#8: [24-Feb-15]

#9: [07-Nov-14]

#6: [28-May-10]

#4: [10-Dec-04]

#3: [04-Apr-04]

#2: [26-Sep-03]

#1: [30-Aug-02]

#5: [27-Jan-07] (incomplete)

29-Jan-2014 -- The cheapest ticket from Oslo to Bangkok turned out to be via al-Dawḥa (Doha). It turned out to involve a stay of 19 hours, a hotel, and an excursion to 25N 51E, so in reality it was not the cheapest alternative. While taking a taxi from the airports in Bangkok the first thing the driver offers you is a lady. In al-Dawḥa it was different: I was told that my hotel had no bar or license to sell alcohol, but the driver offered to take me to one of the international five star hotels with such facilities.

My Garmin indicated a distance of 63 km to the CP. The taxi set out early in the morning on the four-lane (each way) highway No. 5 towards Saudi Arabia. We passed convoys of tankers transporting sewage out of town with clear writings on the sides: "Do not drink". The last three kilometers were on a side road where we stopped about 300 meters from the confluence point. I walked the stretch finding the odd footprints of sheep and a camel. The satellite reception was good and it was what we call an easy confluence point. On the way towards the highway back to al-Dawḥa we saw a signboard stating that we had been driving on a "Private Road. Army". Later, looking at what previous visitors had seen, the "our" signboard was smaller and not so strict in its presentation. In al-Dawḥa I still had some time for my onwards flight and the taxi took me around to the charming souk and the most impressive Islamic Museum with interesting architecture and very well presented exhibitions.