This is a guest post from Claire Le Hur who is cycling to China with her fiancé Stuart Block. The couple started their journey in East Africa and followed new ‘silk roads’ charting the journey of key natural resources as part of an exciting new education project. Claire is riding a bamboo bike, built by an African social enterprise and Stuart is riding a tandem, keeping the back seat free for those they meet en route. They will also be raising money and awareness for two great educational charities. Find out more about Claire’s big adventure here.
Kind Buddhist monks, stunning temples, beautiful art, nice drivers (except in Bangkok), picture-perfect beaches, rice, dogs, cock fighting, funerals, inspiring stories and finally, some cycle tourists. Our month in Thailand was eventful, colourful and bursting with creativity manifesting in different ways.
Feeling blessed: Stu with a Monk at Ayutthaya
We crossed the border from Malaysia at a tiny outpost into Thaleban National Park in the South West corner of the country. We had been told that if we could not prove we were leaving the country within 30 days it might be tricky to get in, so armed with letters from UWS, Phnom Penh hotel bookings and a few hastily learned words of Thai we approached the immigration officer with hope and apprehension. We were the only westerners around and we realised how ‘local’ a border it was when the foreign exchange would only change Ringgitt and Baht and looked askance at our dollars. Fortunately we both got our passports stamped but then the officer disappeared and panic started to set in. We were delighted — and relieved — when he then he returned with two cold bottles of water for us! A wonderful welcome to the country.
Our first day in Thailand was very interesting. We cycled through undulating, jungle clad hills marvelling at the wonderful tarmac secondary and tertiary roads as we made our way to the small town of Phong. In the afternoon we cycled past a big barn. There was loud shouting coming from inside so Stu went to investigate, and then called me over to see around 300 people watching cock-fighting. We walked in and for a minute all eyes were on us but attention quickly turned back to the cockerels. We watched for about 10 minutes — faces were serious, money was changing hands and people were getting more and more angry — and that was more than enough for me. Cock fighting is something that we definitely don’t approve of but nonetheless it made for an interesting experience.
Cock fighting
In the evening we walked down the main street of Phong and came across a very busy restaurant, packed with Thais chatting and laughing. We decided that this must be the place to eat so in we walked. Many people stared at us, but that was to be expected in such an untouristy town. A literature teacher at the local school came over to greet us and said: “My mother is dead. We are all family and friends together.” We kept apologising and tried to make a swift exit but he would have none of it, insisting: ‘There is a lot of food, please, you must stay.”
We kept heading north, enjoying the stunning scenery. A stop near Krabi enabled us to spend a bit of time relaxing on a stunning beach, enjoying the warm water and James Bond-esque island surroundings.
Stunning views as we cycle to Krabi
Then it was back to the west coast and the town of Khao Lak. This area is most famous for the devastation wreaked by the Tsumai on Boxing Day 2004 and the coastline is now home to some very moving memorials and museums. Walking down the coast, there is still evidence of ravaged hotels and fishing villages.
We often say a journey is best measured in friends, rather than kilometres, and cycling is the perfect way to make friends. Through cycling in England I met Trudi whose brother-in-law, Andrew Kemp, owns The Sarojin, near Khao Lak. This hotel really is the most perfect place, we are sure we won’t stay anywhere better possibly ever (we are even thinking about trying to book in for a couple of days for our honeymoon!). Andrew has an amazing story that I just have to share…
Our bikes looking good in the beautiful The Sarojin grounds
Whenever we do talks at schools one thing that young people are always keen to hear about is why taking a gap year can be so beneficial. This is a great opportunity to explain why it’s good to get out of your comfort zone from time to time. Through our experiences we are able to inspire young people to think about what they could do to get out of the ‘bubble’: what chances could they take? How could they broaden their horizons? What adventures would they love to have? And what kind of amazing experiences do they dream about having in their lifetime? After all gap years (provided they incorporate a worthwhile activity) can be beneficial at any age.
Andrew Kemp and his wife Kate embraced the idea of stepping out of their comfort zone and doing trying something different wholeheartedly and so they left the UK to go on an adventure. They weren’t really sure where they would end up but they travelled extensively in India and Nepal and, principally by beaten-up red VW Beetle, and the length of Africa, until a chance meeting resulted in Andrew getting a job in Hong Kong, where they were based for a decade.
After 12 years of planning, research and extensive travelling, the couple bought a bit of land near Khao Lak, Thailand, and started work on their dream: creating the first luxury five star boutique resort on this bit of coast. Times were tough, with Andrew working long hours on the build, Kate still in Hong Kong, financial worries, and two children to take care of, but they preserved and built their amazing hotel up from nothing.
The couple were focussed on getting the right staff and they were treated as extended family. As Andrew said: “Anything and everything is possible if you treat people properly. The only way to make amazing moments in the world is to make amazing relationships. You can have lots of money, be the most intelligent person, but if you don’t apply sensitivity it’s not going to get you anywhere. The story of The Sarojin is a story of relationships.”
However, just before the grand opening in January 2005, the tsunami struck. They received a text at home in nearby Phuket saying: ‘Sea risen five metres. Site destroyed.’ As Andrew and Kate had given their staff a few days off for Christmas fortunately no one in the hotel was hurt but the Kemps immediately threw themselves into the local community’s rescue and repair efforts after the tsunami, working amid the chaos at Takuapa Hospital, and helping all their staff.
Staff at The Sarojin
After two months shovelling mud and rubble by hand from the site, which they had reclaimed from dense tropical forest just 14 months before, The Sarojin team began building the resort a second time. They agreed that Andrew would build it and Kate would fill it.
Tsnami evacuation signs in The Sarojin
The Kemps have since done a huge amount for the local community, including setting up the Sarojin Tsunami Releif Fund and being heavily involved in the Camillian Centre for disabled children and the Hands Across Water Orphanage. One of the big highlights of time here in Thailand was trip was cycling to the orphanage, accompanied by several staff and guests from The Sarojin.
All ready to cycle to the orphanage
At the orphanage we were privileged to meet Jame, the manager who told us that he was the very first child to come to the orphanage after the tsunami. Now he’s proud to be studying to be a lawyer.
Me at the Hands Across Water Orphanage with Jame
Our final day night before Bangkok was spent in the ancient town of Phetchaburi where we celebrated cycling 2200km in one month and visited a stunning temple in a cave, bravely not heeding the warnings of the aggressive monkeys! We also had our first chat with a monk who showed us around his beautiful temple and was willing to pose for photos although not get in the tandem! Temples in Thailand are a bit like zebra in Africa; the first one you see you think is amazing and then you realise that they are everywhere and some people even have them in their gardens. That said, I always found the temples (and the zebra) beautiful and worthy of a stop.
Circling the Buddha after moutaintop yoga
We enjoyed a nice break with an old friend Georgie in Bangkok, including visiting the very impressive Wat Pho. Then it was a few days ride to the Cambodian border, on which we were lucky to be accompanied most of the way by Simon Stewart, a travel writer and lecturer at a Bangkok University who married a Thai. He was full of knowledge on the country and culture and we had a very interesting few days, starting with a ride to Ayutthaya, the ancient capital, sacked by the Burmese in the 17th Century. We had to rush to the border in the end as our visa was due to run out. As we moved away from the coast it became hotter and hotter, we needed to be even more careful with our food and water intake and needed out precision hydration tablets even more! It is sad to leave Thailand after a month but we are very excited about our charity group ride with UWS in Cambodia. If you’d like to support their work, and that of Beyond Ourselves, you can do so on our website.
The ancient ruins in Ayutthaya
