We are fast coming to the end of an amazing eight years of living and working in Oman, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, and at the moment we seem to have an overwhelming number of things to finalise before leaving Dubai. 

Preparing to get to the start line of our Cape to Cairo odyssey, Chris' spreadsheet is smokin' and Dale's bike modifications are coming to an end.  A friend recently asked why it has taken eight years to complete the bike modifications.  Dale simply replied “I was working”…

Dale has now officially retired and the thing he says he'll miss most will be the phone ping to say his monthly salary has been banked!  It would be impossible to sum up one’s working career in a single paragraph, but we can say that Dale's career has been full of discovery, computers, creative software programming, cutting edge technology, mentoring, building stuff, 21st Century mega-projects, and importantly, forging solid friendships. 

Immersed in a foreign culture, Chris chose to pursue activities of cultural interest and significance.  She took the opportunity to shift from a career in business management to follow her passions of swimming and photography.  One significant project was as photographer for the first book to be written about the famous Muttrah Souq in Muscat.  Her swim teaching included coaching Omani boys and girls at The Sultans Private School to compete to national level; and teaching absolute beginner Gulf ladies in Qatar to be water safe and enjoy their new found freedom.  In Oman, Chris taught freestyle technique for open water racing.  Putting theory into practice Chris herself swam the 4km Fahal Island swim each year from 2011, competing with many of her students.

Several years of residence in the Middle East have provided us with experiences and memories that are rich beyond words.

D-Day out of Dubai is the 15th of April.  We are air freighting the Guzzi to Cape Town and have been assured it will be waiting for us when we arrive.  No one suffixed this statement with insha'Allah, so we figure we have a good chance of her arriving as promised.  We will report on how this goes at a later date.

We are travel ready; the Guzzi will be travel ready; but our route remains a mystery.  Once we are sitting under an African tree, sipping home-brewed coffee, listening to the Guzzi exhaust crackle and cool to the grumble of lions sleeping in the midday sun, then we will draw breath and work out which way to steer...  Suggestions gratefully accepted!