While working in Qatar I bought myself a motorbike. That had since long been a dream of mine. I stumbled on this bike by accident, secondhand, on a expat community site. It was perfect, and that had nothing to do with the colour. So I bought it. Even then, the journey back to belgium was already part of the sale, a distant and vague plan, but one that always lingered in the back of my head. I enjoyed the bike during my stay in Qatar, on the road and even more "off the road" in the Southern part of Qatar, the sand dunes.
Untill the day I got fired in January 2009. Even the 'best employer of Belgium' was not immune for the global economic crisis and before I knew it I was out of job. I was left in Qatar with a group of good friends, a load of memories and an orange problem bike. A 'problem' bike, yes. In December 2008 it seriously broke down. I had to change the cylinder, the piston and the cylinder cover (and spent almost a month's salary on the repairs), due to a major breakdown related to poor fuel quality and a shabby maintenance service in Qatar. There I am, no job and a bike into pieces. My first reaction was:"Sell it!". I posted an add. One of the interested buyers was an Iranian man, the friendliest person I have ever met. We met so he could see and test the bike. The moment I saw him taking the bike for a spin around the compound I realized that I could not sell this machine. I would gear it up and do it. I would do what I planned the moment I bought the bike, go on that journey back to Belgium.
February and April I sorted everything out for the trip (in March I travelled Oman for three weeks with Liz). Paperwork, Visa for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, road maps, travel guides, sort out what spare parts and tools I would have to take along, installing the luggage system, give myself a crash course in bike mecanics and emergency repairs... Step by step I got myself ready for this adventure, until there was nothing left to sort out and the only thing I had to do was (apart from throwing three leaving dinner/bbq/parties) rev it and go.
Untill the day I got fired in January 2009. Even the 'best employer of Belgium' was not immune for the global economic crisis and before I knew it I was out of job. I was left in Qatar with a group of good friends, a load of memories and an orange problem bike. A 'problem' bike, yes. In December 2008 it seriously broke down. I had to change the cylinder, the piston and the cylinder cover (and spent almost a month's salary on the repairs), due to a major breakdown related to poor fuel quality and a shabby maintenance service in Qatar. There I am, no job and a bike into pieces. My first reaction was:"Sell it!". I posted an add. One of the interested buyers was an Iranian man, the friendliest person I have ever met. We met so he could see and test the bike. The moment I saw him taking the bike for a spin around the compound I realized that I could not sell this machine. I would gear it up and do it. I would do what I planned the moment I bought the bike, go on that journey back to Belgium.
February and April I sorted everything out for the trip (in March I travelled Oman for three weeks with Liz). Paperwork, Visa for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, road maps, travel guides, sort out what spare parts and tools I would have to take along, installing the luggage system, give myself a crash course in bike mecanics and emergency repairs... Step by step I got myself ready for this adventure, until there was nothing left to sort out and the only thing I had to do was (apart from throwing three leaving dinner/bbq/parties) rev it and go.
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