“Adventure, challenge, curiosity”
These are the main triggers that pushed Dino Lanzaretti (renamed by me “The Gladiator”) to pedal the highest, strongest and most difficult roads in the world, and these are the things that have made him a source of inspiration for me and for all the people who met this incredible guy!
Dino in Namibia with his bike
Some of you may have already noticed, but I’m not a big fan of interviews with other travel bloggers, with one exception here. Do not get me wrong, we do super cool things sometimes, our life is rarely boring but still …
There are a whole world of travelers who do epic things, people who have embarked on extraordinary adventures without necessarily documenting them online, and if they do, their blogs are not a full -time business.
I consider myself super lucky to have met one of them and today I am super excited to share the epic story of my friend Dino with you!
Dino in Tibet
Dino is undoubtedly one of the rare real explorers and adventurers. We met by chance in a Calabria – Italy – for the “Favella Lab” project where nine creative, sharing the same roof for a week, had the “mission” to produce a video with the “freedom” theme.
He entered the house in a calabria, but it is not surprised that he was able to capture admiration and respect for everyone in a few moments.
Dino showing his skills as a calabre gladiator 😀 (and the proof that I really met this champion!)
A great Italian from Vicenza, born in 1977 like me (we are the best after all), crazy enough to jump on an old bike to embark on a solo bike trip around the world.
It is impossible not to love Dino, almost as impossible as his incredible adventures.
From Africa to Tibet, from Himalayas to South America, Dino – and its old bicycle – have really lived the world and its inhabitants in a really authentic way, not without difficulty, but that is exactly what makes it special.
In my opinion, His videos are a mixture of two of my favorite films of all time: “Into the Wild” and “The Motorcycle’s Diaries”, no wonder why Dino is my hero!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
Here is the summary by Dino of his epic trip to Tibet. Fyi, he says “basta !!!” Many, which means “enough!”. I can’t blame him … I mean I would never have done anything like this! Bravo to him.
We, bloggers, openly, we feel like heroes whenever we venture into dirty hostels, we get involved in local communities or do something slightly out of our comfort zone. What about Dino, who only travels with his little tent, a campsite stove to prepare his meals and a backpack full of jackets, food supplies and a lot of determination?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VODA5JKGJEA
This video is so inspiring and frightening at the same time. Dino was cycling through South America and it’s the only video that really reminds me of the films “Into the Wild” and “The Motorcycle Diaries”. It gives me the chills!
A little help for non-Italians 🙂
If you do not understand the Italian, at the start of this second video, Dino was at a “crossroads” and it assesses its options: on the one hand, 2,500 kilometers of bicycle against very strong winds, on the other side is the Chilean border and the southern crossroads with its very cold climate and its rain showers (but less wind).
He decided on his next destination (Chile) with the simple “head or tail” technique. TO LIKE! I used the same technique so many times. Totally random and exciting, whatever happens.
If you have taken the time to watch the video, you have probably noticed how simple but energetic. It is a freezing gladiator. Just as a real explorer should be: completely free from constraints and filters. Dino is a very simple person. You can see him cursed the winds, the snow, the many fall from his bike and everything that stands on his way. And that’s what makes it really free.
“We all have our fears … fleeing them may not be the right choice. I decided to pedal instead. – Dino Lanzaretti–
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5bmx3eftjy0
In this short video produced for the Favella Lab project, Dino managed to capture the essence of his life to bike: fears, real and metaphorical falls lived during his many adventures and the desire to get up after each obstacle.
In Calabr, Dino and I, apart from laughter and shenanigans around a table full of fantastic Italian cuisine, took the time to talk about this strange blog world.
“Yes, I have a blog, but I rarely write on it”, “ He said. At that time, he had not even downloaded a single video on his website.
At the time, I was still a blogger obsessed with figures and monetization and I tried to explain to him that with an incredible quantity of videos and photographic equipment in his hands, he had the chance to become a real superstar. Needless to say, he doesn’t care.
“I travel for the trip” He answered me frankly. “”I will think of everything else later ”.
And do not presume that you are in front of a rich spoiled guy who can allow you to drop everything and take “holidays” for months to travel around the world.
Each kilometer pedalled (he already has more than 52,000 km on his legs) has not been won without perspiration. Dino’s life is divided into two: for consecutive months, he works very hard as a cook to finance his adventures and when the money is enough, he catches his bike and leaves for his next destination.
These are his words, taken from his Blog articles::
“The goal is to be here in the moment, without dreaming of going elsewhere. I have no way of quantifying the immense effort and the tears that I owed by making a bicycle, but I am absolutely convinced that it was worth the effort. I have this strange feeling that has been blowing for years: I think I have won the lottery without buying the ticket”
This world of travelers who left everything behind is curious. To a certain extent, we all share this feeling as if we had won the lottery without buying the ticket.
However, Dino – Just like me and many others – does not want you to believe that winning the lottery means that this life is perfect, just filled with fantastic adventures and without any obstacle.
Dino campsite in nature in Tibet
“”In these first 8,000 kilometers, I made the gods crack that I did not even know existing, I broke the dozens of bikes and that I was the victim of many physical injuries because I was not well prepared. It could have been better but I started to realize what kind of life I was going to start ”
Our lifestyle is a choice like the others, which also includes sacrifices, sweat, tears and sometimes loneliness. No one imposed this lifestyle for us, he chose it freely.
And as much as we could fight during the moments of despair that come with this choice, basically, we know that choosing what to do with our life is a feeling like no other. Maybe even better than winning the real lottery!
As usual, I get lost, but I could talk about the story of Dino, his philosophy on life and his wonderful trips for days.
The life lesson you can withdraw here is not “depositing everything and traveling!” But, as I always say: “Do not dream of your life, live your dream”
And Dino does it definitively. Well done champion. Until we saw each other!
To close this article “Clelia’s style”, I want to show you what it would be for me if I decided to imitate the epic adventures of Dino…. (Just look at the first 50 seconds to get the idea, yes … I am total fraud! Ahahah) 😀
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VGGWHNY5QPY
