Random-Riding: Sharjah to Dubai to Muscat

First Camp with the other three

Harbor of Sharjah

A couple of days ago we took the ferry from Bandar Abbas to Sharjah north of Dubai. As the ferry was supposed to leave at 20:00 we had to be there at 18:30. But it turned out that we had to wait longer, because the ferry actually left at 22:00...The good thing was: at the port we met our first other cycle travelers. They were three guys, two from Germany and one from Spain. And we were most happy to discuss our experiences during the evening. On the ferry we got invited by one of the workers to hang out in the VIP area next to the captains room, to have tea there and sleep there as well. But the ship was rather small and sea was a bit rough, so it got pretty shaky up there. The only one who enjoyed the hammock feeling was Matteo who spend the night there, all the rest preferred to sleep somewhere on deck. Must be very weird for the crew to see those foreigners, who were offered the VIP lounge finally to sleep on a bench outside....

The next 4 days we spent all together, first visiting Sharjah camping on the beach and then visiting Dubai.

Hitchhiking (Aquarium of Sharjah)

biggest building in the world from our campside

First we were a big afraid of the prices in Dubai. Especially because of the Hotel prices. But in the end we managed to find a perfect camp side in Dubai as well. Just next to the world's biggest building is a huge wasteland where the locals use to drive their huge cars through the sand. There next to some palms we camped for the next three nights. It was amazing! In this crazy city, every thing seems possible. The first morning a police car went by and asked us what we were doing there. When he found out that we cycled from Europe to Dubai he wouldn't believe first. Then he just laughed "Mashalllaaaah!" and went away.... cool man.

One evening in the beach we basically cycled into two other cyclists from England., who just flew in from Egypt because the situation there was getting to dangerous. So our group consisted already of seven people. It was getting nicer and nicer on our little camp side.

The whole cycling gang: Klaus, Tim, Miguel, Matteo, Dan, Kai (Mascha taking the picture)

our new team mates: Tim and Dan

As the to English wanted to go to Muscat as well we decided to go together. So we left the other three and went towards the border. We were lucky to be blown up the mountains from an incredible tail wind that lasted for the next two days. It was really nice. We spend a couple of day cycling slowly down the coast. On the one hand because I (Mascha) have a sore knee on the other hand because now we are with Tim and Dan from England who love tea soooo much. I have to admit I was very glad about this. But with a break for tea every couple of kilometers and a long break for lunch we still managed to cycle 80km per day. The nights we mostly spend on the beach after a short bath there, where I once swam into a snake....don't know if there are any dangerous ones here.

Right now we are glad to stay and Ben's and Sabine's house near Muscat. Ben is English and Sabine comes from Alto Adige in Italy, with a very cute baby who we met at the border. Rather brave of them to let four dirty and smelly strangers into their house. All of us not taking a proper shower since we arrived in the Emirates....Actually Matteo and I wanted to take a plane from Muscat to India, but then Ben told us about many nice places south of Muscat....and we decided to join Dan and Tim and cycle more south to see more of the old Oman.