Riderpedia 2010-06-13T20:37:11Z Prova2 Ciao ciao ciao Verso il nuovo viaggio Ecco che finalmente si parte verso Kuala Lumpur tramite la compagnia Emirates. Ora sono a Dubai ed aspetto qualche ora l'ultimo aereo...alcuni dei miei compagni di viaggio mi aspettano per festeggiare e fare sfogo alle danze...sono molto carico ed ho molta voglia di ricominciare questa nuova esperienza. Alla prossima Kuala Lumpur Finalmente si parte dopo il passaggio a Givi e Modenas... Ora direzione Singapore Did I Miss Saigon Riderpedia.com Did I Miss Saigon Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur Customized side bags, limited edition helmets, pre-series windscreens, lot of stickers and an engineer on holiday. The final result? Nothing short of a full-fledge mini tourer! Last find raising at Giovino, last (surprisingly good) pasta by Renato – after a few hours sleep and an early early wake-up, we are ready, DIMS starting NOW! Singapor As it is tradition on the very beginning off our trips, one long ride and a really long day. Started with a double flag-off at Givi and Modenas, continued with a hot and sticky ride to Singapore. Half of the group made it, the other half (wisely) decided to stop in Malaysia. Regrouping and resting for the day, and definitively no more riding for the next 24h! Mersing We managed to avoid two days of tropical storms, but finally bad weather caught up with us – made it to this seaside town under a continuous drizzle and cloudy sky. Taking consolation in the surroundings, with bikes safely parked under coconut trees. Cherating Great ride, first section of twisties. Finished the day by the seaside, and continued with an ikan bakar&durian dinner organized by Modenas and the local riders group. Pulau Bandining Rain. Not a light springtime drizzle, but a solid column of water, for hours and hours, moreover during the last part of the evening, while crossing this national park. Got here slightly later than planned, considerably wetter than planned. Mai Fat After the longest regrouping so far, we are now back by the sea, stopping at this small bay a bit off the beaten track. 30 km of beaches, just one or two restaurants along the stretch and the temptation of stopping for a day or two, as we did, after all, almost half of the journey in one week. Provincia di Krabi Two full days of rest in this backpackers hub, sorting out laundry, schedules, further flights. We attempted islands hopping, ended up getting the slowest boat of the whole of Southern Thailand, very much in line with the real DIMS spirit, less so if it takes 4 wet and choppy hours to reach the first (and only) one. Puket Another unplanned detour, this time to Phuket – a place that very much sums up the various souls of Thailand, from noisy bars and dubious, pot-bellied western tourists to breathtaking views, great spas and overwhelming kindness. Sounds like a cover of One Night in Bangkok, but it is not. Tomorrow a whole day of riding to reach as soon as possible the capital. Provincia di Chumphon Remember the claim that rains in South East Asia is torrential but quick, and an actual relief from the heat of the day? Think again. 433 km on the road, 433 km of solid rain, without a single moment of pause, enough to make waterproof, well, not exactly that. Spending the evening with an hairdrier in our hand, getting everything ready for an early start tomorrow! Hat Thay Quick stop at Modenas for a factory visit, bikes check-up and an improptu convoy. We crossed the Thai border in a whiff, only problem is that some got a temporary import, some not – will need to sort it out once leaving the country. Guess today is going to be the last day of long rides, from tomorrow onward we are going to cut down to less than 200 km/day. Bangkok This time around weather was almost kind – we managed to stay more or less dry. Reached Bankok in the late evening, after a couple of wrong turns, an attempt to use a car-only bridge, a subsequent lenghty negotiation with policemen and a first taste of the legendary traffic jams of the City of Angels. Bangkok A much shorter ride today for a unexpected and luckily minor problem – a truck decided to steer gently on the left, problem was that Dino’s feet were in the way. Quick x-ray at the local hospital, nothing broken, just a day of rest, lots of ice packs, couple of pain killers and ready to restart tomorrow. Poipet Everything back to normal, all ready to ride. Covered the last section of Thailand under mixed weather conditions before a rather long border crossing, complete with a facilitator that did not facilitate anything, too many forms and a skipped custom. Stopping by just over the border, in a town dotted with grand casinos, and lot of dust. Angkor Wat Early start and whole day ride around the heart of the Khmer empire – baked by the sun, killed by humidity, and overwhelmed by the sheer numbers of visitors Phon Penh 2 milions people in the city, 2 milion people on the road – a total chaos with a lot, really a lot of close calls. NHCC CAMBODIA This is the most important day for the whole DIMS, this is the reason we have started the whole journey. And what they are doing here touches and changes the lives of so many children that one can only be humbled, and silenced. Takeo We left NHCC in the early afternoon, happy to see we gave a hand to people that are doing so much with so little. Short ride towards the Vietnamese border, finally on pure dirt and gravel tracks, but the best view of Cambodia so far. Chau Doc Did I miss Saigon? Nomen omen – as we did miss it after all. Despite a never-ending, months-long correspondence with a local forwarding agent (thanks Kuehne Nagel Vietnam for your incompetence) we were not allowed to enter Vietnam. Spent the whole day discussing with very kind customs officers on the Vietnamese side, witnessed a roaring smuggling trade in, of all, used car parts and instant noodles, but no, no entrance without a permit, which requires at least two weeks. But it really does not matter, this trip was a whirlwind of emotions, events, individuals exploring unclear paths and an inner drive that kept on reminding where the NHCC community was. We got there, clear and square. Mission complete. Saigon We arrived in Saigon by boat...... See you next trip......