Dubai: When she started the journey from the southern tip of Argentina, Miriam Orlandi only knew how to change her motorbike’s engine oil and 23 months later when she finally ended her trip in Alaska, she could literally rebuild it from the scratch.
Not for nothing they say travel is the best source of education.
A 46-year-old osteopath from the Italian city of Brescia, Orlandi is a motorbike enthusiast and has clocked more than 200,000km on her 1992 model BMW R100RS touring motorcycle, visiting different parts of the world.
But the biggest of her trips so far has been her 52,000km solo journey across 22 nations from Argentina to Alaska.
Starting in October 2008, Orlandi passed through different terrains, weather conditions and landscapes, while coming across a variety of cultures, customs and people, ending the journey in September 2010.
The trip changed her as a person, as she came back home with different perspectives of life.
“I like to share what I have and learn from people and cultures I come across. That is the primary reason I travel and there is no end to what you can learn on a road trip,” said Orlandi, speaking to Gulf News on the opening night of Dubai Travellers’ Festival.
What normally takes around three months from one end of Americas to the other took Orlandi 23 months and more than triple the distance.
“When I travel I take my own time. Rather than rushing through the cities and towns, I stop at different places and stay there for some time to explore the cultures, different lifestyles and enjoy a variety of food. I enjoy my time and have fun,” said Orlandi, who believes she was born to travel.
Among the 33 world renowned travellers visiting Dubai for the festival, Orlandi said her travels began visiting her neighbours on a bicycle in the North Italian countryside of Lombardy.
“I grew up in a farming community, where each farmland spreads across hundreds of hectares and neighbours are several kilometres away from each other. Moving was the only way to meet them and that’s how my trips started, to meet my friends in the neighbourhood, first on bicycles and then on motorcycles, each time going further and further,” said Orlandi, who has since made friends around the world.
Orlandi, who first rode a motorcycle at the age of 20, said she fell in love with motorbikes immediately and now rides for one week in a month on an average.
“I use my free time travelling and meeting people, part of it for fun, part of it for learning. For me, the most important thing in a journey is meeting people. It’s not about the place or putting a sign to show that I was there. For me what is important is the memories from place, what happened there and who I met. I now have friends from dozens of different countries including the UAE,” said Orlandi, who has remained unmarried to pursue her passion for travel.
Visiting the region for the first time, Orlandi says she came to the UAE with a stereotypical image in mind and was surprised to find the country totally opposite of what she had heard or imagined.
“That is why I feel it is so important to travel and meet people and experience different cultures, you get the real picture. Travelling is the best way of learning and unlearning. When I met and spoke with men and women here, my perspectives totally changed. I could see that covering your head or body in a certain way doesn’t limit you from achieving anything, it’s not necessarily a sign of oppression,” she said, speaking about her changing perspectives with every kilometre she travels.
Hence, her journey and her quest for knowledge continues to extend as she now plans to explore the region more.
Distance: 52,000km
Places: 22 countries
Duration: 23 months
Region: North and South America
Vehicle: BMW R100RS
Trip type: Solo
