November 2, 2024

The long way down, but first +2 East

We were biting nails yesterday as we had our flight tickets booked for today at 13h45 and thus had to leave Alexandria by at least 6h00 this morning. No one had any idea how many hours (or days) it would take and by midday we sat in Captain Shakaer’s office sipping one good espresso after the other. At about 14h00 we set off to fetch the vehicles and off we went to the port. There we were met by a bunch of traffic officials who cleared the number plates and we waited for another hour to get into the container yard. It was great to finally enter the yard and load the vehicles. The Amaroks are longer than what we anticipated and left little room in the 20 foot container for a Motomia. After loading the two remaining Amaroks in the 40 foot container there was about a meter’s space left. Someone suggested putting the bikes upright on their back wheels and fastening them to the wall of the container. This worked well with the one, which left just enough room for the second. By this time the sun has already set and we left there, very relieved, at 18h00. 

The captain organised a bus to take us to the airport this morning (he even paid for it) and when Johan asked him about the best place for fresh seafood he took us out to supper. We’ve never ate so much in one sitting. Plate after plate of different salads, sauces, mussels, prawns and fish. We were so stuffed and had to stop him from ordering more.

We are SO thankful for Johan who offered (when we met him in Nairobi) to take our bikes back. This saved us days of trouble and thousands of Rands, plus we made six great new friends while spending days waiting for our vehicles in Aswan and while sorting the shipping in Alex. For more on their trip, see: www.voetspore.co.za or wait for the TV series that’ll start in March 2012 on SABC2.

This morning we got up at 5h30 and left at 7h00. This left just enough time to reach the airport at 11h00, but the driver had to scar us good in order to make it. We were so glad that we didn’t have to drive through Cairo traffic on the bikes, it is really something else!

We checked in most of our luggage, but still have to carry our bike jackets, helmets, Leatt braces and back packs. We had to bubble wrap our boots and reorganised our luggage last night so that we only have our two yellow Touratech bags and two saddle bags. We threw away five plastic bags full of rubbish, astonishing.

The connection flight to Abu Dhabi went well. The seats are amazing, supper was good and we could watch out own movies. The three or so hours literally flew by (excuse the pun)!! We now have to wait until 22h10 (Abu time: +4) before we board the plane to Jozi. It is amazing to think that it will take 24 hours of travelling by bus and aeroplane to get back home from where we rode two cheap Chinese bikes over three months. There has been countless ups and a few downs which we’ll share here in good time, but we’re very much looking forward to being back in our wonderful home country South Africa!

4 thoughts on “The long way down, but first +2 East

  1. Mooi! Julle is oppad en teen die tyd wat julle die kommentaar lees, is julle tuis!! Gister toevallig gesien julle is op Motomia se ‘home page’ – julle is nou sommer ook advertensie-modelle! Iets om op terug te val as julle na dese nie kan aanpas in julle professies nie?1 Kannie wag vir Sa.aand!!!! E

  2. Dit was goed om jou stem te kon hoor vanoggend Francois. Welkom terug julle twee ware pioniers! V1xx

  3. Lekker kuier in Pta, kan nie wag vir Saterdag 18.15 op Kaapstad lughawe!!!! Sal die honde probeer insmokkel…..

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