The adventure of Gabriele Gottardo: from Liguria to India by motorbike, with a great desire for freedom

delhi. “This trip is different from all the others because I have no obligations to fulfill. I don’t have a return ticket.” Gabriel Gotthard and his backpack, on his shoulder. From Celle Ligure to India and, for the first time, free and without tasks.

Him, the bike. Markets. Crowd. Colors. The cars and the orderly cattle that follow precise lines cut through the chaos of the traffic, driven by the rhythm of horns that never stop. “Currently I don’t have a job, I resigned just before leaving. I was a pharmacist in Rome recentlyI felt good and I liked the city, this is certainly not the reason for my departure”.

Why a trip so far?

“My desire to travel comes from a set of reasons that are often difficult to summarize: the curiosity to get to know new cultures, people and social environments – this 28-year-old boy explains to us as we join him at the end of a day, at his place, warm and sultry – The desire to challenge yourself and improve yourself. I don’t leave with a specific purpose, the journey itself is the answer”.

Shoulder-length hair, a degree in Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Technology but, always, an eye for photography, writing and the arts. An Instagram page @itsnotgabrigottss.

He left two months ago. We feel happy with this experience.

I wanted a bike that represented India: that’s why I chose a Royal Enfield, a bike that has remained more or less the same over the last few decades. A bit like traveling in Italy with an old Vespa, so to speak ”and then the story of him continues.

The backpack that weighs about fifteen kilos, that sense of freedom. Gabry will tell stories when he returns to Celle. It takes courage and a good dose of curiosity.

“When I talk about travel I certainly don’t mean an organized and relaxing holiday, but a real immersion in the local culture. Without external help, often alone, sometimes with people met along the way. No or few reservations. I think it’s the closest thing to freedom I’ve ever experienced, but I don’t want to offend anyone, I know there are endless definitions to illustrate it.”

Why India?

“I have been influenced and inspired by many characters, including the great poets of the Beat Generation, especially Kerouac’s novel “On the Road”. Christopher McCandless, in the incredible and tragic story told by the movie Into the Wild. The great classic Siddhartha”.

delhi. A motorbike, and go. The tent, for when there isn’t a hostel.

“I am meeting incredible people. I sleep where it happens. I eat both street food, from the countless roadside stalls, and in restaurants, which allow you to feed yourself with a few euros. The food is good, but often spicy and very hot.”

Cultural diversity?

“The gap is enormous compared to Italy and the West. India is dirty, chaotic, polluted, noisy. Many hate it at first glance and I can understand them. Walking down the street means being stared at and stopped continuously. You can never be alone. Privacy does not exist and often a great effort must be made to always be kind”.

From Celle to India, the adventure of Gabriele Gottardo

There is also some positive.

“On the other hand, India gives a lot. It is sharing, connection with every living being, spirituality. India is somehow real, it doesn’t yet have all those filters dictated by modern societies”.

Easy to integrate?

“It’s enough for me to stop in a small village to be welcomed like a famous person, with the adults who invite me home for a “chai” (tea) and the curious children who surround me”.

How do you finance yourself, Gabriele?

“I’m just using my savings, that’s all. When they finish I will start working again. I’m just at the beginning of this adventure, I’m not going to stop in India. We’ll see where the road takes me.”

The adventure of Gabriele Gottardo: from Liguria to India by motorbike, with a great desire for freedom – Genova 24