Crowdfunding has been launched to bring back the 28-year-old’s vehicle. In less than 24 hours, they reached over €2,500.
The dream of Nuno Castanheiro, a 28-year-old Portuguese, was to ride a motorcycle around the world. The adventure began on May 21, 2023 and the goal was to pass through more than 50 countries over two years, but the young man from Marinha Grande ended up dying on August 3, following a collision between the motorcycle he was following and a pickup truck, near the city of Dalbandim, Pakistan. Now, his friends want to “bring Nuno’s bike back and honor his adventure”.
Contact has been made with the local authorities and Nuno’s return is assured through travel insurance, but the transportation of the bike has associated costs. A crowdfundingc ampaign has been launched to raise the money needed to recover the vehicle.
“We launched this fundraising campaign with the goal of reaching €4,500, which will be used to bring Nuno’s motorcycle back home in coordination with his family. We want the bike to be a symbol of his courage and determination, a living reminder of the dream that Nuno dared to pursue”, reads the fundraising text. In less than 24 hours, the campaign reached €4,709 and is now closed.
For 72 days, the 28-year-old documented the trip frequently on Instagram, where he shared photos and experiences from the trip. The last post was made on July 29 and recounted his experience in Iran, where he was trying to fulfill his dream of camping in the desert. It would end up not being possible, due to the weather conditions.
The Portuguese man’s journey began in his homeland and the first six months would be spent between Portugal and Australia, passing through the Middle East and much of Southeast Asia. Then the plan was to cross the American continent, starting in Purdhoe Bay, Alaska, and ending in the Argentine city of Ushuaia. In the end, Nuno Castanheira wanted to cross Africa, starting the journey in South Africa.
The young man arrived in Pakistan a day before the accident that caused at least two more injuries. “The accident, for which Nuno was not responsible, occurred due to a head-on collision with a pick-up truck when he was accompanied, according to local rules, by a safety vehicle following behind him”, they explain in the crowdfunding campaign. All involved were transported to Prince Fahad Hospital.
Portuguese man dies in Pakistan while riding his motorcycle around the world