“Great perils have this beauty, that they bring to light the fraternity of strangers.”
Victor Hugo
Other than close encounters with angry dogs, truck drivers, dire loneliness and dysentery my last seven months cycling up The Mekong river in South East Asia (writes Tom on the Bicycle Travel Network) could hardly be described as perilous. I took my time; I ate well; and when danger did begin batting her eyelids I ignored her.
But there is something about travel, especially by bicycle, that leaves the rider in a permanent state of mild peril. You never know where you are going to sleep from one night to the next; your front tyre could burst on that 40km downhill run and the last taco or noodle soup could quiet easily have you waddling uncomfortably for the nearest hospital.
Reading the fascinating interviews from our inaugural scholarship winners on the BTN website this month it appears that one of the pulls of taking on a big bike ride is the vulnerability and total exposure travel by bicycle provides for the rider. And yet this vulnerability is also quoted as a primary fear. Perhaps this susceptibility to physical or emotional attack or harm is what makes travel so invigorating and so rewarding?
Removing ourselves from our normal comfort zones of good friends, family and familiarity we are forced to rely not only on ourselves but also strangers and it is often the strangers I meet that make travel the experience it is. Waterfalls, sunsets, beaches and temples are all very well but what makes travel so intriguing to me is the people. Even without the luxury of language, people and faces tell us about the culture we are in, a new way of life and perhaps most importantly allow us to learn so much about ourselves from what we see in others.
For this reason in the last few days I have put together a collection of faces from my trip cycling up the Mekong river in South East Asia. From the sweaty heat of the Mekong delta in Southern Vietnam to the northern mountains of Laos and China, these are the people I met, ate with, shared a quick smile or a glance with, these are the faces that made my Mekong journey special.
I couldn’t agree more. I am just back from a camping and cycling trip to Ardnamurchan and on one day I decided to cycle to Sanna Bay (about 2 1/2hrs away I figured). After nearly 5 hours I finally made it and although I had arranged to meet my wife (who had our car) there for a picnic but she was nowhere in sight – as I am a type 1 diabetic I was getting slightly alarmed when a very nice woman from the only nearby house asked if I was OK. I explained my situation and she immediately made me a sandwich and a cup of sweet tea before calling all her friends to check that my wife and wee girl hadn’t had an accident on the bad roads! What a lovely thing to do and I will remember her kindness for a long time.
Beautifully written blog post. Thanks so much.
Yes, it is the people that make the places. All my strongest bicycle tour memories are of those that thrust a cold drink out they window as they drove by, kids who pushed me through sandy patches and up steep hills and all the villagers with whom I shared a laugh in fron of the local shop.
I agree with this post. While going on cycling tour we meet so many different kinds of people. Among with them we have some good experiences and some bad. And the tour becomes memorable.