By WAN MUHAMMAD ASLAH WAN RAZALI
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian biker Katiravan Subrayan, on an extraordinary quest to ride his motorcycle around the globe, has reached a significant milestone, clocking 100,000 kilometres while in Brazil on his journey through Latin America.
It is also in Brazil that he planted his 100th tree in the Malaysian embassy compound, in his quest to raise environmental awareness and promote Malaysia to the people he met along the way.
To date, he has successfully planted approximately 108 trees, with the latest addition in Bolivia, marking his 47th country.
Katiravan, 63, embarked on this remarkable journey in early January 2023 on his trusted BMW R 1200cc GSA motorcycle, affectionately named Parameswara.
BERNAMA once again caught up with Katiravan to hear about his journey after he entered Brazil from Venezuela in mid-July, especially as he navigates through a continent that Malaysians are not much familiar with, unlike North America.
On July 9, Katiravan reached the city of Fortaleza, the capital of the state of Ceará in Brazil, where he hit the 100,000-kilometre mark in his journey.
There, he was warmly welcomed by locals who assisted him in fulfilling his environmental goals by planting eight trees.
Continuing his journey, Katiravan rode Parameswara 2,000 kilometres south to Brazil’s federal district, Brasília, arriving on July 21.
In Brasília, he visited the Malaysian embassy, where he was greeted by the first secretary/head of chancery, Muhamad Muhaimin Azmi, the third secretary, Anwar Umar Ruszaman, and the personal assistant/office secretary to the ambassador, Fariq Hariz Mohd Baharuzaizi. They extended a warm and welcoming reception.
Katiravan missed home, particularly the food. Anwar’s wife, Siti Nurbahiyah Azmi, graciously prepared a home-cooked lunch featuring traditional Malaysian dishes such as Asam Pedas, Sambal Belacan, and Salted Fish, providing Katiravan with a comforting taste of home.
August 2 marked exactly 20 months since he left home. The following day, he was in Rio De Janeiro, where fellow bikers Thierry and his wife, Rita, took him to the mesmerising landmark in the city, the tallest and highest statue in the world, Christ the Reedemer.
After 64 days in Brazil, Katiravan headed to his next destination, Paraguay. He informed Anwar of his plans, and Anwar promptly assisted him in securing a visa by preparing all the necessary paperwork and accompanying him to the Paraguayan embassy.
As he continued riding south through Brazil, Katiravan arrived in São Paulo, where he encountered the first PETRONAS gas station in Brazil, which had just opened in June.
He took the opportunity to fill up at the gas station, as he is a loyal customer of the fuel brand back home.
This station represents PETRONAS’ first brand licensing initiative in Brazil, operated in partnership with SIM Distribuidora (SIM), which will manage three pilot fuel retail stations in São Paulo.
On August 12, Katiravan left Brazil and arrived in Ciudad del Este, Paraguay.
At the immigration office, officers were suspicious of him, repeatedly inspecting his passport and conversing in Spanish among themselves, causing Katiravan some anxiety. After an hour and a half, his passport was finally stamped, allowing him to proceed.
His journey to Asunción, the capital of Paraguay, on August 15 was smooth, with well-maintained roads and minimal traffic.
In Asunción, Katiravan met a local contractor, Victor, and his wife, Carolina, a dentist who shared his passion for biking.
The couple warmly welcomed him, and the next day, Victor invited Katiravan to join their biker group for a charitable event in Ciudad de Limpio, where they distributed food and gifts to local children. The event was attended by about 50 bikers and created a festive atmosphere.
Following the event, Victor organised a tree-planting ceremony for Katiravan at Ciudad de Limpio, where he planted five trees with the seedlings sponsored by a friend from Victor’s biker group.
Later, the group visited “Hospital Indígena”, a local hospital, where they, along with the fire and police departments, donated large amounts of food. Katiravan was pleasantly surprised by the supportive and friendly community in Paraguay.
During a barbecue night at Victor’s place, Katiravan met Thomas, who offered to help him connect with the Bolivian Embassy, knowing that Malaysians require a visa to enter Bolivia.
Although they had just met, Katiravan was impressed by Thomas’s sincerity and eagerness to assist him. Thomas arranged for a contact at the Bolivian Embassy to help Katiravan with his visa application, ensuring his journey could continue smoothly.
With Thomas’s help, the visa process went smoothly and on August 22, Katiravan reached Villamontes, Bolivia, marking the 47th country in his global adventure.
It was a lonely and cold ride for Katiravan as the 120-kilometre stretch from the border to Villamontes was desolate, with no houses, restaurants, or gas stations along the way. As he rode southwards, Katiravan lamented that the weather was getting colder.
To conserve fuel, Katiravan travelled at a cautious speed of 85 to 90 km per hour, knowing that obtaining fuel could be a challenge for foreign vehicles in Bolivia, as the subsidised fuel is strictly limited to locals only.
While in Uyuni, southwest of Bolivia, he took a jeep ride to several places of interest, including the Uyuni Salt Flat and the train cemetery.
Despite the potential challenges, the 63-year-old remained undeterred, continuing his journey with determination and a spirit of adventure. Along the way, he met kind and friendly people who were ever ready to accomodate him in every way possible.
While Katiravan’s incredible journey unfolds, he has not forgotten that the Merdeka anniversary is approaching back home.
Though 18,000 kilometres away, Katiravan extended his Merdeka greetings in English, Tamil, and Malay to fellow Malaysians, saying: “Happy Independence Day to all Malaysians. Malaysia is really a beautiful country with a rich variety of food, all that now I miss being away from home. Malaysia is always great.” – BERNAMA
