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Cycling East
  • Silke und Hauke
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Cycling East

A 315-day adventure by Silke und Read more
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  • Silke und HaukeCycling EastTraveler
    Let's go for a swim?
    A salty cave affair3Time for lunch at Kharbas cavesMajid & friends

    .. in the Persian Gulf

    January 20, 2018 in Iran ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    The island's coastline is dotted with small, sleepy fishermen villages and we encountered only very few cars till we got closer to Qeshm Town in the East. There are many more Geopark sites on the southern coast such as the Namakdan salt cave, one of the longest salt cave systems in the world, and the Kharbas caves which are embedded in an almost vertical limestone cliff.

    Sleeping under clear night skies, going for a swim in the gulf, spotting dolphins, watching the banderi life in the fishermen villages and marveling at the hand-decorated sewings made by local women rounded up our pretty relaxed time on the southern coastline.

    In Qeshm Town, a shopping paradise cluttered with malls and hotels, we finally should experience Iranian hospitality for the last time. Majid approached us when we're hanging out with Gabriel at a falafel shop and invited us to stay at his apartment over night. We couldn't refuse and finally had a great evening with him and his friends :)

    A quick note on the 'sustainable development' the Geopark is promoting on Qeshm: For us, cycling around the island was still like cycling through an almost untouched paradise, except the area around Qeshm Town, but we have doubts that the island will manage to preserve its special flair... It is rich in gas and oil deposits waiting to be exploited, you can see that port facilities are being built into the sea in every little village, they've started but stopped building a bridge to the mainland which would increase traffic volume dramatically and there are discussions about building a deepwater port. As if that weren't enough, shark oil, soap and shampoo is sold by souvenir shops - thumbs down for that.    Read more

  • Silke und HaukeCycling EastTraveler
    Ladies' picnic
    Sharing a passion :)1Made in Germany?!A memorable time1We've seen so much....but still so little.

    Good bye Iran!

    January 23, 2018 in Iran ⋅ 🌙 8 °C

    It's been more than 3 weeks now since we left Iran after spending 2 months there and we're still struggling to process all impressions of a certainly intense time. So, this is a try to roughly summarize:

    We found it incredibly easy to travel through this country. The selflessness, helpfulness, ease, hospitality and kindness of the people knows no limits and when we realized that after some time, there was in fact absolutely nothing we had to worry about. Maybe we've lost this feeling at all and that's why it felt really weird to board a ferry that would eventually take us to another country, where things would be different - and new, which made it exciting of course, as well. After all, that's one essence of traveling.

    We must admit that we felt safer than in any other country and thefts are probably a good example. What's going on in Germany and other European countries regarding bike thefts? It appears unthinkable to us that this would happen in Iran. There are always exceptions, of course, but we got the impression that criminality only plays a marginal role in the Iranian society - the social interaction is simply too warm-hearted! And we're pretty sure that the religion, especially the prayers as a form of meditation, and the absence of alcohol play a key role. It is certainly striking that there seems to be no stress but only calmness, everywhere. We finally got clear about this when we encountered the rude interaction of people in Dubai for the first time, and were kind of shocked.

    We're also wondering which value love and sexuality have in a society where it's almost impossible for boys and girls to get to know each other because they grow up apart (meaning separated classes, sports and music activities, no bars and clubs) and the traditional 'marrying somebody off' is still common practice. Some unmarried men in their late twenties told us that there is a 'modern way to get married' as well, but we felt that they were desperate to find or even get to know a woman. When they asked us about our relationship and we started talking about emotions and feelings, we could feel their uncomfortableness and consciously didn't mention 'love'. We don't want to judge about all Iranians, but we've thought and talked about this topic a lot and we believe that the various restrictions of the Iranians by their government prevent a development of love and sexuality from happening - with exceptions, which, in the public, immediately catch one's eye.

    The Iran is absolutely huge and so diverse, you can go skiing in the North and swimming in the gulf in the South at the same time, the variety of landscapes and climates, the natural beauty, the contrasts between bustling cities and the silence of mountains, deserts and coastline, the fresh fruits and vegetables, the spices, the tea and bread culture, the picnic and camping culture - traveling through this country is an adventure and each day is a different story.

    The fake news in the media and the fact that World War II propaganda is still alive is certainly one of the sad stories we experienced. How often did even young people praise the 'strong leader' in our past or tell us that Iranians, Japanese and Germans are of the same (Aryan) race? How can a father be so proud that his son looks 'almost German', after dying blond his hair? How can a TV program spread rumors that 1.7million Canadians are threatened by starvation in their country (we saw this in the police office for foreign affairs where we extended our visa - and where Iranians try to collect their passports to leave the country, Canada is a popular destination...)? Not everybody is questioning things and makes use of other sources to overcome the manipulation. We see the root of many issues in the educational system which is probably the strongest weapon of the government to keep control over the Iranian folk - and we hope that the Iranian people will never lose their courage, for a better future, and for more freedom.

    Here are some statistics of 59 days in Iran:
    Cycled kilometers: 3052
    Wild camping: 32 nights
    Hosted: 18 nights
    Hostel or Guesthouse: 7 nights
    Hotel: 1 night
    Max/min temperatures: 30/-14 degrees
    Fellow cyclists met: Karamat, Lena & Silvio, Mohamed, Abbas, Jan & Hannes, Valerie & Stijn, Gabriel, Lorenzo, Dennis, Anneke & Tane, Lorenzo, Frederic, Robert & Florian, Jakob, Philipp, Jean-Baptiste & Stephane
    Invitations, selfies, honking and waving, consumed bread, tea, fruits and nuts, mountain passes >2000m: countless :)
    'Where are you from?' answered: 15 times/day in average

    Cheers!    Read more

  • Silke und HaukeCycling EastTraveler
    Arrival in SharjahWhat a show!Famous JBR1

    Dubai - what a craze

    January 26, 2018 in the United Arab Emirates ⋅ ☀️ 17 °C

    The megalomania in form of steel, glass and concrete, oversized cars, consume and materialism, cosmetic surgery and entertainment made us feeling out of place - the contrasts to the last 2 months were just too overwhelming.

    A superficiality, rudeness, recklessness, hectic and artificiality leaped out at us in the people's behavior and our host explained us that this is what life in Dubai is about - no place to stay longer-term.

    On the other hand, the spectacular laser show at the Burj Khalifa thrilled us and we could forget those impressions.
    However, the lack of history and culture makes this place still acting as an empty shell. Dubai put up a big front - and we believe that many visitors might better not want to see behind the curtain.

    As Dubai is made for cars only, the cycling was rather annoying and we were quite happy when we left the city behind :)    Read more

  • Silke und HaukeCycling EastTraveler
    Exploring the Al Ain oasis
    Common companions on the Arabian PeninsulaBye bye skyscrapersSunset in the sand dunesTime for some relaxationIn charge of irrigation

    Al-Ain

    January 29, 2018 in the United Arab Emirates ⋅ ⛅ 20 °C

    After we had left Dubai behind, the landscape turned into a desert of sand dunes. We've never seen it like this before
    but the continuous hum of traffic (there are only a few highways crossing the desert) made it less idyllic. And meanwhile, 'dune bashing' with motorbikes, quads and other vehicles became so popular that you can hardly spot an area without tire tracks.

    We had not that much luck these days: Our try to get on a less frequented road failed because we were not allowed to continue at an Omani border checkpoint, the road was for locals only. Two flat tires followed and Hauke's cold got worse. But Al-Ain should become our oasis, for relaxation and cure :)

    As cyclists, we enjoyed a preferential treatment in a 5* hotel and received a suite, enjoyed the rooftop pool, sauna, jacuzzi and took time to explore the Al-Ain oasis in the heart of the city, an UNESCO site. The cleverly designed irrigation system, the lush green and the tweet of the birds are impressive and made it easy to imagine being in a tropical paradise.

    Then we're ready for Oman!    Read more

  • Silke und HaukeCycling EastTraveler
    1st spot to pitch our tent in Oman
    Omanis like to build stately homesFriday stays the holy dayWadi Maqniyat

    Oman, here we are!

    February 2, 2018 in Oman ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    We decided to not do what everybody does (cycle the highway to Ibri and Nizwa), used the border crossing east of Al-Ain and went straight into the mountains. A great decision!

    The roads were paved, there were no cars and the scenery was beautiful - the perfect start into a new country we're really looking forward to. But there were no ATMs as well, and nobody wanted our credit cards... Luckily we carried enough provisions for 3 days and they have public drinking water supplies everywhere along the roads.Read more

  • Silke und HaukeCycling EastTraveler
    Wadi life1Wadi camping1Time flies!1Morning view

    Hospitality continues

    February 4, 2018 in Oman ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    Our first interactions with the Omanis made the impression that they would be more unobtrusive than the Iranians - but as kind and helpful. It didn't take long and we were invited into some houses for, no, not tea, but Omani coffee and dates. They grow a lot of dates in Oman and refine them with sesame or spices. The delicious coffee is flavored with cardamom and cloves and served in mini cups :)

    We should also learn how steep the Omanis build their roads. We had heard that before and since then pushing our bikes has become part of our daily cycling. However, the hard work is worth it! :)    Read more

  • Silke und HaukeCycling EastTraveler
    'Balcony hike'
    Minthar, here we come!What a windfallBreak with a viewIt's worth it :)Kitchen, Bedroom, Bath

    Arabian..

    February 7, 2018 in Oman ⋅ ⛅ 11 °C

    At least since the lift we were given halfway up to the Jebel Shams, the madness of this road was on our minds. The last 18km up there took the whole day and we found a perfect camp spot 50m from the rim just before dawn.

    No motion was possible the next day, so our only moves were to the rim and to collect firewood. Luckily, we carried enough provisions so that we could delay our canyon hike and the downhill run to the day after..    Read more

  • Silke und HaukeCycling EastTraveler
    PedalpowerMountain snakeWadi GhulSunset cruising

    ..Grand Canyon

    February 9, 2018 in Oman ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C

    ..and we admired the fantastic landscape even more: Hiking along a narrow ledge in the canyon and riding the same road back down opened up some new perspectives.

    Let the pictures speak:

  • Silke und HaukeCycling EastTraveler
    Back at sea level
    1LunchtimeOasis breakHappy morning climb3Sleeping under palms

    Gulf of Oman is calling

    February 12, 2018 in Oman ⋅ ⛅ 24 °C

    After adventure cycling the high altitudes of the Al Hajar Mountains our plan was to head back to the sea. Doing so we decided to avoid big highways, took mainly side roads and eventually felt like test drivers of the 'Tour of Oman' circuit that would take place a few days later.

    We enjoyed cycling through lower foothills and passed by several wadis and green oasis villages where we usually stopped by to escape from the hottest time of the day and have lunch.

    It happened that we met Lena & Silvio again, cyclists from Germany we met in Northern Iran for the first time. This time the two of them had Felix over, a friend and bicycle enthusiast from home. We ended up in the same spot for the night, played skat under a big acacia till night and got back on the road as a team of five the next morning.

    We reached the sea in Sib, where we pitched our tent at the beach and enjoyed the regained, pleasant sea breeze.    Read more

  • Silke und HaukeCycling EastTraveler
    Oriental atmosphere meets German shipbuilding
    Armed with a stink bomb :)Evening stroll at the Mutrah Corniche1Residential suburb by the seaBlue hourWell-groomed

    The three cities

    February 15, 2018 in Oman ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    Separated by sharp mountain ridges,
    Muscat comprises a long string of suburbs spanning a distance of 50km. More or less the city is divided into the three districts Mutrah, Ruwi and Old Muscat.

    We found Mutrah to be the best place to be as the district stretches along a nice corniche. Especially at sunset when the evening light creates a special atmosphere we loved to stroll along the waterfront - or just sit outside in a restaurant and watch the people.

    As these days, the Sultanate of Oman is a kind of dead end by land, it was time to do some planning. We knew that we wanted to spend more time in Oman and turned options over in our minds, especially Nepal, India and Sri Lanka with their different climates. Eventually, we chose Nepal to tackle the Himalaya! Thus, we booked flights from Salalah to Kathmandu which means: 1500km more to cycle in Oman, yeah!

    Quick note: The super yacht 'Al Said' berthed in the Port of Muscat in Mutrah is one of the largest in the world and belongs to the Sultan of Oman, Qabus Ibn'Said. It was proudly built by Lürssen near our hometown.    Read more

  • Silke und HaukeCycling EastTraveler
    32

    Water fun

    February 17, 2018 in Oman ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    The sinkhole near Bimmah appeared on our map at the right time - both days after leaving Muscat were above 30 degrees with no wind. Thus, we didn't hesitate to jump into the pretty cold water! And we were not the only ones, it was holy Friday and there were many Omanis besides the tourists.

    Next day we got to the popular Wadi Shab, the first one with water we would see - and a spectacular one! A boat took us to the other side and after a 45 minutes hike we could jump into chilled water again, swim upstream and dive through a tight crevice into a cave with turquoise water. The absolute adrenalin rush (for Hauke) followed after climbing up along the inside of the cave and diving into the deepness :)    Read more

  • Silke und HaukeCycling EastTraveler
    Praying time
    PebblesCoastal cruisingCamping with OmanisLow on fuel

    On the road

    February 19, 2018 in Oman ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

    There's always a lot going on in our everyday life as cyclists in Oman, here are a few things:

    Omanis love huge cars, their SUV's and pickups can't be big enough and they love to slow down next to us, do some smalltalk, invite us to their homes (not always seriously.. it's more their kind of 'Taruf') and pull their smartphone to take videos and photographs. And, they love to not leave their cars and if so, they keep it switched on to keep the AC running. Must be a habit coming from the incredible hot summers.. Whenever we sit in a restaurant or coffee shop, they stop in front of it, start honking and wait for the waitstaff to come and place their takeaway order. By the way, we've never seen a woman working in a restaurant nor an Omani woman eating there with her family. Fathers sometimes come with their kids, but it's absolutely a male domain.

    And while we're writing about restaurants, there is something more: In the non-touristy restaurants, cutlery is taboo. You get some nice, warm, fresh, greasy bread and grab your lentils, beans and other veggies with that, yummy! And for some reason, compared to our, other tables always look like a mess after the Omanis finished their meals, maybe they should introduce some tools..

    Whenever we enter an Omani house, hotel or something, it is likely to happen that we end up in an intense fume. Burning incense that is made from myrrh is an old tradition and the Omanis like to hold their headgear above it and quickly put it back on their head then, or, more astonishing, put it between their feet, standing above and waiting for the fume to fill their Thawb :)    Read more

  • Silke und HaukeCycling EastTraveler
    1
    Late arrival (& swim)Wadi campingMuqalHanging outThe pools are ours

    Wadi Bani Khalid

    February 21, 2018 in Oman ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    There is only one road and to get there you have to climb a super steep, 18% average ascent for about 3km. And you have to do it twice (if you not decide to stay in the Wadi for the rest of your life) because the mountain ridge simply is 'standing in the way'.

    It's great that the Omanis take it easy with us, so that we could pitch our tent 20 meters from the natural pools. Although this site is being overrun with tourists doing a daytrip from Muscat every noon, we had a quiet, refreshing and relaxing time - there's nobody in the mornings and people disappear quickly in the afternoon to see the sunset in the Wahibah Sands. Perfect for us and we decided to stay another night to enjoy the pearl of beauty.    Read more

  • Silke und HaukeCycling EastTraveler

    Crossing the Wahibah Sands

    February 23, 2018 in Oman ⋅ 🌙 29 °C

    We wanted to see the yellow, orange, red sand dunes and cycled to Badiya which is the 'entrance' to the Wahibah Sands (and the place where the road ends and literally turns into sand). So why not find a nice Omani who would take us through the desert? It didn't take long until we had our bikes and all staff on the truck bed of Bader's pickup, 250km through the sand ahead. It should turn out to be a fatal decision..

    The 'track' condition was okay in the beginning because there are some Beduins living with their camels and sheep and a few tourist camps. But it got worse and worse and we were fascinated how a car can be so full of power and robust to master the incredibly steep ups and downs through the deep, fine sand. And we were even more impressed by the beauty of the landscape. What an awesome run! What we didn't really notice was that our bikes and bags were heavily bouncing up and down in the back.

    When we arrived at the sea on the other side of the desert it felt like entering a different world. People were living in tents and simple huts there, the humidity was overwhelming and it looked like the massive sand dunes are moving into the sea - what a surreal world. The sun was already set so we told Bader to drop us near the road. We unloaded our staff from the pickup and when we tried to push our bikes we augured ill. After turning our bikes upside down we could see more with our flashlights: Silke's chain was off and her rear wheel completely askew, touching the frame which was bent by maybe 5cm or more, her rear brake bent, Hauke's brake broken and lost the oil, the rack bent as well. What a screw-up! The following 24h became a nightmare..

    Pitching our tent under tears, being sticky and sandy, desperate and hopeless, not knowing what to do we found ourselves sitting next to the road with all our staff and broken bikes the next morning, after a sleepless night with many more tears, somewhere in the nowhere.

    The rock bottom of our journey, we thought that was it, we have to fly home..

    (We're pretty sure that we would not have written the lines above like they are if we weren't back on the road again, and cycling!)    Read more

  • Silke und HaukeCycling EastTraveler
    2Confidence is dominating
    Not to be underestimated1A glorious mess71

    Hope is the last thing to die

    February 26, 2018 in Oman ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    Since we entered Iran, every tiny little village has had at least ten repair workshops for cars along its main road, and so did every tiny little village in Oman. So far. That was our hope. We could stop an Omani with an empty pickup and he took us to the next village where our hope vanished - another village built of huts and tents. It had a 'car repair workshop', of course, but the only thing that could be done was pumping up flat tires of cars which had crossed the Wahibah Sands.

    Thus, we had to hitchhike again, a hundred kilometers to the next village, Hiji. We were sent from one workshop to another and ended up in the 'Steel Work Shop' of Bijoy and Faruak from India. They felt confident to solve all our problems...

    Communication wasn't that easy but it didn't take long until we had disassembled Silke's bike. The extent of the deformation became clearly visible. More people joined and discussions started about what to do and how to do it. Actually, no decision was made, but from one second to another, we found Faruak jumping on the frame and Bijoy pulling one side. Tears again. We realized that this was the only way to do something here, in the heat and dust in front of this 'workshop' in this 'village'. Surprisingly, the alignment got better and better, we even could put the rear wheel back in, put the chain on and turn it. Sometimes, Bijoy, Faruak and Hauke were standing on the frame at the same time, pushing and pulling and eventually the final alignment succeeded! As if the frame would have memorized its original positions.

    It took the rest of this day and the next day to do the fine tuning and all other repairs, and to get our staff ready for the road again.
    Eggs and tins with beans were broken in our bags (how stupid could we be?), our steel pint and cup were battered...and the loose spaghetti survived.

    However, we still can't put our luck into words and can't believe that we're back on the road, cycling, more than 600 kilometers further and almost in Salalah. What an emotional rollercoaster. We've also realized that we've developed a strong, emotional relationship to our bicycles during the last six months and we promised to treat them with more care and respect.

    Our first days back on our bikes were about fighting strong headwinds and flying sands (a sandy shower with every oncoming vehicle) through an indescribable, empty, quiet, desert landscape, sometimes without any service for more than 200 kilometers (so we had to carry reams of water and provisions). Perfect to process what had just happened.. And starting to cycle at 4am in the morning turned out to be a suitable strategy to escape strong winds and heat.    Read more

  • Silke und HaukeCycling EastTraveler
    The camels are walking us home
    Natural purityYes we do!Happy to continue this trip :)1Such a lovely beach :)1Evening mood

    A touch of Caribbean

    February 28, 2018 in Oman

    We left the sand dunes and sand storms behind us and got to another beautiful Wadi. Compared to most of the other Wadis we've seen, the Wadi Tharif is definitely located off the beaten tourist track. So there was only us, wild palms, a beautiful lagoon and a picturesque beach. It felt quite surreal to find such a place on the edge of the desert which turned out to be not only an oasis for us, but also for plenty of animals such as flamingos, pelicans, and seagulls as well as sheep, donkeys and camels.Read more

  • Silke und HaukeCycling EastTraveler
    One of our beach villas
    Shade!Evening moodApproaching the sea 1Sunrise bathApproaching the sea 2

    Coastal remoteness

    March 3, 2018 in Oman

    Oman has an almost endless coastline, more than 3000(!)km, and there are just 4 million people living in this country. Not surprisingly, we encountered only very few people and cars, most of them fishermen or fishermen in their pickups with huge ice boxes full of fish on their truck beds.

    Fishing is an important income source for the Omanis, they fish with bow nets and small boats along the coast or traditional dhows a bit further out. We've heard that the fishing grounds are rich and the way they fish is still away from industrial exploitation. Fingers crossed that industrial fishery doesn't take over. But we've passed a few construction sites around Al Duqm where a large fishing port and infrastructure is being built...

    And in a newly opened museum in the Mirbat fort we recently learned that Oman is still catching sharks for their fins. 'The demand from Far East is increasing' it says. Cruel.

    It's been getting hot and hotter these days so we've celebrated every tree or shelter that would give some shade with a nourishing break (we've started cooking pancakes from mashed bananas, eggs and oats, cinnamon and peanut butter on top, yummy!) underneath. Otherwise, a jump into the crystal clear waters is the only way to cool down (a bit).    Read more

  • Silke und HaukeCycling EastTraveler
    Made it to the top!
    This nice, new road is oursAnother viewpointAnother unexpected canyonCamp at the rim

    Another Grand Canyon

    March 5, 2018 in Oman ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    We left the wide flat coastal plain including the last small fishing village behind us and followed the quite new coastal road climbing up to a plateau of another great canyon. We loved the view so much so that we didn't think twice about pitching our tent directly at the rim of the canyon.Read more

  • Silke und HaukeCycling EastTraveler
    Reached the beachSurprised fishermen

    We found our paradise

    March 7, 2018 in Oman ⋅ ☀️ 6 °C

    There was this super steep downhill run, we literally dropped down to sea level, 700m on less than 10km. It was noontime, the sun was burning on our skin - and we knew that it would go up again as steep. We looked left into the wadi, saw the palms, saw that there was water (water in a wadi!) and could hear waves breaking somewhere. So let's go there, it seems to be a nice place (procrastination?)!

    It is called Wadi Suneik on our map and there was definitely no other option than staying the rest of the day and spend the night there :)

    We were actually running out of water, but luckily, we found a water canister with about 4 remaining liters we could use for cooking because the water in the wadi was too salty and there are no facilities, nobody and nothing, nature in its pure beauty. Strolling around the untouched palms felt somehow wild and bewildering and the vegetation made the access to the water a bit difficult.

    The real challenge was an access to the beach we could hear but not see. Swimming through the wadi for about 2km could have been an option, but too exhausting, so climbing along the rock face seemed natural, exhausting as well, but the effort provided a wonderful beach. Fishermen passing by were a bit surprised...

    Days like this feel like a real, natural adventure, we didn't know that this place exists, we didn't expect anything (except the steep drop and climb of the road we were not really looking forward to), we discovered this place by accident and explored it on our own, without any information. We spontaneously decided to spend the night there and listened to the 'concert of the jungle' at night, a starry sky above the palm roof. Our paradise.    Read more

  • Silke und HaukeCycling EastTraveler
    Camels blocking the road 1
    2Camels blocking the road 2Welovethe sea

    Another Great Ocean Road

    March 8, 2018 in Oman

    We love to cycle along the seaside, especially when foothills touch the sea and there is a mixture of ups and downs, cliffs and gorgeous hidden bays, beaches and a fresh sea breeze from the side. And lots of opportunities to jump into the waves for a refresher :)

    All this is given on the road between Shuaymiah and Mirbat, thus it definitely is another Great Ocean Road for us. We also already miss the majestic Omani camels!    Read more

  • Silke und HaukeCycling EastTraveler
    1Ready to take off
    Curious kids2They wanted a selfie..MirbatA beloved shelterSad turtle

    Curiosity

    March 9, 2018 in Oman ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C

    In the light of the recent, sad event and because we also see a connection to traveling, here a phrase Stephen Hawking once made up:
    'Look up at the stars, and not down at your feet. Try to make sense of what you see, and wonder about what makes the universe exist. Be curious.'Read more

  • Silke und HaukeCycling EastTraveler
    Archaelogical site Khor Rori
    1

    A sight and a beach

    March 10, 2018 in Oman ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C

    The closer we got to the UNESCO archeological site of ancient Khor Rori, the more we got aware that we did not only find an interesting historical place which was famous for exporting Arabian frankincense out into the world, but also a beautiful beach with water on both sides. Our decision to stay the rest of the day and overnight was quickly made - meanwhile, we can't imagine to fall asleep without the sound of the sea anymore.Read more

  • Silke und HaukeCycling EastTraveler

    Salalah comes closer

    March 12, 2018 in Oman ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C

    White powder beaches, turquoise waters, coconut palms, banana and papaya trees - cycling to Salalah felt like a tropical dream and we could have spent so much more time there.

    No wonder that tourism is developing and some luxury resorts, or 'Western Tourist Villages' opened their doors in the recent years. We smuggled ourselves into one of them and were a bit surprised to see cocktails being shaken in the beach bars and people walking around in swimming wear :) It felt like entering back into Oman after leaving the village.Read more

  • Silke und HaukeCycling EastTraveler
    Fruit paradise
    Inside the Sultan Qaboos Mosque2Light ridingWhat a beach!No words needed :)Good bye Oman!

    Captivating Salalah (and Oman!)

    March 17, 2018 in Oman ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    A green stripe of verdurous plantations separates the city from the sea and creates a peaceful atmosphere at the beautiful beach - there’s actually nothing going on except for the time around sunset when the locals drive by.

    Life in Salalah is going really slow and we loved it: We loved the relaxed atmosphere. We loved to drink and eat fresh coconuts and fruits as we were sitting in the shade of the plantations. We loved to hang out between the palms at the beach. We loved to cycle around without luggage to explore the surroundings. We loved to cook delicious food in the apartment we had rent for this week. We loved the samosa, falafel and cakes from the bakery around the corner. And we realized how much we love the last 1.5 months we spent in Oman. We cycled more than 2000km here and actually camped every night except for our time in Muscat and Salalah, so this country is perfect for travelers who love to spend a tranquil time out in nature.

    And wow, we’ve been 200 days on the road, time flies! Here are some statistics:

    Distance cycled: 9862km (incl. 503km of sight cycling)
    Cycling days: 139
    Avg. distance on cycling days: 67.3km
    Longest cycling day: 115km
    Max. speed: 66km/h
    Wild camping: 98 nights
    Host: 43 nights
    Hostel/Guesthouse: 33 nights
    Hotel: 17 nights
    Official camping spot: 5 nights
    Ferry: 3 nights
    Rain days: 8 on our bikes, 3 in a warm accommodation (no rain since 11 Nov in Azerbaijan.. :))
    Flat tires: Hauke 4:1 Silke
    Hitchhiking: 5 times
    Climbed passes >2000m: Several in Iran, one in Georgia, one in Oman
    Consumed falafel, sangak, lentils, dates: Uncountable

    Cheers!    Read more

  • Silke und HaukeCycling EastTraveler
    'Monkey' temple
    1st time Himalaya!Our family is completeBusiness as usualOmmmmmm...Smoky Kathmandu valley

    Namasté Nepal!

    March 19, 2018 in Nepal ⋅ ☀️ 18 °C

    Our arrival to Nepal was quite overwhelming, it felt like entering a new world after such a long time in quasi uninhabited Oman. Flying has probably become a too fast way to change countries for us. It took us three hours then to get our bikes ready - in front of the airport building and under the wide eyes of a throng of rubbernecks :)

    Cycling into the city was intense, chaotic left-hand traffic, so many people, so many colors, colorful women (again at last!) everywhere! There were so many impressions hailing down on us, the social and environmental issues directly jumping into our eyes (and noses). We immediately knew it: A new adventure would begin here, in Kathmandu, and we’re super excited about the next weeks, Namasté!    Read more

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