Vespup by Gianluca Pellegrinelli

20/04/2025

Today is Easter, I take this opportunity with great pleasure to wish all those who follow and support me from Italy and beyond and who, with their presence, make me feel less alone, even if far from my loved ones, in these days of celebration.

For 20 days I have been traveling in China to cross it all from south to north.
For those who have followed me, you know about the clutch problems in Laos, I received the spare parts here in China, I fixed the Vespa which, although not exactly right, allows me to continue the journey.
To make sure I don't miss anything, I had three days of difficulty due to a strong diarrhea that "destabilized" me and made driving difficult, given the frequent forced stops I had to make. Today everything passed and I'm back in full shape, with a few kilos lost along the way, which in any case doesn't hurt.

The journey I am taking is in China on the road, not the touristic Beijing and Shanghai, nor the large industrial agglomerations that produce everything and more for the Western market, thirsty for low-cost products. I am seeing a China very different from how I imagined it, many pleasant surprises and few dark aspects, although not negligible.

THE GOOD THINGS

• Friendliness, kindness and hospitality first of all. It happened to me that in a restaurant the owner offered me lunch, or that at the vending machine the person in charge of the cashier came out bringing me two bottles of water and an ice cream. Things that we are not used to in Italy, I don't see a restaurateur offering lunch to a Chinese person or ice cream and bottles of water at the vending machine

• The Chinese enjoy life, have active social relationships, go out with their family, go to the park, play with rackets and badminton or with kites

• Economically they are well off, they have nice cars, mostly Chinese, futuristic and many electric, they dress well, a cell phone is a must, they often eat out

• Food is cheap, normally two euros are spent for dinner. The other night, 10 of us, in the best restaurant in the city, eating more of everything, we spent 80 euros between everyone

• Organization and efficiency first of all, the services work. Who has had the opportunity to go to the hospital

• They produce everything in-house, they have their own brands, which we don't even know about and with which they probably satisfy 98% of their needs. Foreign brands are exclusively linked to fashion: clothing, cell phones, luxury cars

• The roads are always in order, they are almost never clogged, it is normal to see two, three, four and even five-lane roads. You can perceive a wide-ranging structural planning

• Transport infrastructure is constantly evolving, bridges, viaducts and tunnels under construction everywhere

• The roads are continuously washed with tankers, so the roads and sidewalks are always very clean, even in the suburbs and smaller towns. Then on the highway, in the middle of nowhere, you see a little man with a reflective jacket, a straw hat and with a broom cleaning the edge of the road

• Amap, or their Google Maps, has impressive precision, it also shows you the right lane and in the city, for all the traffic lights it shows live how many seconds are left until the color changes


THE LEAST BEAUTIFUL THINGS

• Any town that is slightly larger than a village is invaded by skyscrapers, often all the same, with heights ranging from 30 to 50 floors. In a town of 30,000 inhabitants, such as the one I live in, there are hundreds of them. The largest cities, I have passed through a couple, have 10 or 20 million inhabitants in no time, just think that Milan has 1.5 million and the proportion is quickly made. I have traveled roads for tens of kilometers with skyscrapers as far as the eye can see, to the right and left, at least half of which are under construction. The curious thing is that this overcrowding does not seem to be reflected in the traffic, which is almost never chaotic and congested

• Road freight transport, judging from the number of vehicles in circulation, I believe is the main mode used, with consequent congestion of national state roads

• English is spoken by almost no one and not even young people speak it or show signs of learning it, I almost doubt that they even teach it at school or in any case, if they study it, they do so with very poor results. They speak to you as if you were a native Chinese speaker and if you make them understand that you do not understand, they continue as if nothing had happened, taking it for granted that you are understanding


This is what I saw, or rather what I am experiencing in my daily experience. As I always say, mine is a completely personal point of view, maybe someone else, making the same trip, lives and perceives different things. This is perhaps the beauty of traveling, that is, giving your own interpretation to the world you are discovering and that surrounds you.

I still have about 1,700 km to go, or nine days of travel, including the stop that I can't wait to make to visit Beijing. The entry into Mongolia is scheduled for April 30.

PS: today I'm fighting with the toilet in the hotel room where I just arrived, all electronic and super technological. I would just have to understand how to lift the bowl and flush the water and I would already be fine like that 🤣🤣🤣

05/04/2025

Yesterday was exactly 5 months since my departure from Italy, it seems like a lifetime ago, if I think about New Zealand and Australia today, it doesn't even seem true to me that it's the same trip.
And instead yes, 5500 kn in New Zealand, 7000 km in Australia and then 9000 km in South East Asia, with all its beauties and contradictions, from the more affluent Thailand (now devastated by the earthquake) to the poor and disastrous (especially the roads) Laos. All united by beautiful nature, religious and archaeological areas without equal and ordinary people, always open and available to welcome you.
From NZ to Malaysia then the Vespa Clubs, a large family that day after day accompanied me, supported me, gave me motivation in difficult moments. I don't know if there is a stronger, more lively and cohesive form of aggregation than the Vespa Clubs, where there is one, you know you are not alone and you can count on a "brother" as he usually defines himself.
The fourth part of the trip is a dream come true, China, where I am now, 1000 km from the border with Laos. Getting there was very challenging because of the absurd roads I found between Vientiane, the capital of Laos and the Chinese border. Due to the roads, the climbs and the poor quality of the petrol, I burned the clutch and was stranded.
Thanks to the advice of my trusted mechanic Walter De Noni and a makeshift repair, I managed to get going again, cross the border and continue, keeping the Vespa on from morning to night. Now I'm waiting for the spare parts that Officina Tonazzo - Ricambi Vespa super efficiently sent me to two different Chinese cities and where I'm trying to intercept them.
The journey continues, after China in May there will be Mongolia and finally Russia, where I would like to travel the entire Trans-Siberian to Europe and then return home, by the end of June.
Full sp*ed ahead and let's hope the spare parts arrive soon, I'm tired of having to p*e on the road, keeping one hand on the accelerator of the Vespa to prevent it from turning off 🤣🤣🤣

15/03/2025

15/03/2025

Probably bigest temple's area in South East Asia ❤️❤️❤️
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Gianluca's visit to Siem Reab in Cambodia

11/03/2025

After a forced stop of a couple of weeks in Bangkok, due to problems related to the visas that I need to continue my trip, in a couple of days I will finally be ready to leave again, direction Cambodia. I took advantage of it to discover this fantastic city and its surroundings.

08/03/2025

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26/02/2025

Questo è un post che non parla del mio viaggio ma di qualcosa di molto più importante, ovvero di aiutare una persona che lotta da più di 30 anni contro la sclerosi multipla, Carlo Grotta.
Non lo conosco di persona, ma abbiamo un grande amico comune. Mi ha colpito la sua storia perché, dopo tanti anni, parla ancora di dignità e di speranza, dando a tutti noi una grande lezione di vita.
Non importa quanto donate, l'importante è farlo, qualsiasi importo.
Vi ringrazio in anticipo per la vostra sensibilità e attenzione.

https://gofund.me/261022a5

16/02/2025

Great meeting last night in Kuala Lampur with Gianluca Alessi. In recent years we have shared common roads and countries, we have messaged each other many times and exchanged information, but meeting in person is something completely different. What can I say, a 27 year old boy who could be my son and who manages to make the enthusiasm, desire to live and travel of his young age coexist with the experience and wisdom of someone who has already been through a lot in life. Full sp*ed ahead and who knows, sooner or later, somewhere in the world, we might meet again. Best regards

01/02/2025

After leaving Australia, I arrive in Bali, where I stay in a hostel waiting for my Vespa to arrive, shipped by air from Brisbane, with transit through Singapore.

I enjoy a few days as a tourist, savoring the flavours, habits and customs of a city that is very different from the young and modern ones visited in Australia and New Zealand. The metropolitan area of Bali is not a single city, with its own center, but are many small cities, we could define them as neighborhoods, one adjacent to the other. The origins start from Kuta, near the airport and all around rice fields, and then extend northwards where, among the various neighborhoods there is Canggu where I stayed. Living the daily life of the island, I notice the serenity of the Indonesian people, I have the impression that they live well, albeit in a context of poverty, if not sometimes of great hardship. I am very struck by the extreme friendliness of the people, those of the public establishments, but also those you meet on the street who never fail to give you a smile, a sign of kindness.

I'm fine but I'm not at peace, as always managing the importation of the Vespa can hide pitfalls that can generate problems that aren't always solvable. Luckily everything is fine here, the documents arrive via DHL, I go to the bonded warehouse and customs, I manage all the import procedures without the need for a customs broker. I get by with 4 hours of bureaucracy and 90 euros of expenses, including handling the cash upon arrival, a spectacle!

Finally ready to leave again, instead of immediately aiming to leave the island, I decide to join David and Alba, two Spanish guys I met in the hostel the days before. They are touring the island, even inside, aboard a rented scooter. Thanks to their indications, I visited spectacular places in the internal areas, staying in structures where every view from the room window gave me unique emotions.

It's time to leave the island of Bali, I do it on a day where the rain has really decided to complicate everything. The road alternates between big climbs where the Vespa, due to the poor quality of the petrol, has a lot of difficulty climbing, almost to the point of not making it, and very steep descents where the slippery surface and the very steep slopes make me tremble. Luckily everything passes without any hitches.

I get on a dilapidated ferry and leave the island of Bali, the journey continues in the Java region, towards Jakarta, where I plan to arrive in a week.

18/01/2025

Crossing the Nullarbor was a unique experience, a mix of emotion and adrenaline. Now, looking back I smile: I crossed the fifth desert of my life and perhaps for the first time I experienced some more fear. In Ceduna I stop to rest, I decide to stay two nights, I have too much tiredness and accumulated tension to get rid of. During the day off I practically always stay in bed, except for a short outing, just to eat something.

I start the journey to Adelaide going from the scorching heat of 45 degrees to the 15 degrees I find in the morning when I leave, with the rain that catches me by surprise. During the journey I plan to meet Julie Pond, the President of the Vespa Club Melbourne and the Vespa Club Australia, she is on holiday with her husband Greg, strictly on a Vespa. I have been in touch with Julie for months, she has helped me a lot by giving me useful information and also alleviating some anxiety on the Nullarbor. We tell each other anecdotes, laugh and exchange the symbols of our respective VCs. I get emotional when Greg takes his personal band off the Vespa and gives it to me, a gesture full of meaning for me. It's incredible how much this passion unites us, even if we come from distant worlds. It's time to start again, we both have a long way to go, we leave each other hoping to see each other in Rome on the occasion of the Vespa World Days 2026.

I am in the middle of nowhere, I see on the right side of the road, therefore opposite me, a person walking, with a cart in front, as if it were a stroller, he has a yellow fluorescent jacket, very dirty and worn, a straw hat with a dark net all around, to protect his face from the flies. I see him at the last moment, but I have time to give him a couple of trumpet blasts and raise my hand in greeting, I see in the rearview mirror that he waves back. I continue, but after about a kilometer I reflect on the fact that perhaps I am missing the opportunity to meet a special person, to hear a life story, it is not normal that someone is there, on foot, alone, with this cart in front..., I go back and go to meet him. His name is Alex, a young man who has been walking for 387 days to complete the perimeter of Australia on foot, he leaves me sp*echless. To my question "Why on foot?" he answers "I want to live at my own sp*ed," with a smile that transmits a contagious inner peace. At that moment I understand that travel is not just movement: it is connection, discovery, a way of being. I leave inspired and happy to have crossed his path.

Adelaide welcomes me with her vitality, Paul from the Vespa Club Adelaide offers me a place for my Vespa and organizes a meeting with other Vespa riders. Between chats, laughter and a splendid Vespa tour to Windy Point, time flies. I decide to stay one more night and spend New Year's Eve in the city. In the evening I go out on foot, hoping to find some organized public event and in fact on the river bank thousands of people have gathered together to celebrate the arrival of the New Year. At midnight the fireworks arrive, lighting up the entire city center and reflecting on the river bed forming strange plays of color. I see all the people celebrating with their families, couples, friends and this makes me feel alone, homesickness takes over, a sensation that I feel a lot during the holidays. At the same time I feel incredibly alive, aware that I am living a unique experience and that next time I will no longer be alone.

The Great Ocean Road is pure magic, since the early stages of organizing this trip I knew that these 250 km of coast are considered among the most beautiful in the world and now I'm about to travel them. Before starting this coastal route I met Herb, an Italian cyclist who had been a guest of my B&B in Italy, he welcomed me into his home with the lively and authentic enthusiasm of his entire family. I set off again and the show immediately begins, every curve reveals breathtaking views: pristine beaches, imposing cliffs and infinite oceans with shades of blue that make the sea on the horizon one with the sky. I'm excited, I stop everywhere along the road to take photos, breathe in the beauty of nature and enjoy every moment.

In Melbourne, the first thing I do is go to Vespa House, a historic workshop run by Frank, an Italian immigrant who has been repairing Vespas in the heart of the city since 1956. Stefano, the mechanic, also Italian, and Dean, Frank’s son, welcome me and my Vespa as if we were family. It always makes me happy to see how my Vespa, with all its modifications and scars from the journey, is admired. The workshop is an incredible place, full of history and passion. I spend the whole day there without realizing it. So, a tire was changed, the broken stand was replaced, the engine oil was changed, the accelerator was adjusted, 1 liter of oil for the mixture. How much do I owe you? “Nothing,” but how come, no no… and there begins a tense negotiation that leads us to agree on the payment of 100 AUD, or 60 euros. Like in Perth, here too you feel the authentic pleasure of being able to help a Vespa rider who comes from far away.

Sydney is a riot of memories and new adventures. I cross the Harbour Bridge on my Vespa, admire the iconic Opera House and return to Bondi Beach, reliving the emotions of Australia experienced 25 years ago when I was there for the 2000 Olympics. Sandy, from Scooter Meccanica, has been following me for days and is waiting for me, welcoming me into his extraordinary space, a mix of museum, workshop and paradise for every Vespa enthusiast. Everywhere I turn there is something that strikes me, I try to immortalize everything by taking photos and videos, but I realize that what I am breathing in that place I can not capture except in part.

I’ve been thinking about how to get out of Australia since Melbourne. The option of going by ship from Darwin is out of the question, the first container will be in mid-March and in any case between sailing and delivery of the Vespa a week earlier it will take a month. I evaluate various air shipping options, in the end Brisbane is the best option as it is well connected to Bali in Indonesia, where I want to continue my journey. The crate for the Vespa is quoted for between 1000 and 1550 AUD, which is a lot. Luckily I find the Ducati and Piaggio dealer Brisbane Motorcycles who kindly gives me a metal crate of the kind used to ship Ducati motorcycles from Japan to Indonesia. Every detail of the preparations for South-East Asia fits together perfectly, despite all its many snags and hitches.

Brisbane marks the culmination of my Australian adventure. As I travel the last kilometers, I think back to the 7,000 km crossed from West to East, to the desert, the cities, the faces and the stories. Australia has given me so many emotions and wonders that I will always carry with me. I say goodbye to this land with a full heart, ready to discover what the rest of the journey has in store for me. The adventure continues in Indonesia, where I arrived a couple of days ago and where I am waiting for my Vespa to arrive, I hope to get back on it by the middle of next week.

14/01/2025

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31/12/2024

WEST AUSTRALIA AND CHRISTMAS IN THE NULLARBOR, I knew Australia was complicated, but I didn't imagine it this way.

My arrival on December 7th, the Vespa cleared customs on the 8th, but we still have to wait for Biosecurity. In the meantime, just to be on the safe side, I check what needs to be done: Temporary driving permit to pick up the Vespa, Inspection (our MOT), registration of the vehicle at the Department of Transportation and finally insurance. On December 13th the Biosecurity check passes (they also open all the attached luggage), on the 16th the MOT passes and on the 17th I register and insure the Vespa. I've done everything, miscellaneous expenses (extra flight) AU$ 1,600 (no comment), at least I can finally leave.

In parallel with the formalities, I live in Perth and the surrounding areas called suburban. I sleep in Fremantle, a very pretty town in the south, old English style, a beautiful beach with a large lawn right behind it, a destination for backpackers who sleep in cars, vans, vans, the luckiest ones in campers and in fact live there. It is also an opportunity to meet Italian friends, Raffaella who came for a few months to visit her daughter and Mauro, who has lived in Perth for 11 years now. To the north of the city there are immense beaches, with the ocean that gives them that charm so different from our beaches..., then the kangaroos, lots of them.

On the 18th I leave, I decide to go along the coast, up to Esperance, three days of travel, about 1000 km, I immediately begin to understand the size of Australia, different spaces that I am not used to, I realize that it is normal to travel 200/300 km in the middle of nowhere without finding a house. It is afternoon, it is 16.00 and I still have to travel 130 km to get to where I booked, I realize that I made a mistake, too much road, too late, in the middle of a forest without meeting a car the whole way, too dangerous, I have to be more careful. Finally I arrive in Esperance which gives me the 16 km of the most beautiful beaches I have ever seen in my life and I have seen so many beaches.

I can't find a place to sleep in Esperance, I head towards the next day's stop, hoping to find something, but nothing, it's already 4pm today and I have at least 100km before the next tiny town, I'm already angry with myself, here we go again. One of the few motorbikes I've seen in these days passes me, a Honda 250, he waves, I wave back, shortly after he stops and I follow him. He has a farm and in no time he invites me to sleep at his place, I follow him, 25km and we arrive at a warehouse, he leaves his motorbike and I leave the Vespa, then another 10km with the jeep. He is John Sanderson, he is 32 years old and with his father he runs three farms, two close to each other and one 300km away, which he reaches with a private plane that lands in front of the house, he says it's more comfortable and faster. I live a unique experience of hospitality and knowing him, his wife, two children and parents, I enter their world of which they open the doors to me. We go with the jeep along these endless fields to look for the 129 sheep of the sister that graze somewhere, we stop after dinner to talk and the next morning at the parents' house. It is now midday and it is time to leave, I can only thank for the help and hospitality, hoping one day to be able to reciprocate in Italy.

CHRISTMAS IN THE NULLARBOR, I finally arrive in Norseman, the town where the Nullarbor begins, a 1200 km desert area that leads out of West Australia and ends in Ceduna in South Australia. Everyone here in Australia has always tried to dissuade me from going there, too many dangers and that's why for the first time, contrary to usual, I feel particularly nervous and fearful about what I'm about to do. It's afternoon, very hot, the motel that's hosting me is deserted, there's only me and a truck driver, he fills up without skimping on the risks I'm about to face:
- Temperatures always above 40 degrees, bring water, lots of water
- Kangaroos suddenly cross the road
- Road trains, trucks with three trailers up to 49 meters long that create very strong air changes

I spend the night sleepless, they say two hot days but I can't postpone, the only place I found to sleep 640 km away is full on all the other days, I'm forced to leave anyway. It's 5.00 in the morning, the Vespa is ready with the normal luggage + 27 liters of gasoline and 9 liters of water, I enjoy a fairytale sunrise and I leave, come on we can do it, we've crossed four deserts, we'll get through this too. 640 km, 12 continuous hours of driving with stops only to get gasoline when possible or to top it up from the cans. The stops are very quick, I don't know why but flies attack me in droves. The temperature rises to 41 degrees, deserted road, hours go by without crossing or seeing me passed by another vehicle, I don't want to think about the possibility of a problem with the Vespa. It's 5:00 p.m., the temperature starts to drop, at 6:00 p.m. I arrive at the road house in Mundrabilla where I booked to sleep, the room is ok, I'm exhausted and I don't even have dinner. The Vespa is in the room with me, I'm more relaxed. At 8:00 p.m. I'm already asleep, I set the alarm for 3:30 in the morning

Today only 560 km, at 4.00 I'm already on the road, enjoying the second sunrise in two days. After an hour the time zone changes, 1 hour and 45 minutes ahead, damn all that time less. I find the first road house closed, today is Christmas, I continue to the second which luckily is open. I feel that it is warmer, too much, at 12.00 it is 42 degrees, I stop at the Nullarbor road house and I am worried, too hot, the tires will not hold. I cannot stop, I still have 300 km before arriving in Ceduna, no less than 6 or 7 hours. I decide to set off again but I lower the sp*ed from 60 to 50 km/h, to reduce the heating of the engine and tires. The temperature continues to rise, I am very worried about a failure, how can the tires resist at this temperature. I open the last bottle of water of the 6 I brought, I have drained them all. At 6:00 pm it is still 42 degrees but I only have 60 km to go. I arrive in Ceduna, it is 7:30 pm, after many road houses in the middle of nowhere I find a “normal” village, I stop where I booked, I drop everything and go to bed, my head is exploding but I am happy and relieved, I made it, I crossed the Nullarbor desert in just two days.

The Vespa, very large, no sign of failure in the engine or even the tires, with the wind always against it it has consumed quite a bit, 21.5 km/l, I would say that is fine like this.

The adventure continues, in South Australia.