Who are we? Simple, Ardan Labrie (Male - 1985) & Line Migerode (Female - 1986)Where are we from?
Again, simple, Leuven, Belgium.
What drives us? Suddenly there are no simple answers besides "food" & "oxygen"
...maybe a cocktail of love, adrenaline, questions, passion, dreams,...? Ask us again when we lived our lifes.
...maybe a cocktail of love, adrenaline, questions, passion, dreams,...? Ask us again when we lived our lifes.
...OUR ADVENTURE...(31/10/10 - 20/04/2011)
What is this trip you talk about?
Well, summarized we fly to Bangkok, Thailand on 31/10/210 with our bikes....start biking down south to Malaysia => Singapore => Indonesia => Bali / arrange a flight to Hanoi, Northern Vietnam...start biking again down south => Combodja => Up north through Laos => Down south through Thailand to Bangkok to take the plane home on 20/04/2011. It should add up to about 7500km in the saddle.
*Revised Route 16 Dec 2010*
Bikes didn't make it on the plane with us when leaving, so they had to be shipped cargo to us in BKK. This finally took a good 2 weeks, south of thailand was flooded at the same time so we did a 2w bike along the eastcoast instead. Then trained straight down to Malaysia. Biking down West coast malaysia as this is typed, down to singapore. Quick train back to KL, flight to Pnohm Phen, Cambodja. Tour up to Siem Reap, back to PP (loop around basically), Vietnam S to N, Upper Laos, into Thailand & down to BKK again.
*Revised Route 19 Jan 2011*
Time is limited, choices need to be made. We will not bike all the way up to the north of Vietnam but cross at the DMZ (Demilitarized Zone) into Cambodia to follow the Mekong upwards along Ventiane, then more north to Luang Prabang. This is a lot of hilly terrain...wish us the best. When reaching Chiang Mai we will trade the bikes in for a motorcycle to ride across thailand & down to the south which we previously missed due to flooding.
Why by bike? I, Ardan, love biking. At home I use a bike everyday to go to work (50km), MTB weekly & work as a bike travel guide for some weekends a year. Additionally it's the perfect low-budget way for exploring a part of the world over a period of 6 months!
To be honest I didn't give Line much of a choice ;-) Let's hope she gets into it quickly.
The nature of travel by bike enforces on you some important conditions that often clearly demonstrates the conflictions we are having in our modern society:
1) What do I really need to live? On a bike you pack light. Essentials only!
2) How fast & much can you, do you, want to bike a day? It takes time, so please take it!
No 2week, action-packed, quick-quick "I've see this country" attitude. You need to set you free.
3) The distance between you and your environment is seriously smaller on a bike.
You are using all your senses all the time...the smell of flower fields along the road,
the taste of morning mist in the air, the touch of warm rain drops on your skin, the sight
of a child waving you down, the sound of family stories told down generations....
On the otherhand realise that travelling isn't a fantasy. You will also smell the open sewer,
taste the dirt from trucks, feel the never-ending cold rain, see dogs chasing you &
hear people bitch. No risk, no glory!
At the time of typing (13/10/2010) spirits are high and there are no doubts about what we will do.
Let's hope our blog will show we had an adventure worthwhile, an experience to remember a life time!
To all, we wish you the best,
Ardan & Line
