the assitance of Ali's contacts we were able to finalize the handling of customs and paper work for going on the ferry. Special thanks go to Mr. Rasheed Baaboud & Steve for their support I hope you are reading this.

By 1 pm we had delivered our bikes and stayed in a close hotel until 5 pm when we went to the port to leave Saudi Arabia and get on the ferry.

This is when we felt the presence of Africa where there is no particular schedule for the ferry and time has no significant importance. We were on the ferry at 5:30 pm, put the bikes in the ferry by 10 pm, and managed to actually depart by 1 am.

We also noticed that there is no personal space here people used our luggage as pillows by the fact that they were on the bench. The ferry has no cabins so everyone stays in the general seating. The issue is that there are two classes on the ferry, the deluxe accommodations for the families (men with accompanied woman, and women by themselves), and the not so deluxe accommodations for the bachelor men. This is where having your wife with you on a trip helps.

The Dusty Road to Al-Taif

2011-04-02T23:39:00.001+03:00

After staying at a good hotel we rode off around 8:30 after stopping briefly to fill up with fuel and check our tire pressure. It was windy and very dusty for the first 280 km with our bikes tilted against the wind. We were getting sand blasted and had to raise our collar to stop the sand form hitting our necks but couldn't stop it hitting our wrists at that small space between out jacket and gloves.

The last 100 km or so were on the main highway going from Al-Ryadh to Al-Taif were very smooth and we reached the hotel by 1:30 preparing to go to Makah for our Omra.

We left a little late for Makah and it was a little crowded so by the time we ate and got back to the hotel it was around 11 pm.

Tomorrow we head to Jeddah Islamic Port to take the ferry to Sudan where the real adventure begins.

The Real First Day

2011-04-01T19:37:00.026+03:00

We woke up to fined Mohammad Ashkanani (Hussain's Brother) , and Mohammad Abdulhadi had driven to accompany us to Makah for the Omra driving a pickup truck.

We were slow to start since we haven't ridden our bikes for long distances for a while. Preparing for a trip like this takes a lot of time and at the end you still didn't do all that you wanted.

We left around 9 am and by the time it was 1 pm we stopped for lunch and prayers having ridden only 300 km while our target was 800. We managed to pick up the pace and ride a total of 686 km to Afif.

Along the way a group of Saudi's in a big SUV were taking pictures of us on an SLR camera, we posed while riding in formation for the pictures but refused to stop since we were on a tight schedule.

Srating the Africa Adventure

2011-03-31T22:09:00.004+03:00

As I was packing for the trip, which is always last minute, Hussain Called me and told me that we have to visit the Botswana Embassy to receive our visa document. So we had to stop for 5 minutes at the embassy to get the document that would allow us a visa at the border. Something always comes at the last minute.

We arrived at Kuwait Towers around 4:10 pm, met all the friends, family and news media personnel thanks to Kuwait Riders who organized the event. Then we proceeded to the Salmi border accompanied by many of our biker friends who we said good bye to and headed to Hafer Albatan with a total of 266 km, not bad for the first day.

Al-Watan News Paper has a half page about our start click here to view.

Leaving Tomorrow

2011-03-30T22:23:00.000+03:00

Well we are almost packed and ready to go although I doubt that any one of us will get any sleep tonight since we are always restless before leaving. Kuwait Riders have organized a great ride, and we will be meeting at Kuwait towers @ 4 pm and then start ridding by 4:30 to Hafar Albatan (only 250 km).

We would like to thank all who have supported us especially those who don't want to be named, hope to see you all soon.

In this video Ali is demonstrating how we fit a full sleeping beg into a small satchel, he didn't believe it at first that it would fit.

Count Down

2011-03-04T17:57:00.000+03:00

Our target date is still the 31st of March while Hussain is working on getting our visas and Ali found out that the ferry from Jeddah leaves on a Sunday and Thursday. I have got a quote for shipping the bikes back to Kuwait, and we all got the last of our inoculations (I think) last week for yellow-fever and each got a yellow vaccination card. We are still waiting for our tires, sleeping bags, and new HD Helmet Cams and I have to get my bike fully serviced before we start.

BMW Motorcycle Club Cape

2011-01-28T20:50:00.000+03:00

While Ali was in South Africa two weeks ago for work , he met Andy Connell who is an off road captain for BMW Motorcycle Club Cape , South Africa , When I found out I called Andy just to say hello . They have put a mention of our trip in their site, and we expect to all of them when we get there.

People keep asking when we are leaving, well so far we intend to start our journey on the 31st of March 2011, we will keep every one posted for the event.

Kuwait Riders

2011-01-10T08:08:00.002+03:00

Well I wouldn't have believed it until I saw the papers last month during the auto show, Hussain finally joined a Bike group "Kuwait Riders" which makes us all members of this group.

They have been very active especially in promoting social events like visiting the orphanage during Eid, and visiting the Historical vintage & Classic cars Museum , they cater to all types of bikes, and promote excellent safety standards for their rides.

Supporting Solar-Aid

2010-12-26T18:42:00.004+03:00

While looking to give back to the world through our adventures we came across a novel idea in Solar-Aid that captured the main two issues facing our plant today which are climate change and global poverty. Solar-Aid helps to combat both by bringing clean, renewable power to the poorest people in the world.

Barely 2% of rural Africa has access to the electricity grid yet many regions of Africa have the highest levels of sunshine in the world. Solar-Aid works with these remote and disadvantaged communities, helping them tap into an abundant source of free, clean and renewable energy - the sun!

Solar-Aid works in rural areas across East and Southern Africa; installing solar on schools, community centers and clinics. This is known as macrosolar.

It's Nemo tents for us

2010-11-20T21:58:00.000+03:00

After searching for weeks on the net for the tent that would best suit our needs for the Africa Trip, we cam across the NEMO ESPRI two person tent which is light, well built , has pockets, and taped seams to keep you dry.

I would buy the tent just for the excellent customers service, when I ordered three tents for all three of us I got an email from them just to confirm that I didn't make a mistake. Now how often has that happen to you ? to me never , and I order almost every thing for the guys.

I recently took a trip to Musandam in Oman and tested the tent in the mountains it did what it was supposed to do, and slept with a clear view of the mountain in front of me. It is a very versatile three season tent and has room for me and my stuff inside, you can use just the tent to have a meshed roof when the weather is worm and dry , or cover up with the water proof cover.

We have GPS maps for Africa

2010-10-14T20:09:00.000+03:00

On our Round the World Trip we had to rely on paper maps as well as a GPS since Garmin doesn't have maps for all the countries we were traveling in, and we didn't have the time to find third party maps that would work. Well I just purchased and installed all the maps I will need for our trip to Cape Town form one source "Travel By GPS" it has all the main roads as well as some facilities.

Do you need A GPS? Well not really if you have paper maps and have time to navigate the crowded streets of a city. I rather have one than not, and I will be taking one paper map of the whole of Africa for reference.

Part 2 Africa Adventure 2011

2010-10-02T19:58:00.002+03:00

So after careful calculation on how much vacation time I have in 2011, and how long it would take to get to Cape Town from Kuwait, We decided to implement part 2 of our adventures which is Kuwait to Cape Town with a tentative date of 17th of March. Believe it or not but the initial route took only 3 days to finish, route refinements are still going on. We did however finalize the countries we will visit and I will be posting each country and what we expect to see.

Malcolm S. Forbes said - “Living and dreaming are two different things — but you can't do one without the other.”

Dar Al Hayat - السعودية والسودان تعززان سلامة سفن الركاب بنظام «سيفتي»

2010-02-27T20:27:00.000+03:00

This is a well favored moved by the Saudi, and Sudanese Authorities to increase the safety of their ferries. Makes me more comfortable using their services.

Dar Al Hayat - السعودية والسودان تعززان سلامة سفن الركاب بنظام «سيفتي»

ROK Straps

2010-01-20T22:14:00.000+03:00

These are great straps for traveling if you have luggage that needs to stay on your bike. I used them on our round the world trip and they functioned very well making it easy to put on and remove my luggage on bike.

Visiting the Ameer of Kuwait

2009-09-09T07:16:00.000+03:00

Since we have dedicated this Round the World Trip to his highness the Ameer Shaikh Sabah Al Ahmed Al Jaber Al Sabah. The Minister of Social Affairs and Labor Dr Mohammed Al-Afasi, and Major General Faisal M.Al-Jazzaf Chairman and Director General of the Public Authority for Youth and Sports have mad arrangements for us to visit the Ameer

As well as the Crown Price His highness Shaikh Nawaf Al Ahmad Al Jaber Al Sabah

And the Prime Minister Shaikh Nasser Al-Mohammad Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah

Kuwait TV Interview (Arabic Channel)

2009-08-30T17:45:00.000+03:00

Today We got interviewed by Kuwait TV "AL Safat" Program for a whole hour, It was quit interesting , they footage of our arrival and had interviews with Mr. Al-Jazzaf the head of the public Authority for Youth and Sports (Our Sponsors).

We could only have two bikes on the show since Ali got a nail in one of his tires as we were leaving to our homes after the press conference, and still hasn't fixed it.

Our Friend Khalid was kind enough to tape the interview, and put it up on Youtube.

Back home to Kuwait

2009-08-27T10:30:00.000+03:00

We had to leave early to ride while the temperature was bearable we left at sun rise enjoying the cool morning air, about 200 Km from Hafer Albatin it started to get hot, and was 47 Degrees when we reached the hotel.

We decided to rest part of the way to Kuwait for two reasons the first is that it is really hot during mid day, and the second is that since it is Ramadhan every one who wanted to great us will only be available after sundown "Futoor".

We reached the border at sundown, then continued to Al-Jahra where we met our families, and fellow bikers in preparation to ride to the Public Authority for Youth and Sports where a press conference was held regarding our return.

To Arar

2009-08-26T05:09:00.000+03:00

As usual we left early to arrive in Arar during day light. We all have been down this road before it feels like we were already home.

We got the usual treatment once we entered Saudi Arabia and got stopped frequently by the police along the way asking us for our documents and writing down all the details.It started to get really hot about 100 Km from Arar and when we reached there it was 45 Deg. Centigrade.

To Amman

2009-08-25T01:15:00.000+03:00

It was a fairly easy trip to Amman today since it is only a two hour ride, the delay was mostly at the borders.

We went straight to the Kuwait Embassy and met Mr. Omar Al-Qenae since the Ambassador was back in Kuwait for Ramadhan.We then went to my father's apartment and had "mensef" for Lunch.

To Damascus

2009-08-24T09:06:00.000+03:00

Before we left Husain Asked me for some Sun-block lotion, which was surprising since he had never used it during the whole trip. He managed to put too much which got into his eyes while riding, he had to stop several times to wash his eyes, and only got better later in the day.

We knew we had a long and hot day ahead of us so we left early to the "Bab Al-hawa" border crossing where we met two couples on BMW's from Greece going the other direction back home, they had just visited Syria and were asking me about our trip and Kuwait.

We reached Damascus around 6 pm, and I started to feel really tired probably due to dehydration.

To Adana

2009-08-23T05:10:00.000+03:00

Our next target was Adana since we wanted to spread out our distances and not ride too much in one day.

Along the way at a tool gate we had to pay an extra toll since I misplaced the ticket and handed in the ferry boarding pass instead. It must be the long riding that is getting to me.

We stopped in Aksaray for lunch and found out that there is a new freeway that recently opened on the way to Adana which made things easier.

We stayed at the Hilton which overlooked the river, and had a good restaurant and secure parking.

To Bolu

2009-08-22T08:01:00.000+03:00

Our Target for today was the town of Bulo in Turkey, today we leave the European continent, and enter Asia again. We left at 8:00 am and headed to the Greek Turkish border where the line to enter Greece stretched well past the Turkish side of the border. people were honking their horns in protest to how long it was taking to enter Greece.

We reached Istanbul in the afternoon, and stopped at a rest area for lunch. We also met a Turkish couple who were riding, we also found out that today was the first day of Ramadhan here, where the first day in Kuwait would be tomorrow.

After lunch we headed off to Bolu, and arrived at sundown where we had to take our own bags in to the rooms since the whole staff were having Futoor (breaking their fast).The Hotel staff recognized Ali and let us park our bikes in front of the reception.

To Kavala

2009-08-21T04:55:00.000+03:00

We left the ferry at 6:15 am and had breakfast at the port before we headed off to Kavala. As our fellow bikers mentioned the new freeway was complete and not on our GPS which didn't matter much since the signs were everywhere.

About an hour into Greece the whether got cold and we had to put on our jackets for a few hours until it got warmer.

We reached Kavala at 1:00 PM and stayed at a lovely hotel overlooking the town, and Mediterranean. We then went into town for lunch.

Taking the Ferry

2009-08-20T08:46:00.000+03:00

Renzo met us this morning and rode with us from Senigallia to Ancona taking the coastal road. We checked in to the ferry and went to the dock to stay inline to enter the ferry. While waiting we met many traveling bikers, and one mentioned that the freeway to Turkey was completed last year which would make our travel much easier.

Once our bikes were parked, and we were established in our cabins we had lunch in the cafeteria. The ferry had a swimming pool, WIFI service, and cell phone service. There was a shop, and a set of coin operated message chairs.

We had dinner at the restaurant and went to bed early since the ferry would arrive in Igoumenitsa around 6:00 am.

To Senigallia

2009-08-19T09:17:00.000+03:00

I found out today that Italy and Rome have a holiday that is quite long, the BMW dealer stated that the show room is open but the part department is closed, so I cannot buy what I need to fix the mudguard.

We visited the embassy again, and met the Ambassador Mr. Waleed Al-Khubaizi, and his staff. The Ambassador was kind enough to give us a comment, and directed us to visit L'Aquila on our way to Senigallia where an earthquake struck four months ago.

We left around noon, and stopped in L'Aquila and visited with the head of the Italian Red Cross camp, and found out that there are still 50,000 people living in the camps, some without homes, and others with homes that they are afraid to move back into since they expect that another earthquake this year.

We arrived in Sinigallia around 4:30 pm, and waited for Husain's Friend Mr. Renzo Rocchetti who he met during his ride in 1977, and had kept in touch with but has not seen him in the past 32 years.

Renzo was kind enough to show us the small town of Senigallia and after dinner gave each one of us a medal, and a plaque from the Senigallia Motorcycle Club.

To Rome

2009-08-18T04:35:00.000+03:00

After a good night's sleep we left the hotel at 10 am on our way to Rome after filling our bikes with fuel at a Q8 gas station.

Although it started to get hot yesterday, today we reached 40 Degrees on the road to Rome which I said was good practice for when we reach Kuwait.

We reached the Kuwait Embassy at 2:30 pm and met Mr. Hamed Al-Ali, Mr. Omar Al-Hajri, and Mr. Anwar Kalander, Mr. Hamed Al-Ali stated that the ambassador would be available tomorrow morning, this was fortunate since we only had a short ride to Sinigallia tomorrow and could spare the time. We also needed to go to a dealer to fix my rear mudguard again.

To Pisa

2009-08-17T07:44:00.000+03:00

After a rough night's sleep due to the noise in the streets on a weekend, we headed to Pisa Italy. We knew that there would be many tunnels that we would pass through on our way so we decided to count them.

The tunnels ranged in size from 200 meters to 9 km. I started to get dizzy after 80, and had to stop to rest after 110. Luckily we only had two to go which brought the total to 112.

We reached Pisa in time and have pizza at the leaning tower of Pisa for dinner.

At the hotel Husain noticed that my rear bumper was a little shaky, and upon inspection we found that the bolt had sheared a third time. We will try to visit a dealer in Rome to fix it.

To Megeve via Geneva

2009-08-16T08:28:00.000+03:00

We left Dijon the same way we entered, as celebrities, with the last person asking me where I was from while waiting for the red light to turn green.

We headed to Geneva and visited the fountain, then went to a Turkish restaurant for lunch.

While I was in Paris I called Beth who runs Le Gai Soleil hotel in Megeve, a hotel we stayed in when we visited in 2006, but unfortunately she was fully booked, so she managed to get us rooms at another hotel that belonged to a friend of hers.

While in Megeve Ali and Husain visited a guy they met when they were in Megeve in 2007 that owned and rode vintage bikes.

We were also fortunate that today was the last day for the Jazz festival that is held here very year.

To Dijon

2009-08-15T08:57:00.000+03:00

After packing the bikes we started the day with sightseeing on the motorcycles, first we rode to the Arc de Triomphe , then to the Eiffel tower.

We then headed to Dijon , and since our tires have a bit of a flat spot from running straight highways in America, we decided to take a country road for the last 100 km also we were starting to get tired of highways.

The hotel was near the town center of Dijon and our motorcycles turned out to be part of the city attractions with many people coming up to us and asking where we were from and when we have been.

To Paris

2009-08-14T08:50:00.000+03:00

We took our bikes in for service yesterday at the workshop. Husain's bike was the only bike with just a service while my bike needed to replace another sheared bolt in the same place as the one that sheared in India on the rear mud guard, I was told also that the rear brake pads were 50% worn and that I had to keep an eye out for the wear.

Ali's bike suffered a minor leak in the front break calipers we suspect was due to the draining of the fluids in Beijing. So we had to wait until this morning to pick-up his bike since it took some time for the parts to arrive.

All in all the service at Park Lane BMW was top rate and we felt more confident riding our bikes than we did before.

We took a taxi to the workshop, packed the bikes and headed to Dover to catch the ferry to Calais France. We had lunch on the ferry and a small nap then disembarked and headed to Paris arriving around 8 pm.

No Service for Bikes

2009-08-12T09:26:00.000+03:00

We found out this morning that our bikes would not be accepted in Paris for service at the BMW dealer there. As a matter of fact we were told to come on the 25th of August even after I explained I was traveling.

So Ali contacted Park Lane BMW who managed to handle the service for our bikes tomorrow, so we will not be going to Paris tomorrow but after we have our bikes serviced.

We had a great lunch at the embassy, and went to Gatwick to pickup our bikes and ride back into London.

To Kuwait Embassy in London

2009-08-11T03:20:00.000+03:00

We arrived yesterday around noon, and rested the rest of the day, we also found out that our Libyan visas have not arrived therefore we will not be going to northern Africa, and instead ride back home through Europe & Turkey.

Ali made some phone calls and we got a 12 pm appointment to visit the Kuwait Ambassador in London Mr. Khalid Al-Duwaisan who was kind enough to give a statement regarding our trip. He also invited us for a Kuwaiti lunch tomorrow at the embassy.

After our visit we went sight seeing in London and visited Big Ben. Tomorrow our motorcycles should arrive from Toronto at Gatwick airport. This is a perfect time to catch up on the blog updates.

Good Bye Bike, Hello London

2009-08-08T17:22:00.000+03:00

This morning we visited the Canadian side of Niagara Falls, then went to have breakfast at Denys where we met Sarah who was our waitress.

We then rode to Toronto to deliver the motorcycles to the shipping company, but not before they were washed as a requirement for shipping to make sure there were no bugs on the bikes.

After we delivered the bikes we went to the airport to catch our flight to Heathrow airport.

To Niagara Falls

2009-08-07T20:17:00.000+03:00

We left Hoboken where we were staying around 8:30 am headed to Niagara Falls. Along the way we went past some industrial areas until we reached the highway.

Around mid day we reached a stretch of road that was perfect for a motorcycle it was curvy with new asphalt going up and down hills while going through beautiful scenery.

While on the way the oil warning light on Husain's bike went on, so we stopped to find the oil level low. We topped it up then went on our way. We crossed the border, and reached the Motel after sundown.

Sightseeing New York

2009-08-07T09:10:00.000+03:00

After breakfast we took the train into Manhattan since it would be very difficult riding in New York City especially since they have a very effective subway system.

We visited Wall street, and took a picture in front of Trinity Church.

Walked to Ground Zero where a construction crew were hard at work.

Then went up the Empire State Building, to get a birds eye view of the city.

We left early since we needed to do laundry, and rest for the long ride tomorrow to Niagara Falls.

Going to The Big Apple

2009-08-06T08:33:00.000+03:00

At this time the tank bag zipper was damaged from over two months of abuse so we decided to visit a BMW dealer on our way to New York.

The Dealer was Bob's BMW who turned out to be the most famous dealer in the US,besides having a big range of accessories, he had a section of the showroom dedicated as a museum showing vintage BMW Motorcycles including a rare 1925 R32.

He also had Dr. Gregory Frazier's Motorcycle, the American who went around the world 4 times.

We met Bob himself who is a great guy, and I got a new tank bag, while Husain got his engine guard fixed.

We then continued on our way to New York, being wave at by cars passing by who see the Kuwaiti flag and number plate on our bikes.

Visiting the Embassy

2009-08-05T09:12:00.000+03:00

Since we were riding strait for two days we didn't have time to prepare the shipping documents which were needed this morning else our bikes would get delayed. so we had to print the documents, fill them out, and then find a place to scan them and send them by email for processing before we left for the embassy.

We met the officials from the embassy including Mr. Talal Al-Mansour . After that we rode around the US capital. I left for the hotel while Ali, Husain , and Ali's Brother Husain who was also in DC at the time met the Military, and Cultural attache'.

We were then invited to have dinner with DR. Hassan Naseralla head of the Cultural Attache' in DC.

To Washington DC

2009-08-04T06:10:00.000+03:00

We got up early, had breakfast, and rode straight to Washington DC reaching there around 6 pm, after riding 3 and a half hours straight as the last portion of the trip.

We then went to a middle eastern restaurant for dinner, and slept early since we were going to go to the Kuwait embassy tomorrow.

To Cleavland

2009-08-03T12:01:00.000+03:00

We got up late since we slept late, and after breakfast I found out that the Travel Agent does a routine check on credit cards, and contacted our bank to verify the hotel charge. The bank stated that they couldn't verify the charges so all our reservations were canceled.

After clearing every thing up we were on our way to Cleavland. In the afternoon I got really tired being sick I stopped at a rest area and slept for a hour to regain some strength.

At our last stop to fill fuel Ali was met by a couple John and Carol who were very impressed by our trip. Carol was a photographer and took very nice pictures of us at the gas station.

To Madison

2009-08-02T09:51:00.000+03:00

We got up early today since we were camping, and packed up to go have breakfast in Sioux Falls. I didn't sleep well due to the noise at the camp, and I am feeling sick.

We targeted Madison Wisconsin as a stop on our way to Washington DC which is our next point of interest. The winds did die down, and there were less motorcycles on the other side by the time we reach Madison.

When I got to the hotel I was told that my reservation was canceled by the travel Agent I deal with, but luckily they had vacant rooms available. It was late so I decided to check with the travel agent the next day.

A Camping We Will Go

2009-08-01T07:47:00.000+03:00

After Breakfast we rode our bikes to Mount Rushmore where motorcycles have their own entrance, and the ticket is valid throughout the year.

We Parked the bikes and went inside to view the Monument, and visited the Sculptor's Studio as well as visit the Display Center.

We went back to the hotel, and I had to work on the reservations for the day especially since we were targeting Sioux Falls. It turned out that there were no Hotels with Vacancies any where close to Sioux Falls due to the big amount of motorcyclists riding into Sturgis the next few days.

Luckily we still have our tents and sleeping bags so I reserved a camp site in Mitchell SD.

The ride was very windy most of the way with the bikes leaning almost 45 degrees against the strong winds. We then started to chase a thunderstorm getting some rain while on it's edge.

At any one time during the ride there were always motorcycles on the other side of the road going to Sturgis. We reached the campsite early enough to put up our tents, and go into town for a meal.

That night I met an elderly gentlemen who drives an RV in the laundry room who stated that the South Dakota is known for their strong winds and that Minnesota was better.

To Rapid City

2009-07-31T07:39:00.000+03:00

So far the rear seal has held up (الحمد لله),All thanks go to the staff at John Valk's in Vancouver for doing an excellent job, special thanks to John, Rusty, and the lady mechanic who fixed it.

After breakfast, and while packing I got a phone call from Ali to go check out the bike. it was covered in frost, the morning dew along with below freezing temperatures created a white sheet of ice on the seat and windshield.

We left early since we wanted to reach Rapid City before dark. We passed through the east part of the park, which was as breathtaking as the rest of the park, and met many bikers along the way who were interested in our travels, and asked if we were attending Sturgis, which is a big annual bike rally in Sturgis South Dakota.

When we reached Rapid City there were more motorcycles on the streets than cars and the rally officially starts on the 3rd of August, 4 days away.

Going to Yellowstone

2009-07-30T06:45:00.000+03:00

We woke up really early since we knew the ride was going to be through nice country however it was a windy 12 Deg C which was more than what we were prepared for, so we stopped and put on our cold weather gear.

Also I managed to book two rooms in Yellowstone for the same day which is very difficult since it is usually sold out, as a matter of fact all the camp sites were sold out and all we could find were these two rooms overlooking yellowstone Lake.

We entered the park from north entrance, and and stopped at the natural hot water springs which some smelled like rotten eggs or Sulfur, and to us oil company workers (H2S).
We continued our ride through the park and reached the Park Ranger Museum, and found out that originally the army stater patrolling this park in the late 1800s and early 1900s to stop poachers from killing the animals,and preserve the wilderness.

On out way to the hotel we were confronted by a buffalo in the middle of the road, and later witnessed several along the way, every time on was seen the traffic stopped while tourists took pictures.

We reached the hotel around 6 pm, and found out there was no internet, TV, or cellphone reception. So we slept early.

Stop in Montana

2009-07-29T05:35:00.000+03:00

Our next point of interest was Yellowstone National Park which was two days away, so we decided to stop in the State of Montana in Missoula which is a nice town overlooking the rocky mountains.

the ride was all on I-90 going through some very nice scenery along the way.

To Seattle

2009-07-28T06:38:00.000+03:00

While we were at the barbecue some one broke Ali's CB antenna, so Ali and Husain left to fix it before going to Seattle, and I went to the BMW dealer to pickup my bike.

I left the dealer at 12:10 PM, while Ali and Husain went to three different shops until they managed to get the antenna replaced.

The Line at the border was long, it took me one hour and fourty minutes to get through while it took Ali and Husain 2 hours.

I ended up reaching Seattle around 5 PM.

The Bikes have Arrived

2009-07-27T08:03:00.000+03:00

We went to John Valk BMW to wait for our bikes in the afternoon, and visited a local Italian Auto exhibition with Ferrari to Fiat cars, including one vintage Ducati bike.

The bikes arrived at the dealer at 4:00 PM, and while Ali and Husain got to ride their bikes, my bike stayed there so that they would get it fixed first thing tomorrow morning.

We then were invited to Bu Nasser's (Waleed Al Shuqaihi) house for a barbecue, and Ali had all the kids sit and start his motorcycle.

Sightseeing in Vancouver

2009-07-26T07:52:00.000+03:00

Once we found out that the bikes would not arrive today, the doctors invited us to a lunch as well as a sightseeing tour of Vancouver.

We visited Stanley Park and crossed the Lions Gate Bridge to North Vancouver where we visited Cleavland Dam near Capilano Park.

We then went to Kashkool an Iranian restaurant for Lunch.

After lunch we visited the Capilano Fish Hatchery where they breed Salmon and release them into the river to maintain their numbers.

Finally we went to Robson street for some delicious Gelato.

Kuwaiti Doctors in Vancouver

2009-07-25T07:42:00.000+03:00

While Ali was at the medical clinic Husain met a Saudi Doctor who was there for treatment. He mentioned that there were quite a few Kuwaiti Doctors in Vancouver, and called one of them Dr. Osama Alenezi who mentioned that they get together every Friday night for tea at a cafe near by. so we went.

For Ali it turns out that he has injured his shoulder but could still ride since his shoulder is on it's way to heal, and would not get any worse. In the picture is Dr. Raed Alroughani, Dr.Osamah Alenezi, Dr.Ahmed Alsarraf, Dr.Faisal Shehab, Dr.Aqeel Mehana, Dr.Aziz Aldifiri, Dr.Sadoun Alhasan.

Two to Vancouver

2009-07-24T07:38:00.000+03:00

While I was in Vancouver waiting for Ali and Husain, they visited a Fire Station, and then delivered their bikes to Jason at Capital Towing to ship them to Vancouver, then they boarded the plan.
I visited John Valk BMW dealer who will be fixing my bike and looked at a beautiful 1973 R75 BMW for sale.

One to Vancouver

2009-07-23T08:31:00.000+03:00

I started working early morning on finding a way to ship the motorcycle to Vancouver, The only way was to have it shipped via Capital Towing from Whitehorse, and I take the first flight out to Vancouver while Ali and Husain would continue and I would meet them in Vancouver once they arrived.

After making all my arrangements Ali was not feeling good so he visited the local medical clinic. There he mentioned that he had problems with his right shoulder, The doctor there recommended that he stop riding until he reach Vancouver and seek better facilities to better diagnose his condition.

So we made further arrangements for all the bikes to be shipped to Vancouver while Ali and Husain would fly tomorrow since it was too late to book the flight.