We’ve had some close shaves, like riding into a
township outside of Cape Town.
Never, ever miss an opportunity to talk
to the locals. They know the lie of the land,
where to go and where is a no-go. The men in
the small car racing up beside us yelling ”No,
no, Afghanistan, turn back!” certainly got my
a ention just outside Que a in Pakistan.
In late 2016, Italian cousins Roberto Bardella
(52) and Rino Polato (59) freighted their bikes
to South America to explore that wonderful
continent. They travelled through Argentina,
Paraguay and into Brazil to take in the sites of
Rio de Janeiro. Roberto and Rino were riding
their motorcycles to or from the famous statue,
Christ the Redeemer, that looms high above
Rio. In a strange city, they were relying on
their GPS to guide them to their destination.
Unfortunately, it guided into one of the
notorious favelas — the dangerous slum areas.
The area of Morro dos Prazeres is near the
scenic neighbourhood of Santa Teresa and isnot that far from the heart of Rio.
Roberto was shot on sight and killed by a
gang. Rino was abducted and taken deeper
into the favela by gang members. He was held
for up to two hours until they worked out he
was just a tourist. Sounds strange, doesn’t it? It
appears that Roberto and Rino were mistaken
for two police offi cers on motorcycles. They
were wearing high-vis motorcycle clothing and
at least one had a helmet camera.
A li le research may have avoided what
happened here. It’s widely reported and well
known that rival gangs kill not only each other;
the police are also targeted, maybe due to their
heavy-handed tactics with the gangs in the
lead-up to the Olympics.
Fellow international travellers have told me
that the bike clubs in and around Rio and the
other major crime hot spots in Brazil, like São
Paulo, put stickers on the doors and windows
of petrol stations with details of bikers who
can help with local knowledge.Time and time again I tell people to not rely
only on a GPS. It’s simply a guide. It doesn’t know
crime hot spots and can o en lead you down the
garden path. Even reprogramming from shortest
to quickest or scenic route can’t take into account
local hostilities. Maps are useful but, if you just
blindly go into an unknown town, city or country
without using that built-in computer si ing
between your ears, you’re raising the chances of
something drastic happening to you, as it did to
Roberto and Rino.
While this modern-day navigational miracle
is a boon for travellers, do we really need it? Yes
and no. Country roads the world over rarely
change from one decade to the next. A good
map or even a compass can get you where you
want to be if you have the skills. GPS makes us
lazy in that regard. In strange cities, it can be
invaluable. A GPS will always get you where
you want to be, but don’t rely on it. Treat your
GPS like you do your mechanic — a tool that’s
useful for you to enjoy your ride. ARRAUSTRALIAN ROAD RIDER | 65ARR139_058-065_Rixy'sRoad.indd 65ARR139_058-065_Rixy'sRoad.indd 65 6/20/2017 3:29:38 PM6/20/2017 3:29:38 PM