Kick off

After an adventurous tuktuk ride through Bangkok we are sitting on the train to Ayutthaya. The chaos of the capital is no hiking territory so we decided to head well out of town... Thai rail seem so have adopted the optimistic Starbucks naming system. 'Ordinary', 'rapid' and 'express' are the designations for the different compositions - more fittingly they would be called 'creeping', 'very slow' and 'slow'. It is not air conditioned. Luckily there are people getting on and off the carriage with ice and drinks which lets us cool down. 

After completing the NZ blog in an internet cafe in Ayutthaya we decided to walk to our hotel. 3 km should not be a problem. After 45 minutes of trying to find a way to cross the river we are back at our starting point - hot, tired, sweaty and frustrated. How on earth will we be able to walk 5000 km if we cannot even manage the first 3? Disillusioned we got on the first tuktuk. Indifferent to the fact that the driver ripped us off we took a shower and went to bed straight away - wondering if we bit off more than we could chew with this project.

The rain on the next day was a saving grace. We did loose our way a few times still - mainly because google maps cannot tell the difference between through roads and dead ends - but we did not care. The drops falling from the sky were cooling, no comparison to the day before. Our main worry were now the stray dogs. They were so aggressive that we picked up the first best piece of wood on the roadside and turned it into a walking pole / weapon of self defence. This had the added benefit that it would underline our sentence 'we are going to Chiang Mai on foot' with the universal symbol for hikers. 

Elly fully geared up and impression from Azutthaya. Our only rainy day so far :(

The legendary Thai hospitality brought us a night in a traditional household (not the pseudo - traditional homestay with proper toilets, showers and a bed) - sleeping on the floor, showering with a hose under the supervision of geckos, toads and two fleeing rats AND vegan food, especially prepared for us. The house owner made a living from training kids in Muay Thai. His son was Thai champion in his weight class... When they heard of our project they strongly suggested that do NOT sleep in a tent. This was driven home by wild waving of the hands, formed to a gun and loud shouting of 'peng, peng, moneeeeeey moneeeeeey'. Two other locals later on performed the same act for us with the result that the tent is unused to this date (and will remain so until we're in less populated areas). 

Our hosts on the first day

After this truly wonderful first day late hot season caught up with us again. Temperatures soaring well north of 35 C and a lot more asphalt than expected made walking in the coming days hell. Blisters are our daily companions still and the only slightly cooling thing is ice on our necks. BUT there are the truly amazing, wonderful stories that make it all worthwhile.

Our two life savers: tape which allows us to walk with blisters and the little roadside huts every x km providing vital shade in 40 C heat

There is the tumultuous reaction whenever we appear. The whole family is called to look at these strange people, fingers are pointed at us. After uttering our travel plans their eyebrows shoot up so far that they threaten to join forces with the hair line, thumbs go up left and right and respectful wais (folding of the hands in front of the forehead and bowing), followed by hysterical laughter are performed. More than once people in the next village already knew where we were going... 

There are the drivers, constantly beeping the horns and waving or even driving backwards on the highway (if we had to hike next to it) to offer us a ride (which we of course declined) food or something to drink.

There is the poor farmer who has nothing, offering me his hat that I am not so hot (not accepting no as an answer or money in return). He also offered us to stay but overnight but we had to hike on since it was only 11 am. He invited us to stay with him if we ever come to Thailand again. As a goodbye present I offered him my hat which he accepted, visibly moved. 

Left: roadside fun swapping hats. Right: the generous and compassionate farmer with me and my new hat

There was Ben who gifted us a very touching encounter, stopping his car on the way back from work after he had seen us walking in the morning some 20 km farther south. He walked a small part with us and gave us his number in the end - if we ever run into trouble. Great to have someone speaking Thai and English as an insurance. If you are reading this: I know you will fulfill your dream! Never stop believing. My house is always open if you come to Switzerland... 

I could go on but in short: the reception we get is just mind-boggling! This truly dawned upon us when we spent our days rest (to give our feet and backs a break) as 'normal' tourists. No waving, no beeping horns, no respectful wais. A smile or 'sawatdee' here and there. In stead of the thumbs up mistrustful looks. We hated it and wanted to get our packs on quickly again... 

All our possessions including the vitally important dog defense weapons and the bright gifts from another homestay family dangling off our packs

Travelling on foot gives you the unique opportunity of not being able to ride, drive or fly away. You cannot miss any lovely encounters (great) but you also will not outrun the dogs wanting a piece of your gluteus maximus (not so great). You travel at the same speed whether the spot is in the Lonely Planet (in my eyes just another mass tourist guide selling the illusion of individuality) or not. You get to know the real Thailand in all facets - pleasant of unpleasant. This is usually the privilege of residents. 

Impressions of Thailand. Don't let the grey sky fool you - it is the thinnest of covers and the sun is burning down on us...

So what can we say after 200 km? It is a grind - a well worthwhile grind because of all the impressions that go straight to the heart and will stay with us forever. Valuable things don't come easy and you have to be willing to dig deep. So far we're loving the vagabond life!

Hand washing and drying on an improvised washing line

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Last but not least we would like to talk about something close to our hearts. During the preparation for this trip we were confronted with the dangers that remnants of the Vietnam war pose to us travelling on foot but moreover to the people living in especially Laos but also Cambodia and Vietnam. Mines and unexploded ordnances (UXO) are an omnipresent hidden threat that can cost a limb or even worse a life at any time. We only travel through these regions. Others raise children there - never knowing if they are safe on their way to school or even in the own back yard. 

The least we can do is help create conditions allowing them to build a future in safety. Clearing the explosives, which western countries are mainly responsible for, is the first step. That is why we decided to make this trip a walk against mines and for a safe future. Our partner of choice is MAG - the mines advisory group who do a great job. I would highly recommend watching the video below because it says more than I ever could... 

If you love our project we'd be most honored if you could share our blog, facebook fan page, and donation page on Facebook, Twitter or just spread the word. If you would even like to donate something you're our (and especially the local people's) hero!

Thaks for reading and for the love and support we're getting from you. It helps us when it gets tough...