Italian biker admires Kashmir, says forces’ presence distasteful DISCOVERING WORLD ON TWO WHEELS MUKEET AKMALI Srinagar, Aug 20: With a strong passion to travel he has virtually mapped the world on two wheels. And, in ‘wonderful place like Kashmir’ Giampiero Pagliuochini finds the preponderance of forces distasteful. Some thirty years ago, when Pagliuochini set out on his first journey he rummaged every state in Europe, crossed over to Turkey before raising the under the wheels of his 990 CC Australian KTM in Spain. His travels have not been confined to one continent. Hehas run his bike from Italy toSouth America to as far as South Africa. “In my longest single journey I crossed a distance of over 17,000 kilo meters on the bike,” he recalls. He has travelled nearly 1,75,000 kilo meters on different bikes since 1983. In his third trip, he set out to discover Asia. “I came to India for the first time in 1999 but Kargil war kept me from Kashmir,” Pagliuochini, who is currently in Kashmir, says. “I am going to come again toKashmir in October. By that time I would get Visa for Pakistan. From here I will go to Pakistan to Afghanistan and to other central Asian countries,” he says. Travel has been never anyproblem for him. “In fact I am enjoying my every travel.” He says: “I always wanted to be a teacher of my life. And my journeys have taught me a lot.” “During my travels, I understand different cultures and traditions, meetdifferent people.” How did he feel about Kashmir after travelling to so many places in the world?“Kashmir is a wonderful land.People are quite friendly. Butthere is preponderance of military people everywhere around,” he frankly shares. “Monday I visited the Downtown city of Srinagar. I found the people so lovely and hospitable. But again it is the presence of military that makes you distasteful,” he says. “I travel every two months a year,” he says, adding that he plans to get around ten bikers next year to Kashmir. Pertinently, in Kashmir his trip was organized by CNE Holidays and jointly hosted by PILTOF and J&K Hoteliers’Club. “Impressed by his tours we have decided that CNE Holidays will purchase ten enfield bikes to promote biking tourism in Kashmir,” Nasir Shah, Director CNE Holidays says.
Posted on: Wed, 21 Aug 2013 02:10:40 +0000