Muscat-based biker set for journey to Istanbul

Muscat: As a young boy, Jithin Reji dreamt of riding a bike around the world exploring different places and cultures.
At 30, Reji’s dream will soon become a reality as he is set to ride on a bike from Muscat to Istanbul.
“Biking is like meditating. It brings you face-to-face with challenges and forces you to overcome them. You get to know your real strength and weakness. That’s the reason why I am exploring this,” said Reji while speaking to the Times of Oman.
On April 25, Reji will set out on a one-month journey to Istanbul on his Moto Guzzi Stelvio NTX1200 on which he is expected to cross Bandar Abbas, Iran, Azerbaijan, Georgia before reaching Istanbul. “My initial plan was to ride to London from Muscat but that will take me at least two months. I do not have the luxury of time on my side so I have planned my trips in two legs,” he said.
Reji, who is running a business in Muscat, has personally funded the trip.
“I want this trip to have meaning for me and that will come only if I make it happen with my own hard-earned money,” he noted.
“However, I am a bit nervous about what I am going to do as I am going on a long journey like this for the first time,” he stated.
The plan for the trip took shape when Reji met his close friend Atul Warrier who had come to Muscat as part of a gigantic trans-continental expedition that would take him to 40 countries. “I hosted Atul when he came here. I was inspired after hearing his travel stories and experiences riding a bike. That’s when I decided I should do something like that,” he stated.
Speaking about the challenges of riding a bike all alone, Reji said: “I had previously travelled from Bangalore to Coorg in a group. This is my first lone trip and that is why it is going to be challenging. My friends have warned me about some places I am planning to ride through because I do not know what is in store for me. But my wife Toral who is the biggest supporter of this trip has really motivated me for this. I would love to take her along but due to her busy commitments, I am not able to. But she will join me from Georgia to Istanbul. I am looking forward to an exciting trip,” Reji added.