B
ack at the house, Jamal lights
the fire pit while Hakeem makes us tea. The
table is filled with nuts, cakes and all sorts of
delicious sweet pies. We sit around the fire
and talk. With the help of Nader they tell us
about their families, their jobs and their lives
during the revolution. Hakeem tells that the
’farm’, as he calls the house, was used for
secretly organising the revolution until it was
confiscated by Gaddafi’s soldiers. The bullet
holes in the door are still visible.
literally is one straight asphalt road through
the vast landscape. Our bikes’ small engines
struggle with the strong wind. We push them to
their limit and ride as fast as possible after
Billy and Ross to make sure we reach Tobruk
before dark. When we have done 200 km and
are halfway, a car approaches us from the
opposite direction. Hakeem stops the car, gets
out and greets the men from the other car.
They then turn to us and, to our surprise,
introduce themselves as our escort for the
second stretch to Tobruk. Before we continue,
The next morning, there is a large Toyota
we drink some tea and refuel, all of this in the
Landcruiser parked next to our motorbikes. We middle of the desert! It’s time to say goodbye
notice it is heavily loaded and low in its
to Jamal and Hakeem. Again, we feel like
suspension. Hakeem grins, opens the car and
saying goodbye to very good friends. We take
shows us two huge 60-liter jerry cans that are
some group pictures, exchange details and
filled with fuel. He bought us the fuel we need then each go our way.
to ride to Tobruk! The cans are obviously too
big for us to carry, but Hakeem explains that
The second part of the route is not much
this is not a problem because he will go with
different from the first half, except that it is
us. He will escort us until halfway to Tobruk
possibly even more boring. When we get closer
and help us to refuel there. That will be a 200
to Tobruk, more cars join until we are a group
km escort. We are at a loss for words…
of four motorbikes and four cars. At the first
unbelievable!
military checkpoint, again two men are waiting
for us. They introduce themselves as Kamal and
It is still early when we get on our motorbikes
Sharif, and as members of the motorcycle club
and follow Hakeem through the busy city.
from Tobruk. Some friends from Tripoli had
Once we have left the city and are on the road informed them we were riding their way. They
to Tobruk, we are in the middle of the desert.
will help us find a hotel in Tobruk. As we enter
As far as the eye can see, there is only sand
the town, more cars and motorbikes join our
with a clear blue sky above it. It is very warm
group. We are welcomed as if we were a sports
and the air shimmers above the hot sand. After team that just won the world cup. People are
we have done about 30 km, Hakeem parks his
waving at us, taking our pictures and
car on the side of the road. Hakeem and Jamal welcoming us to their country. And as in
get out and say something about a Toyota
previous towns, our new friends first want to
Hilux that overtook us earlier. They both start
take us to one of the local attractions, before
calling some people. We are not entirely sure
they take us to a hotel. Even though we are all
why we have stopped, but we feel it is better
very tired from the long day on the bikes, we
to wait until they are done. They look a bit
cannot say no and are happy to follow them.
worried and they seem concerned for our
We visit the Commonwealth Cemetery of
safety. After about half an hour, Hakeem says: Tobruk where soldiers from Australia, Great
“OK, we go now.”
Britain, Poland and the Czech Republic are
buried as a result of the Second World War.
Although the desert is impressive, the route
After we visited the beautifully maintained
towards Tobruk is a bit boring to ride. It
cemetery, Kamal and Sharif take us to a hotel.