Yesterday (Saturday 20/Apr/2019) I had the pleasure and the honor to accompany for a full day, together with my friend Shmil Afias, the world traveler Armin Thalhofer, from Germany, who is doing the first long stop (5 to 10 days) of his trip around the world here in Israel.
From right to left: Shmil Afias, Armin Thalhofer, and myself (photo: Helio Diamant)
In the last years I had the pleasure to meet some people that are doing very special travels in motorcycles, and it is always a pleasure to do so.
In the last years I had the pleasure to meet some people that are doing very special travels in motorcycles, and it is always a pleasure to do so.
First of them was João Luís, a Portuguese guy that was finding “The Motorcycle Way to India”, in which he passed through part of India, Paquistan, Iran, Jordan, Israel and Egypt, and then after a confused period in Egypt met me in his second visit to Israel for a coffe cup in Jaffa, Israel.
From right to left: João Luis and myself (Photo: Helio Diamant)
Second was Thiago Moreira Salles Costa, a Brazilian guy that began a world motorcycle trip with a friend under the title “Temet Nosce” (Know Yourself, in latin), and at some point got separated from his friend and continued the trip by himself, until the middle of the trip, in Western Africa, when he decided to return to Brazil. I met him in São Paulo, Brazil, after he returned.
Second was Thiago Moreira Salles Costa, a Brazilian guy that began a world motorcycle trip with a friend under the title “Temet Nosce” (Know Yourself, in latin), and at some point got separated from his friend and continued the trip by himself, until the middle of the trip, in Western Africa, when he decided to return to Brazil. I met him in São Paulo, Brazil, after he returned.
Thiago Moreira Salles Costa (Photo: Temet Nosce)
But this is a special event, it is the first time I have the chance to travel for a full day with one of these guys.
Armin is 52 years old, and from the town of Krumbach, near Munich. He left home 2 weeks and 3 days ago, going south into Italy, and arrived last Wednesday to Israel. He is riding a BMW R1200 GS Adventure. This is how his motorcycle looks fully loaded for this trip:
But this is a special event, it is the first time I have the chance to travel for a full day with one of these guys.
Armin is 52 years old, and from the town of Krumbach, near Munich. He left home 2 weeks and 3 days ago, going south into Italy, and arrived last Wednesday to Israel. He is riding a BMW R1200 GS Adventure. This is how his motorcycle looks fully loaded for this trip:
Photo: Armin Thalhofer
Yesterday we met him in Tel Aviv in the morning, and travelled east with him.
We began from Mount Scopus, in Jerusalem, from where we could get a good view of the Judaea desert. From there, to the Mount of Olives for the great Panorama view of Jerusalem. On our way down from the Mount of Olives to Old Jerusalem, we stopped in a couple of significative churches.
Yesterday we met him in Tel Aviv in the morning, and travelled east with him.
We began from Mount Scopus, in Jerusalem, from where we could get a good view of the Judaea desert. From there, to the Mount of Olives for the great Panorama view of Jerusalem. On our way down from the Mount of Olives to Old Jerusalem, we stopped in a couple of significative churches.
After that, we parked our bikes near the Zion Gate and went by foot to see the place which is today both the tomb of King David and the place where Jesus was supposed to have had his last meal (a Passover Seder) before being captured by the Romans.
Back to the bikes, we travelled a couple of Kilometers to Jaffa Gate of Jerusalem, where we parked again and went into the Arab market, for roaming the market and also getting to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, place where Jesus is believed to be buried.
We ate our lunch in the form of a delicious Schwarma at the Arab market, and went back to our bikes to take the direction of the Dead Sea.
Travelling to the Dead Sea, we couldn’t give up on stopping at the St. Georges Monastery, which is a monastery built in the mountain, placed in the area between Wadi Kelt and Jericho, and surely at the place in which we get to the sea level, ready to continue riding down to the dead sea, which is around 420 meters under sea level.
Travelling to the Dead Sea, we couldn’t give up on stopping at the St. Georges Monastery, which is a monastery built in the mountain, placed in the area between Wadi Kelt and Jericho, and surely at the place in which we get to the sea level, ready to continue riding down to the dead sea, which is around 420 meters under sea level.
At the Dead Sea, we made a stop at Kalia Beach for some pictures and a feeling of what the Dead Sea is. We also visited the “lowest bar in the world”.
From there we continued to the Judea Desert, on our way back to Tel Aviv. We took the Gandi Road, also known as the Jordan Valley Road, and travelled North until the turn to the Ma’ale Ephraim road. From there to Ma’ale Ephraim, Tapuach Junction, and West until Glilot, where we stopped for a last glass of beer at the Temple Bar Irish Pub.
The view from Ma'ale Ephraim
In summary it was a long and a very well spent Saturday, in which we had the pleasure to meet and ride with a very nice and interesting guy and exchange riding experiences from places we’ve been… and also show a little of our beautiful country to a visitor.
From Tel Aviv, Armin is continuing to the Dead Sea and from there to the South of the country, to the region of Eilat, where he is going to cross the border to Jordan, and from there to Egypt, his first destination in Africa. He is supposed to travel all East Africa until Mozambique and then South Africa, where he will do his next long stop before moving to South America.
I recommend that you follow Armin’s trip on his blog or sign in the blog to the newsletter, to receive periodical news of the trip on your email. You can also follow his facebook page.
In summary it was a long and a very well spent Saturday, in which we had the pleasure to meet and ride with a very nice and interesting guy and exchange riding experiences from places we’ve been… and also show a little of our beautiful country to a visitor.
From Tel Aviv, Armin is continuing to the Dead Sea and from there to the South of the country, to the region of Eilat, where he is going to cross the border to Jordan, and from there to Egypt, his first destination in Africa. He is supposed to travel all East Africa until Mozambique and then South Africa, where he will do his next long stop before moving to South America.
I recommend that you follow Armin’s trip on his blog or sign in the blog to the newsletter, to receive periodical news of the trip on your email. You can also follow his facebook page.
Our itinerary
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