Look, there they are!

Thursday January 23rd, 2014 | Leonie | AFRICA, Egypt | 8 Reacties (Comments)

Daar zijn ze! 12When the alarm goes off at 7:00 am, we are both already awake and listening to the honking traffic in the streets of Alexandria. It has not been quiet that night.
After a quick breakfast of bread with cream cheese, we put all our bags in the wooden elevator of the hotel. Once down, I am glad to see that the bikes are still there and the wheels are still under them. Closely watched by the parking attendant and his friends we tie our stuff on the bikes and ride away from the hotel early in the morning. On to Giza, on to the pyramids! Lees meer (Read more)

Time to relax

Wednesday January 15th, 2014 | Leonie | AFRICA, Egypt | 5 Reacties (Comments)

Even bijkomenWe start the new year by sleeping in late. No long drive or border crossing today, we will do absolutely nothing. If I draw the curtains late that morning, I look out over a beautiful bay with clear blue water and a long promenade lined with palm trees. Only now we can see the nice spot at which the police dropped us off yesterday night in the dark.

At 10:00 am Peter and I sit down with Billy and Ross for an Egyptian breakfast of round flat bread, fried eggs, a bowl with ground beans, vegetables, fresh cream cheese and some jam. A funny breakfast, but it is tasty. We are still waking up and talk about Libya and the long day at the border. Lees meer (Read more)

From one office, to another and another…

Saturday January 11th, 2014 | Leonie | AFRICA, Egypt | 9 Reacties (Comments)

Van het kastje naar de muur vlagAfter we went through the Libyan border fairly quickly, a new test awaited us: the Egyptian border. The border with Egypt and especially the sluggish bureaucracy there is notoriously under overlanders. We had read stories about the procedure at the border and they were not always positive, telling about long delays (up to 10 hours), paying high sums of bribes, unnecessarily long discussions about seemingly trivial things (again with a view to bribes) and interrogations of several hours. Apart from the administrative side, we also read that travelers were harassed and robbed. Not a pleasant prospect. Lees meer (Read more)

Unbelievable hospitality

Sunday January 5th, 2014 | Leonie | AFRICA, Libya | 15 Reacties (Comments)

Ongekende gastvrijheidAfter Abdul Hamid and Ali bought us a full tank of fuel, we went on our way to the east towards Ajdabiya. The area through which we drive is dry with here and there some low vegetation. We again pass many oil refineries that, with access to the Mediterranean Sea, send the ‘black gold’ on to the world. The signs of the revolution are visible here. Along the way are countless burnt cars, especially pick-ups. The burn marks on the asphalt and the potholes made by bombing mean we have to pay a lot of attention on the road. At some point we see a row of tanks parked on a hill next to the road. It is clear that the tanks are no longer in use and have been put here after the revolution. We drive into the desert to take a closer look. The bullet casings lie scattered in the sand. It is an impressive sight. After an extensive photo shoot with the men in, on, behind and under the tanks, we continue our journey. It is not far to Ajdabiya anymore. Lees meer (Read more)

The same but very different

Saturday January 4th, 2014 | Leonie | AFRICA, Libya | 7 Reacties (Comments)

Hetzelfde maar heel andersBefore we ride to Salahs house, we first follow him to a restaurant to get some food. Due to the meeting in Tripoli earlier that day and the unexpected tour of Leptis Magna we did not eat anything for lunch. A little hungry we park the bikes in front of the restaurant where we are warmly welcomed by Mohammed, a friend of Salah.

As soon as we get inside, the boys are directed to the toilet. When I want to follow them, Salah and Mohammed redirect me to the second floor. One of the guys from the restaurant runs after me and hands over a box of tissues. Once upstairs, I realize I am in the secluded area of ​​the restaurant which is especially for the women. It is a large room with plastic tables and chairs and a bathroom in the corner. It is not customary for men and women to enjoy their meals in the same room. When women are travelling, if they can, they usually sit in these areas separated from the men. Lees meer (Read more)

“Welcome to Libya!”

Thursday January 2nd, 2014 | Leonie | AFRICA, Libya | 17 Reacties (Comments)

Welcome to Libya!Ever since we applied for the visas I had butterflies in my stomach from the idea that we would go to Libya. The media reports on Libya are not exactly positive. The revolution in 2011 has ensured that Gaddafi no longer controls the country and that Libya is open to the world now. However, the new government is not in full control yet and different groups try to disrupt things on a regular basis. Especially around Benghazi incidents occur regularly, of which foreigners have been victim as well.

The butterflies in my stomach steadily increased as we got closer to the Libyan border. Lees meer (Read more)

We are in Africa!

Wednesday December 25th, 2013 | Leonie | AFRICA, Tunisia | 15 Reacties (Comments)

We zijn in Afrika!After our night in the bunk bed on the ferry, we wake up well rested the next morning. Freshly showered, we go out to look for a cup of coffee. When we leave our cabin and go to the front desk we immediately notice how busy it already is. Even though the ferry will only arrive in Tunis in a couple of hours, dozens of people have already come to the front desk ready to leave the ferry.

As we walk further, we find people sleeping everywhere. Men and women of all ages and even families with young children, everyone is in the corridors of the ferry, on chairs and benches, on the floor in the elevator and even in the ball room of the children’s paradise. The one on a mattress with a blanket, but the other just under a coat. When we go up the stairs we have to step over people sleeping to go out. Lees meer (Read more)

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