“What we had in common - our restlessness, our impassioned spirits, and a love for the open road.”
Che Guevara
The road stretched before them was a 22,000km open artery connecting distant lands. Their three Pajeros —aptly named Macau, Taipa, and Coloane—embarked on a mission: to celebrate Macau’s culture and commemorate the 500th anniversary of Portuguese maritime exploration.
It all felt like watching a movie, as they knitted tales of laughter shared at roadside diners, the quiet moments under star-studded skies, and the camaraderie forged in adversity. They encountered the unexpected: a forgotten village, a hidden oasis, a melody carried by the wind.
Each mile etches memories into their souls, and every border crossed leaves its mark.
As they traverse landscapes, they echo Che’s words: “I now know, by an almost fatalistic conformity with the facts, that my destiny is to travel.” And as they transcend geography, it gradually becomes a pilgrimage—a quest for understanding, compassion, and connection.
And so, dear readers, fasten your seatbelt. The road awaits, and the book II Raid Macau-Lisbon beckons. Let us ride together, guided by great feelings of love, echoing the spirit of Che Guevara—the revolutionary who understood that revolutions begin within, fuelled by the rhythm of wheels on asphalt and the heartbeat of shared dreams.
The book recalls the II Macau-Lisbon Raid of 1990, a trip led by ten multi-national lovers of off-road and adventure who decided to take a land route between Macau and Lisbon, crossing several countries in Asia and Europe, just with 4x4 SUVs.
Among the intrepid travellers were Joaquim Correia, a librarian at the University of Macau; Mário Sin, former president of the Macau Automobile Club; António Calado, a technician at the Macau Sports Institute; Fernando Silva, a doctor; and António Teixeira, a Macau Grand Prix mechanic. The group was also joined by Filipe Kuan, Ha Son, TDM's (Macau Broadcasting) image reporter, and James Jacinto, TDM's director.
The adventure unfolded with a traditional Dragon Dance ceremony at Portas do Cerco, by the Macau government representatives and the Chinese community. Guided by Sin, they travelled across China—Zhuhai, Canton, Xian, Beijing—following the Silk Road’s ancient path. The Gobi Desert whispered secrets, and the Chinese Air Force jets roared overhead.
Into the Soviet Union, they ventured, joined by Russian journalists Igor Lomakin and Serguei Moizeev. Alma Ata marked their border crossing, and Radio Moscow chronicled their journey.
The Soviet Union’s tourism department generously covered their expenses, from food, and lodgings to fuel.
They travelled 21,246 km between Asia and Europe, having crossed two deserts and lived with “the demonstrations that animated Moscow at the time of Perestroika”. The crew even endured temperatures close to 50 degrees.
“Overcoming these obstacles was the first sign to the navigation that this group would not give up easily, it was more likely to break than to give up. If there was madness in the enterprise, it needed the stubbornness of well-tempered steel to be successful,” says journalist João Figueira.
Wreckage, resilience and memories
On August 18, the II Macau-Lisbon Raid entered the Soviet Union, travelling through Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Azerbaijan, with a brief halt in Baku.
The journey to Georgia was particularly challenging, culminating in an early morning arrival after over 11 hours of driving. The team's late arrival was due to two flat tyres and a near-fatal encounter, says Mário Sin. He vividly described the terrifying moment when he almost drove off a cliff in the dark, narrowly avoiding disaster by instinctively manoeuvring the jeep away from danger.
Reflecting on the incident, Sin was reluctant to undertake such a perilous journey
again, emphasizing the fine line between bravery and recklessness. The experience left him deeply shaken, as he realized how close they had come to catastrophe. The night in Georgia, marked by fatigue and near tragedy, was a turning point for Sin and his comrades, highlighting the extreme risks of their adventure.
The team's resilience was continually tested throughout their journey in the Soviet Union. They faced numerous challenges, including the exhausting drive and the critical situation in Georgia. Despite these obstacles, they persevered, with the cooks waiting to nourish the weary travellers upon their arrival in Georgia.
Their journey continued through Hungary, Austria, Germany, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, France, and Spain. Each trip brought its own challenges, including a daring 370-kilometre drive through Germany without sleep.
Homecoming
Finally, on September 12, the expedition reached Portugal, entering through Vilar Formoso and resting in Guarda. They made a mandatory stop in Bairrada for a gastronomic treat of succulent suckling pigs before heading to Lisbon. The gruelling journey had transformed them, with fatigue dampening their initial eagerness to drive.
They developed coping strategies, such as using cold beers at lunch as an excuse to share driving duties. The adventure had left an indelible mark on them, teaching them to appreciate the balance between ambition and caution.
But reflexes prevailed, and the II Macau-Lisbon Raid culminated on September 13, next to the Monument to the Discoveries in Belém, Lisbon. And as the memories of the great voyage fade, Joaquim Correia and Fernando Silva’s daily chronicle echoes across social media, the expedition’s doc-film also graced global screens, etching their triumphs into the annals of adventure. And now the book will immortalize their 21,246-kilometer odyssey along with a 72-pg—comic book. The II Macau-Lisbon Raid—a saga etched in roads, camaraderie, laughter, exhaustion and shared experiences now finally ends its final chapter.
