In 2010 the Italian Film Maker Andrea Livio decided to leave everything behind and embark on a 986 days journey around the world on his Moto Guzzi Stelvio. He called it “Stelvio2Stelvio”.
“We shouldn’t travel to be seen, we should travel to disappear.”
Motorcycle Diaries
A bit overloaded with work at that time, he made no plans. He had only one goal: to depart.
Of course, no planning left him with some obstacles: for one, he was six months too late to book his first boat ticket, but 15 days before the boat’s departure he got the phone call: one passenger had cancelled his trip. Livio could take his place.
Andrea managed to leave in a hurry. He drove from Stelvio Pass, Italy, to France and embarked. He had no GPS, no sponsors, no budget, only a couple of maps, a compass and some coins to flip!
He started his journey in South-America. After one month on the boat – and some stops in the North of Africa - he disembarked in Brasil and hit the road. First he rode to Argentina, Buenos Aires, and then up until Colombia.
It is here that he encountered one of the best – and at the same time, one of the worst – parts of his trip. Andrea took a fond liking in Peru’s mountain roads, its beautiful landscapes and ever-changing atmospheres.
He experienced the toughest part of his trip when he arrived in Colombia. In order to continue his trip to North-America he needed money, so he looked for a job. He found himself working on a boat between Turbo and Panama, for one month. Hard work it was, and he was cut off from communication with his friends and family; nobody knew where he was. Or how…
Eventually all the hard work and deprivation paid off when he arrived in Alaska; it doesn’t go much further than that!!!
Unfortunately he ended up missing the boat in Canada going to Japan. Having to adapt again, Andrea went back to Colombia where he had to wait for the next opportunity. Several months later he rode to Lima to take a boat to Seoul, South Korea. From there he embarked on the final part of the trip riding back to Stelvio Pass through Russia, Georgia, Turkey, Bulgary, Romania, Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria and Germany!
Because a picture - and certainly a movie – tells more than a thousand words, watch this:
Which places would you recommend for a beginner?
“South-America is the easiest, you don’t need a visa for the vehicle or yourself, the preparation is very easy. Also, Peru and Argentina have an atmosphere very similar to the south of Europe.”
What were the most difficult parts of your journey?
“Personally, working on the boat!!! In terms of the riding, I would say Russia. The orientation is very difficult due to the strange signalization and to the difficult communication with the locals.”
How would you describe your journey in few words?
“Surprise factor…definitely!”
What was the most important thing you learned from it?
“Although people tend to develop themselves and become another person every three years I think this adventure has made me mentally stronger. I don’t take the problems at work as serious as I used to, and I don’t get emotionally disturbed!”
What would be your advise for someone who is planning a trip like yours?
“It ended up not being as expensive as everybody thought it would be! I think you survive one month in South-America, all costs included, for 600€. Anyway, you’ll become very creative on your way, don’t let problems stop you!”
