MARGAO: There are some people who are born for adventure. And the word ‘difficult’ doesn’t exist in their dictionary. Their levels of motivation to endure the toughest frontiers are unrivalled. Most importantly, in addition to their determination, they know how to have fun, enjoy the best experience possible and even manage to give the word ‘sight-seeing’ a new definition.
Meet Karl Coelho, a Panjim resident and Director of Vallonne Vineyards Pvt. Ltd for whom riding a motorcycle has always been a passion.
Karl created an Indian record by riding his motorbike to Thailand, through Myanmar and back to Goa after crossing the Indian border. He is the first Goan and Indian to have completed this feat.
On Friday, Karl returned to Goa to a rapturous welcome by biker enthusiasts in the state after having completed a 40-day journey from Goa to Bangkok on his Harley Davidson Streetbob.
Karl is not only the first Goan to do a solo bike trip from Goa to Bangkok and back but is also the first and only person to have done this two-way journey on his own. Karl is the founder member of a motorcycle club in Goa known as ‘Garrafons’, a very close-knit group of hardcore Harley Davidson riders who have been keeping tabs on his trip. And Karl never forgot his club during his record trip and proudly presented their banners wherever he went during his epic journey.
It may be recalled that Karl, who is the Assistant Director of the Goa chapter of Harley Owners Group, aka HOG, had recently completed an expedition with two fellow HOGs to Bhutan to participate in the Second International India Hog Rally.
“Crossing international borders on a motorcycle, is a dream that I’ve always nourished and last year after riding to the Kingdom of Bhutan my eyes were set on a farther destination. Riding from Goa through Myanmar to Thailand was a dream come true,” said Karl.
Karl decided to fulfill his long dream of touring the countries by crossing borders. He covered 14,000 kms across three diverse nations of India, Myanmar and Thailand.
Speaking to Herald after the end of his ‘Goa-Bangkok-Goa’ adventure, Karl said that he wanted to inspire people to take time off from their routine lives and go see the world. “There is no better way to do this than riding a motorcycle,” was Karl’s advice to people.
There were many highlights during his ‘40 crazy days’ as he calls his trip. A total of 72 tank fills, a tyre change and break-down in North-east India; the experience of traversing all kinds of terrain known to man — from smooth as silk tarmac roads to half-foot deep sand, slush and rocks on flat broad roads to narrow steep mountain passes; weathering dense thick fog, blustering wind, biting cold and stifling heat and eating dust and bugs.
“I thank my companions, Garaffon brothers, “Road to Bangkok” group, God and Mr Bob, the name of Harley Streetbob for taking me to my destinations and bringing me back home safely,” said Karl.
“A great big thank you to my wife Leonila and daughter Tiffani for supporting and letting me take this epic ride,” said Karl who also thanked his dog Scotch.
Karl also had to deal with many issues. Permissions issues involved in getting a vehicle imported and exported while travelling through Myanmar and Thailand. “To visit and travel through Myanmar you have to follow a government approved Lead vehicle accompanied by a Ministry of Tourism official at all times. These permissions, etc, were obtained for me by a company in Delhi which was taking a convoy of five cars. I was the lone biker added to the group. Although I did ride alone most of the time in Myanmar and Thailand I could only do so after being informed by the Lead vehicle how far I could go,” informed Karl.
When was his biggest achievement from the adventure? His reply was, “The adventure has taught me that fright of the unknown and fear of problems occurring during the journey is what holds people back from undertaking solo expeditions. But my experience has shown me that if the mind is positive and ready to move forward the body follows and things are accomplished.
