Fernando creates a living from a mere grain of rice
WHEN Argentine-born biker Fernando Sergio Valsesia rolled across bandit territory in Turkey, crossed checkpoints in Iran, Pakistan, India and Thailand, he was stopped questioned and at times threatened.
But having football megastar Diego Maradona as a fellow countryman smoothed the roads and crossed all language barriers.
As soon as he was asked where he was from the response was almost always the same.
"Maradona!!, Maradona!!"
Fernando said he came to the conclusion that Maradona must be the most famous person alive.
After surviving some of the most dangerous roads in the world Fernando was charming Margaret River residents this week with his little street stall.
The former dental technician has an uncanny skill of being able to write one's name on a grain of rice.
He can actually write up to 13 letters on one grain with a very fine felt.tip pen, a feat which was winning him many admirers. ^
Fernando is travelling the world on Elisa, an affectionate name for his ST Honda 1100cc Pan European.
The trip around the world has been a dream since he was a boy.
Fernando said his Parents had been avid travellers and the family had an old van in which they travelled around Argentina in June 1995.
Trekking off from Spain and Portugal, he picked up Ehsa in Los Palmas in the Canary Islands along the way.
He began with just $100 in his pocket and !imited English.
Since then he has travelled through Italy, Greece, Iran, Pakistan and South East Asia with the help of tyre maker Pirelli, which agreed to sponsor the good-looking Latin American by sending him tyres every 12,000km.
He said most of the trip had been danger-free until he hit Turkey. Not only the military, but also many citizens carry guns and not all of them are friendly.
To cross into Pakistan, Fernando had to toss off some of his belongings to make way for a gun-totting soldier who rode plllion;
He also got hit by a bus in India.
Ahead of him lies the Australian outback and a long journey through Japan, Canada, the US and South America to his home in Buenos Aires.
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