An adventure, currently forming in my head and taking shape in a note book, to simply get from A to B. 'A' is Aden, Yemen and 'B' is Belfast, Northern Ireland.
The connection with Aden stems from my Granddad having served there on military service. From there, the aim will be to make my way back home to Belfast. I'll be riding my bike and walking overland. Each stretch of water will ideally be crossed by yacht. The route will take me from Aden, to west Yemen and across to Djibouti. From the horn of Africa I'll go North, into Eritrea and Sudan, then follow the Nile through Sudan and Egypt to the sea. To avoid politically unstable countries, but mainly to add to the challenge, I'd like to then sail over to Cyprus and from there to Turkey. Once in Turkey, I'll cycle on to Istanbul and through Europe, swimming in lakes and crossing The Alps.
I have some questions and am open to any advice/input, especially from people who may have travelled part of the route. I currently own a Dawes Super Galaxy, upon which I cycled the circumference of France. Naturally, I'm attached to this bike, but is it really adequate for cycling through the desert of North Africa? Would a mountain-touring bike be more suitable? What are the road conditions like through Djibouti, Eritrea, Sudan and Egypt? What is the likelihood of getting a passage on a yacht from Egypt across the Mediterranean to Cyprus, Crete, or another Greek island? And then onto the mainland? Where is the best place on the Egyptian coastline to make this possible?
All other input would be greatly appreciated.
Please email: adam.thomas.skeet@gmail.com A.T.