GIVI Magazine - Maggio 2018

ENGLISH TEXT CHANGYEN FAN – GIVI Importer – DCR from Taiwan It was a pleasure to join The Golden Triangle Adventure 2017. It gaveme the opportunity to enjoy a totally new riding experience and get in contact with the different cultures of the Countries we visited. I will never forget this trip! ISRAELMEDRANO – Press Media from Spain Anexcitingandunforgettabletrip.Notonlybecauseofthecountries we have known, the different cultures, but also because we have shared an authentic adventure with more than 20 people from different countries around the world, with whom we have been able to share the passion that moves us all: themotorcycle world. GIVI Explorer is an event that represents the DNA of GIVI, a journey, an adventure, a philosophy of life in motion. JU-LEN LEOW – Press Media - Journalist from Singapore GIVI Explorer on one hand shows riders more of the world, and this was profoundly true this time. Except the world we sawwas one that explorers from the wealthy world perhaps never see up close. The cultures and conditions we encountered on this trip were a reminder that a true explorer should make the effort to experiencetheworldwithnot justhiseyesopen,butheartandmind open as well. Only then will an explorer start to discover himself. GIORGIODALLAROSA – GIVI Factory Manager from Italy It has beenmy first Explorer and, even if not accustomed to ride in such big groups, I enjoyed since the beginning the party and the character of everyone. It has been a great experience of sharing personality, cultures, riding skills and human relationships. Roads andmotorcycles as background for a deep emotional experience. WAHIDOOI ABDULLAH – Press Media fromMalaysia The GIVI Golden Triangle Adventure 2017 was an adventure unlike any other. Being able to see and feel the history, culture, environment and lifestyles of different peoples throughout the ride was nothing short of a once in a lifetime experience. Additionally, GIVI’s CSR program for the less than fortunate was truly heartwarming. Last but not least, it was an honour to being able to witness and experience the practicality and strength of GIVI’s products in tough, real world conditions. COMMENTS Givi Magazine Maggio 2018 - Givi Explorer Tour 35 CAPTIONS 5) BEFORE OUR DEPARTURE ON THE FIRST DAY, A GROUP PHOTO TAKEN IN FRONT OF THE HOTEL IN PATTAYA 6) ONE OF THE MANY WONDERFUL VIEWS OF THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITE AND RELIGIOUS COMPLEX OF ANGKOR. FROM THE TOP OF THE OPPOSITE PAGE, THE PALACE IS THE FAMOUS VICTORY BRIDGE, WHICH ALLOWS ACCESS TO THE FORTIFICATION AROUND THE TEMPLE OF BAYON; A GLIMPSE OF THE TEMPLE OF TA PROHM; A DETAIL OF THE TEMPLE OF TA PROHM 8) ABOVE: ON THE EVENING OF THE SEVENTH DAY, THE GROUP DEPARTS FOR THE FINAL CLIMB TO PREAH MONIVONG BOKOR. BELOW: A TRADITIONAL PHOTO TAKEN IN FRONT OF ONE OF THE MANY PAGODAS OF PHNOM PENH, CAPITAL OF CAMBODIA 12) ABOVE: THE MARVELOUS TEMPLE OF ANGKOR WAT, THE TALLEST RELIGIOUS PALACE IN THE WORLD. ON THE SIDE: THE GROUP ON THE MOVE IN CAMBODIA, IN THE RED MUD NEAR BOKOR NATURAL PARK; 13) ABOVE: THE GROUP NEAR THE MILLENNIAL PREAH TIS BRIDGE, NEAR THE VILLAGE OF KAMPOM KDEI. ON THE LAST DAY, THERE WAS NO RESPITE FROM THE RAIN FOR THE ENTIRE 600KM FROM CAMBODIA TO THAILAND down the constant flow of scooters. When the carriageway ends they pass onto the pavement and if all the directions of movement are too clogged (even according to them), they simply go over to the other side of the road and ride in the wrong lane. On our large, fully equipped Enduro motorcycles we all felt like rocks planted in the middle of a mountain stream. Even the pedestrians have their own way of crossing the road: they simply start walking keeping their gaze low and their pace constant and the traffic of incoming scooters just swarms around them, it is truly incredible. Personally, riding in this traffic reminded me of motocross races. “Protect the internal trajectory (so you do not get in front of anyone), yell at the slowest riders in front of you and when you’re undecided ... fire the throttle.” A shower in the hotel washes off the experience of the day. That evening, we have dinner in District 1 of the city, based on a Vietnamese barbecue, followed by a relaxing rickshaw tour. What a day! 6th day Friday 17 November 2017 190km - from Ho Chi Minh City to Can Tho (Vietnam) Today it is one of the most important days of the Givi Golden Triangle Adventure 2017 as the group has the opportunity to visit the Headquarters and production premises of GIVI Vietnam, located approximately 30km from the centre of Ho Chi Minh City. There is also a pleasant surprise as we are joined by Hendrika Visenzi, CEO of the GIVI Group, who is joining us for the final three stages of the journey and will be riding with us, as a passenger, along the route that will take us back to Pattaya, Thailand, next Sunday. As for today, both the Italian Ambassador in Vietnam and the Head of the Italian Trade Commission join the group for the factory tour and the subsequent event. As already stated on a number of occasions, being an explorer does not just mean riding a motorcycle or visiting famous places. It is an inner choice, the desire to open the heart and eyes to what is around us, while embracing diverse cultures, expanding our horizons and trying to make this world a better place for everyone. A preamble that introduces a very special initiative, launched by GIVI Vietnam, called “Riding for Reading” which participants greeted and accepted with enthusiasm. The project raises funds to help elementary school children in Vietnam, providing them with not only basic materials, such as stationery and notebooks, but also by investing in longer-term initiatives, from medical insurance to scholarships. A group of adorable children, dressed in school uniform, came to meet us with their teachers and an emotional headmaster. We donated an additional 800 US dollars to their school which we collected at lunch. Following the brief presentation ceremony it is once again time to hit the road. Only 160km separate us from our destination of Can Tho, the main city in the region of the Mekong Delta. Along the route with the usual traffic jams and a few potholes slowing us down, it is well after sunset when we finally arrive at the hotel. 7th day Saturday 18 November 2017 350km from Can Tho (Vietnam) to Bokor (Cambodia) The penultimate day of the Golden Triangle Adventure 2017. The day begins in Can Tho with a wake- up call at dawn to visit the floating market of Ninh Kieu. Vietnam is rich in rivers, canals and lakes and many of the cities have been using these waterways for centuries to create floating markets. Following the war, things changed progressively and today the Vietnamese prefer to shop on land, converting the floating markets of Can Tho into tourist attractions... mid-way between a fruit and vegetable wholesaler and a trap for unsuspecting visitors. The dozens of boats full of tourists that converge here every morning (around 6.00am), are literally approached by a swarm of small boats with locals trying to sell everything from cold coffee to necklaces, from soup dishes with steaming noodles to a variety of fruits and vegetables of a thousand colours. There is a real battle amongst the sellers who do whatever they can to capture the attention of the visiting tourists. In the end we reward the efforts of a mother with her child, who after having spotted her “prey” (us), warded off the attacks of the competing boats and she did not stop chasing us until she managed to reach us ... just as we were about to return to the landing pier. It is likely that the woman is part of the “people of the river”, as they are labelled locally: a population in its own right, which continues to live on the river in floating houses and which has managed to survive and adapt to cultural and especially economic changes, especially now that most goods are no longer transported on river barges but by trucks on the road. After visiting the floating market we return to the hotel to put on our technical motorcycle clothing. Ahead of us, we have 350 km to cover, from Can Tho to the Preah Monivong Bokor National Park, in Cambodia. We cross the border immediately after lunch but we are greeted by a tropical storm that forces us to stop and find shelter. The last stretch of road is completely inside the Bokor Natural Park, a fun climb of about 30km full of twists and turns. 8th day Sunday 20 November 2017 600km - from Bokor (Cambodia) to Pattaya (Thailand) We knew that the moment would arrive and in a way we were dreading it: we are on the last day of the GIVI Golden Triangle Adventure 2017. It is true that all good things come to an end but to this we add a particularly demanding final stage. We began at 07:00, under a thunderous storm and for the next 16 hours, we had practically no respite from the relentless rain. The wait at the border with Thailand was a little longer than we were hoping, as we crossed the border to a small pass that is not usually busy. The conditions of heat and extreme humidity while standing in line waiting for an interview with the customs official, did not help either. Once back in Thailand it started to rain again and visibility conditions worsened to the point of making the ride extremely dangerous. Our marshals did an excellent job of slowing down the group without it having too much of an effect on our pace... but within three hours of our destination we witnessed one of the worst moments in the history of the GIVI Explorer project. For an incomprehensible reason, a pickup right in front of us went into a spin, stopping sideways right in the middle of the carriageway. Unfortunately, a local scooter rider and one of our motorcyclists were not able to avoid it and the impact sent them into the ditch on either side of the road. No one was hurt, but the motorcycle was destroyed. Driver and passenger were transported to the nearest hospital for further medical checks but were discharged two hours later. Apart from some bruises and a bad fright, there was no physical damage. We all know that situations like this are part of travelling on two wheels, but it is never nice to experience them first hand. In all this, a positive aspect emerged: the efficiency, courtesy and complete neutrality of first aid workers, who arrived at the scene in less than ten minutes. At the crucial moment when we needed external aid, no one made us feel like a group of wealthy foreigners riding their dangerous maxi-bikes, we were just ordinary people who needed assistance and the same was received by the scooter rider involved in the impact. Congratulations go to the locals who came to our aid! After the accident, with low morale, we saddled up to face the remaining 250km under the rain and with twilight closing in. With the group compacted and trying to keep a tight but secure pace, we arrived in Pattaya around 11.00pm, bringing the GIVI Golden Triangle Adventure 2017 to a successful conclusion.