SUPERBIKE CONVOY TO MECCA NOW IN AMMAN

By Muin Abdul Majid

DUBAI, June 24 (Bernama) -- The 15-member superbike expedition to Mecca,
dubbed "1Malaysia 2010 Expedition to the Holy Land", arrived in Jordan
Wednesday with tales to tell.

On hand to welcome them at the Malaysian embassy in Amman were ambassador to
Jordan Abdul Malek Abdul Aziz and his staff.

The group began its journey in Malaysia shortly after being flagged off
by Prime Minister Najib Razak on May 11.

According to an expedition member, Azman Baharuddin, the superbike
enthusiasts had so far powered their way through Thailand, Laos, China,
Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Iran, Turkey and Syria before reaching
Jordan.

Contacted by Bernama from Dubai, he said people had been kind to them along
the way, with many expressing surprise when told the group's intention of
performing the umrah (minor haj).

"Most of the local people opened their arms and hearts to us. Shop owners
and people refused to accept money for things that we bought or services
rendered," he recalled.

The bikers also talked about Malaysia with the locals when the opportunity
arose, said Azman, managing director of Shah Alam-based Israq Adventures Sdn
Bhd, the company organising the expedition.

He reckoned that the toughest sector so far had been somewhere at the
mountainous China-Kyrgyzstan border area.

"It so happened that one of the superbikes broke down at that location. We
were up in the mountains and we had to endure a snowstorm. It was absolutely
freezing," he said.

He also recalled that the group lost one of the suberbikes when it was hit
by a sliding lorry.

"Fortunately, our friend was not there with his machine during the
incident," said Azman, who has 10 years of overland travel under his belt.

He said members of the group had to be mentally strong as challenges in
various forms kept on coming on their road to Mecca.

On behalf of the group, Azman thanked family members and friends as well as
fellow Malaysians who had prayed for their safety and well-being.

According to an embassy official, the delegation of 13 Malaysians and two
Singaporeans would visit several places of attraction in Jordan such as the
Dead Sea and the ancient city of Petra.

After Jordan, they will spend the last leg of the expedition in Saudi
Arabia from June 28 to July 5 before departing for Malaysia.

-- BERNAMA


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