Female tourist in her 60s drives a motorbike around the world alone

Anita checked in at Ushuaia City, Argentina, known as the End of the World.

Anita Yusof, 57, is a physical education lecturer at the Sultan Idris University ofEducation Teacher Training Institute in Malaysia. She has been on two round-the-world motorcycle adventures.

Along the way, she encountered bears in North America, giant snakes in the Amazon, and the harsh cold of Antarctica - achievements that earned her a place in the Asian Book of Records.

Her first trip took place in 2015, and she crossed four continents. On her second attempt, she aims to visit all seven. Anita’s motorcycle is being shipped to Adelaide, Australia, where she will begin a two-month cross-continental journey to Darwin. From there, she will take the bike to Timor Leste, cross West Timor, travel through the Indonesian island chain to Sumatra, and then return to Malaysia – the final leg of her journey.

“I dreamed of seeing the world since I was a child,” Anita said. She had previously backpacked through Europe and ventured to more remote, less-known destinations.

In 2012, after a personal incident that made her want to "do something crazy" to regain her balance, Anita Yusof decided to ride a motorbike alone to explore the world.

The idea came after talking to a friend who had cycled through Turkmenistan. He advised her to have her own vehicle, and a motorbike seemed like the best option for her itinerary.

Anita learned to ride and started with domestic routes, expanding to neighboring countries. She then took a year off to do the "Global Dream Ride" - her first trip around the world on a 150cc Yamaha FZ150i.

The trip took her across four continents, 40 countries, and made history: the first Muslim woman to ride a motorbike around the world alone, and the first Malaysian to be recorded for this feat.

But she wasn't done. "I wasn't satisfied. There were so many places I wanted to go, but I didn't have the time or the money," she said. Anita then went back to teaching and saved up to pursue her dream of visiting all seven continents, including Antarctica.

Anita has spent more than 200,000 ringgit (nearly $47,000) on her trips. To stay safe, she has set her own rules, such as wearing protective gear like men to avoid attracting attention, and when asking for directions, she prefers to approach women, especially students, because they tend to speak English well and pose less of a risk. In addition, she absolutely does not drive at night, usually stopping to find a place to rest at least two hours before dark.

Still, the wild can be a challenge. In Guyana, she encountered an anaconda. In North America, bears visited her tent in the middle of the night. Strong winds nearly knocked her off her bike in the plains of Argentina and Chile. “Humans have never threatened my life, but nature has,” Anita says.

Yet, during her lonely moments on the road, she found spiritual strength. “I wouldn’t say I’m a religious person, but I believe in Allah,” she said. When she felt tired, she prayed, reminding herself that no one was forcing her to do it. The trip was her choice, because Anita wanted to make a mark as the first Muslim woman to circumnavigate the world on a motorcycle.

Overcoming doubts, prejudices and dangers, Anita achieved her dream. Her religious beliefs and strong will were the driving force that helped her overcome all difficulties, moments of weakness due to criticism and complete her goal.

"When I announced my plan to ride a motorbike around the world alone, they laughed at me. But I came back safely and proved them wrong," she said.

During her travels, Anita kept in touch with her family and friends. They were a great source of encouragement for her. Despite the dangers, Anita said her travels had completely changed her perspective on the world.

"Many people think the world is very dangerous, but I have encountered so much kindness on the road. It is true that there are unfriendly places, but for the most part, on the contrary, people are very nice," she said.

TB (according to VnExpress)

Source: https://baohaiduong.vn/nu-du-khach-u60-mot-minh-lai-mo-to-vong-quanh-the-gioi-411962.html