We have completed Arniston on Southern tip of Africa to Alexandria on the northern tip - just under 20,000kms in all on our KTM 990 Adventures which have been brilliant. Fanny, a former professional volleyball player fromChina hadn't ridden a bike before and only got her driving licence in January 2011. Now she has crossed Africa, and experienced every type of road (incl.some tough roads in north Kenya) and all weather conditions except snow which we have to look forward to in Europe. The adventure and pictures and details of bikes is at:
--- www.bigbiketrip.net (English);
---and the very popular Chinese site, 方怡的环球摩旅fangfanny_新浪博客

We have been trying all sorts of options to get from Egypt to somewhere in Europe. We were nearly successful as the Chinese Ambassador to Egypt stepped in to help Fanny and arranged a COSCO cargo ship to take us from Port Said in Egypt to Piraeus port in Greece. We prepared all the documentation and rode 500 kilometers through the Sinai desert from Dahab to find out that Greek Immigration has scuppered the plan by demanding a pointless and unnecessary indemnity letter from COSCO, which as a Chinese State Owned shipping company they cannot provide as we are not employees.

Fanny has a Schengen visa for all EU countries for a year. I am British and therefore hold an EU passport which I believe Greece is still a member of. We have Carne de Passages for both bikes ( which are not required for Greece anyway), we have European motorcycle insurance, and we ride Austrian motorcycles that adhere to the strictest EU emission controls. If we were to arrive at a Greek road border on our bikes there would be no issue and so we remain confused why this demand is being made by the Greek authorities. That said we have solicited help from a Greek law firm based in Piraeus that will try and help us, including lobbying the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs on our behalf. My own attempts to solicit any help whatsoever from my own consular representatives at the British Embassy in Egypt resulted in the usual 'Computer says Noooo' responses, much as they did in Nairobi. Hey Ho.

So until we hear any news we are back to square one and will have to decide between riding through Jordan, Syria and to Turkey and on to Greece (ironically) etc... or through Libya to Tunis and a boat to Sicily and north through Italy OR Tripoli to Malta on the newly running ferry. According to local Islamic beliefs, if we get shot or any other misfortune befalls us in either Libya or Syria then its Allah's will (Insha'Allah - إن شاء الله) ... so that's reassuring.

Regarding the Libyan route option, we have seen on TV and could actually hear the sickening and blood thirsty celebrations outside the Libyan embassy from the great Mayfair hotel in Cairo, that my favourite and most eccentric African klepotomaniac despot tyrant had been butchered. Is it a safe route now? Who knows

On the Syrian route we have just heard that Syria is no longer issuing visas as journalists had been posing as tourists. Our Syrian contact / visa fixer person has fled to Dubai, such is his confidence in his safety and well-being in Syria. His email said bluntly, 'don't go, its dangerous'. Whatever the reality or rationale, the Syrian option has been struck through for now.
... 永不放弃