North – South bicycle journey
My name is Michał Sałaban and in May 2011 I started cycling from the northernmost point of Europe to the southernmost point of Africa. After almost 19 months on the road I was lucky to reach my destination. During that time I visited 25 countries on three continents. Those days spent on the bike have been the biggest adventure of my life... so far.
581 days on the road, 30,442 km cycled
Latest entries
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Oasis to oasis
Jan. 31, 2012 (day 258)
The trip to Cairo was successful. I received the visa extension for three months, exactly as I had requested. That means I could enjoy Egypt until 29th of March, but thinking about the ...
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Meeting Sahara
Jan. 20, 2012 (day 247)
Perhaps crossing Cairo would be much easier on Friday morning, the only moment during the week when the enormous traffic seems to be less intense. But I did not want to wait for ...
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Before going into the wild
Jan. 12, 2012 (day 239)
Cairo is a key point in my journey, as it is located approximately in the middle of the distance I am going to cover. Also a new year has begun, which does not ...
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Egyptian holidays
Jan. 9, 2012 (day 236)
"Welcome to Egypt!" is the phrase one hears at least a few times a day, while visiting Egyptian cities. The friendly attitude towards visitors, to which I became used in the Middle East, ...
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January RowerTour edition
Jan. 6, 2012 (day 233)
After seven months of riding my tales from the road have been published for the first time in dead-tree version. The article about European and Turkish adventures has just hit the shelves with ...
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Last days in Asia
Dec. 16, 2011 (day 212)
On the last day in Aqaba it came to my mind to check CouchSurfing. With unpredictable access to the net and many spontaneous invitations, I had not used any hospitality websites since Turkey. ...
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Chasing the sun
Dec. 1, 2011 (day 197)
From Petra I consequently followed the King's Way, a scenic road which goes along main Jordanian mountain ridges. That meant another climb to about 1650m, which proved to be easier than I expected ...
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Among rocks and canyons
Nov. 25, 2011 (day 191)
I had been thinking if it could be possible to go from Karak to Petra in a single day. Perhaps yes, but it took me three days. The road crosses numerous canyons, including ...
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Kidnapped by prophet's followers
Nov. 22, 2011 (day 188)
In the morning I could find a break in the rain and pack the tent reasonably dry. Changing inner tube of a muddy wheel was not so pleasant, though. This was one of ...
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Mess at the exit
Nov. 19, 2011 (day 185)
The road from Damascus to the border seemed straight. Well, in topological terms it was, but otherwise getting out from the country proved to be not so simple. Or perhaps it would have ...
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In desert and city
Nov. 14, 2011 (day 180)
Palmyra is a top tourist site in Syria. However, going there I did not expect meeting crowds. The tense situation in the country, the low season and the religious holiday were a guarantee ...
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Once hosted, once at gunpoint
Nov. 11, 2011 (day 177)
After passing through Aleppo, I have been getting used to the sight of military checkpoints. The coastal region is no exception in that matter, as the city of Lattakia witnessed anti-government manifestations and ...
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Meeting the military
Nov. 2, 2011 (day 168)
Had the hotel been a little bit cleaner and less noisy, I would have got lazy and never left Aleppo. Time, however, had come to pedal further south. My next planned stop were ...
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Tourist free zone
Oct. 29, 2011 (day 164)
Şanlıurfa is a nice city. So nice, that I almost regretted leaving it after only two days, but another border was so close. I had been waiting impatiently to see what was on ...
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The eastern detour
Oct. 23, 2011 (day 158)
Descending from Mount Nemrut I could choose the simple way, and just go south, through Urfa, to the Syrian border. That had been my original plan. However, being so close to the Kurdish ...
