Monthly Archives: June 2009

What’s Really Happening In Iran Right Now?

By Tom | Published: June 23, 2009
As I wait in Dubai for my Iranian visa application to be processed, I’ve been watching the events portrayed in the international media of Iran’s elections and subsequent demostrations with a certain amount of frustration. I have deeper ties than most to the country. Not only did I spent several weeks travelling in Iran last year, [...]
Posted in Expedition Log | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 16 Comments

The End Of One Journey And The Start Of Another

By Tom | Published: June 18, 2009
Today marks the second anniversary of my departure from my family home in England, and my twenty-sixth birthday. “None of us have any experience of cycle touring before, so this is really going to test our mental and physical endurance”, I wrote on this blog on the morning of departure, and a couple of hours later, [...]
Posted in Expedition Log | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

A Final Push to Dubai

By Tom | Published: June 12, 2009
I got off the bus in Muscat and noticed immediately that the crowds assembling to watch me reconstructing my bike were not Omanis. South Asians from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka form a large underclass in Oman, working as labourers on construction sites and in date plantations, as mechanics, metalworkers and carpenters, and running [...]
Posted in Expedition Log | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 8 Comments

Oman, Land Of Riches

By Tom | Published: June 7, 2009
From the southern city of Salalah I planned to ride through Oman towards the UAE. Arriving late at night in a new city is never fun when you’re travelling with a pushbike, and I had the added hindrance of being entirely unfamiliar with what made Oman tick. The streets were surprisingly busy with pedestrians at this [...]
Posted in Expedition Log | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments