Abu Dhabi, May 23 (IANS): Two Indian men arrived in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) following a 3,800 km six-month cycling adventure, the media reported.
For Muhammed Saleem, 53, and his friend, Rizwan Ahmad Khan, 42, the journey wasn't easy. They have been cycling under the sun while fasting - and on their way to the UAE, they even lost their bicycles, reports the Khaleej Times.
Saleem and Khan pedalled almost 1,300 km in India, 700 to 800 km in Oman, and 1,700 km in Iran.
Originally, they planned to cycle their way through India, Pakistan, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia with no other means of transportation.
However, getting the visas to Pakistan and Iraq was not easy, "we decided to pedal to Oman, fly to Tehran and pedal all the way to Bandar Abbas (Iran), and then go through the UAE to Saudi Arabia", Saleem told the Khaleej Times on Wednesday.
With the route revision, what was supposed to be a 9,000 km trip was cut down to 6,300 km. They are almost halfway through, with a total of 3,800 km already completed.
Saleem and Khan hope to reach Mecca by July 25, just in time for Haj which will start on August 9.
This isn't the first time that Saleem has embarked on such an adventure.
He has been cycling for 35 years now and he was a three-time state champion in India.