Sure, they’ve spent days without any clean clothes, survived a few hairy encounters and spent countless nights searching for a place to get a little shut eye – but the Donkey and the Mule have not lost an ounce of their adventurous spirit, and are still doing it all for a good cause as they motor bike across 27 countries and raise thousands of dollars for cancer research.
It’s been four months since Dean and Paul Martinello, the brothers that make up this adventurous duo, left Australia to embark on a worldwide biking tour that has already taken them through three continents and twenty countries, some more dangerous than others.
The pair is now on their last leg of the tour, having just arrived in Russia following a delightful encounter with what they describe as “three angels” from Uzbekistan.
“We are staying in a very cool little apartment in Toshkent belonging to one of 3 lovely ladies we met at some traffic lights yesterday”, blogged Dean and Paul, “we both feel rather small in the face of such blind kindness and trust from strangers. We’re speechless actually.”
Dean and Paul began their arduous journey in memory of their late father killed in a motor biking accident, acts of kindness have been pouring in from all over the world with over $3500 raised to date for cancer research through the Donkey and the Mule Fundraising Page.
And after reading some of their stories and following their entertaining updates on their travels, it is not too difficult to see why so many are now supporting their cause.
“Yes, there have been days without washing, no dry or clean clothes, falling off the bike ten times in one day, riding for 12hrs and only moving 40km, and finally making friends with one of the kindest people we’re ever likely to meet,” say Paul and Dean.
Whilst in Africa, the pair rode ten hours non-stop across 175km through The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), dodging holes large enough to swallow their bikes.
On one occasion, Dean left his latest blog from Cameroon on an upbeat note with a great revealing quote from the country’s border official:
“In Cameroon we have not a great wealth, but we are not beggars. In Cameroon, our wealth is in our pride’’.
A few more countries to go and within reach of their fundraising target, ACRF is extremely proud of Paul and Dean and their supporters who are ensuring great things for cancer treatments and cures.
“A truly amazing experience, Pa would be proud,” the pair said during the African leg of their tour.
Read more amazing stories about the Donkey & the Mule.
Visit the Donkey & the Mule website.
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