Discovering Asia on his motorbike..

Donato, when we met for the first time and I asked you the moment you decide to jump into this adventure, you stated It was due to a woman ... why?

It was because of a car accident in which I was involved. A woman was driving the car that rammed me, making me end up in hospital with a fractured skull, the impact against a tree, and the real risk of losing a foot. Since my first trip to India, in 2007, I had developed the idea of ​​making a life experience, rather than a "simple" motorcycle trip, spread over time, in total freedom. The accident was what made me decide “it is time to leave and the foot will come with me of course ...”. After a year of bureaucratic and technical procedures, I left work, I rent my house, I collected some sponsors, in addition to the collaboration with a newspaper and left, July 2, 2010.

I suppose that write a ranking list of the visited places is impossible, every country has its own charm. But if you could express the essence of each country  in few words what would you say of...

At the beginning it was just a long scroll of miles and landscapes seen in the past ( Italy, Georgia, Greece, Turkey).
Azerbaijan Corruption
Turkmenistan burocratically and socially subject to the Soviet domination
Uzbekistan Timurid Architecture and majolica cobalt on the Silk Road
Tajikstan shabby and forgotten
Kyrgyzstan green mountains landscape
China a tough and unflappable central government that excessive instances of ethnic minorities.
Pakistan surprisingly nice and cozy, despite the real internal problems and the bad international "reputation" 
India is India, with all that goes with it, for better or for worse.
Thailand land of smiles - the place where I would live
Laos dignified poverty and nature
Cambodia a mix of light and shade, with a past of wise history and a newer design by human madness
Malaysia the most advanced muslim country; nothing to envy to the most "advanced" western nations
Indonesia the country of islands and volcanoes, surrounded by lush flora
Japan If aliens exist, they would live here
Mongolia rude and wild, like his landscape
Russia simply immense; an endless green desert.
Also the final part of Lone Ride Around was a fast crossing of the latter countries -Riga, Vilnius, Chek Rep. and Poland - I also enjoyed the beauty of.

Would you describe a character / special episode that impressed you more than others?

Father Lolot is a character in every sense. Indonesian thug, drug dealer, and consumer of cocaine in the 70s, immanicato with the entourage of the powerful dictator Suharto, spent his youth entering and exiting from the nation's prisons, always accompanied by a passion for motorcycles, the Harley in particular. In '92 Hindu, married with five children, decided to convert to Protestantism, entering the seminary and came out black dressed. Came to see me in the guesthouse where I was in Bali, and entertained us talking for a couple of hours, during which he told me of his "epic" deeds of boss and his errors of man. Father Lolot never repudiated his past debauchery, argues that a man, fearing God or not, it should always be borne humbly of their sins, because it will be the memory and acceptance of the same faults to give the ability to evolve, to grow, to rehabilitate the self and its credibility. He is himself an example ...

What you should not be afraid of if you decide to make a trip like yours ..

Everyone's fears (often unfounded), otherwise there is no escape. The schematic western mindset tends to go crazy when facing unusual contexts, beyond the normal routine, where everything must be -apparently- under control. The fear of having to deal with a dynamic situation, sometimes in addition to psychological brake and facing different language, precludes experiences that, with a bit of mental flexibility, offer full gratification ...

The hardest moment?

When I was an anaphylactic shock victim in northern Laos. Lost in the jungle I could reach a village where I was saved by a couple of providential paracetamol tablets. I realized immediately what was happening, trying to kepp calm before loosing senses. When I woke up I could drive to get on the bike to get to the nearest hospital, where I was taken care by a doctor that - for goodnesssake- spoke in English.

And the most rewarding one?

The mountaing range of Pamir,Karakoram and Himalayas crossing, climbing up to 5602 meters of Khardung La, the highest paved step of the planet. The Silk Road, the entrance in China, Indonesia, Japan and the endless Russian territory. The longest coast to coast ever made​​: the Pacific to the Atlantic in just 11.0000 kilometers ..

Your bike is a Harley .... distinguishing features ?

Sturdy and stoic. Impossible roads and dizzying altitudes hunters; It drank shobby gasoline and even gave me some problems, but through it all brought me back to the starting point, after 14 months ...

The most beautiful motorcycle road that you had ridden?

No doubt the NH 3, better known as Manali - Leh Highway. It is located north of India and connects precisely Manali ( Himachal Pradesh ) to Leh ( Ladakh ), crossing the Himalayas at an altitude of 4000 meters. The 480 km that separate the two ends of the street flow into a barren landscape, arid, windy and inhospitable. Basically it's a desert offshore, but the views and the wild beauty make you literally touch the sky with a finger, and not just because of the altitude.

The strangest food you' ve ever taste?

Being vegetarian I had no way of getting into that much, apart from India, in the specific culinary universes of every single country. Even in Asia the meat plays a main role in the food culture: lamb in Central Asia, fish in Indochina, along with pork, chicken, everything always adorned with the ubiquitous rice. I could appreciate so very few dishes such as Nasi Goreng Indonesia, fried rice with vegetables and spices and Ramen; in Japan soup made ​​with noodles in vegetable broth with tofu, onions, seaweed and soy.

Do you think you will repeat such experiences in small groups or the beauty of traveling alone win?

The intention now is to make available to all travelers motorcyclists experiences and knowledge gained during more than 60,000 kilometers along my Lone Ride Around Asia. Certainly not proposing the same route, for obvious reasons, but with the mission to " push " as many people as possible to the knowledge of this diverse and kaleidoscopic continent, which deserves more attention and interest that is not what the media tell. If someone wants to know more you may find me at the  Lungastrada Travelers Camp in Valmozzola (Parma) from the 29th to 31st of  May.

Donato Nicoletti
Motorcycle traveller