TRAVERSE Issue 23 - April 2021 | Page 106

TRAVERSE 106
“ We clearly remember the evening when , in front of a warm fire and a sizzling Tajine , he confided these thoughts to us , concluding with the words , ‘ next year will be a better one , Inshallah !’ If God wants ".
Many days in the mountains , lead the pair to change landscapes , finally reaching the desert !
Merzouga , not exactly the small and spartan village they ’ d expected , yet despite having become touristy , Merzouga has retained some of its authenticity , also a chance to unload the bike and have fun in the sands of the area , the ‘ play ’ creating a feeling of being “ real adventurers ”.
Days passed between cities , videos were edited and social pages to updated . The fundraiser for Legs4Africa went well , the goal was being kept alive , the goal to help people walk again . They continued south .
“ We had finally managed to obtain two special authorisations from the consulates of Senegal and Mauritania to continue our journey despite the Covid situation ,” they explained . “ We presented ourselves in Guerguerat , the southernmost border of Morocco .
“ We were tired , but full of hope thanks to the authorisations that we kept as precious relics .”
It seemed not everything was going to plan , “ the police looked at us sceptically and in a few dry words they destroyed our certainties ,” the police telling the pair that they couldn ’ t leave the ‘ Kingdom of Morocco ’ as the land borders were all closed .
“ In a miserable place full of flies just next to the border , we called consulates , police departments , embassies , anyone we thought would listen to us .
“ We stayed there more than 24 hours , but in the end , we went back to Dakhla , 400km north . Once we understood that even from there no one would help us , we resigned ourselves to the unbending Covid measures and finally turned our wheels towards Tangier .”
With the ocean on their left and the red fuel tank tied to the rear rack reminding them that they wouldn ' t be able to use it in Mauritania .
With the mood already low , it got worse when Luca fell in the shower , “ my prosthesis isn ’ t waterproof ”, hurting his remaining foot .
“ We truly did everything possible to try to reach Senegal ,” says Luca , Giulia agreeing with a smile . “ With this awareness , and a great support from our followers , our spirit lifted up and we ended the journey peacefully .”
Nine weeks , nine thousand kilometres , the pair were back home in Italy with the knowledge that they ’ d been able to raise enough funds to send 206 prostheses to various African rehabilitation centres , they hope to be able to speak with , or read of , those who have benefitted , perhaps in person and there lies Karma On The Road , Giulia and Luca promise they will be back on the road , on a new
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