Thierry Montaner and Killian Blais may be forgiven for looking a little weary as they finally arrived in Ha Noi. After all, they had come a long way.
The Vietnamese capital is their fourteenth destination in a bold bid to travel the world on foot. The duo left Paris to embark on their quest in 2008 and have been walking ever since. More remarkably still, in all of that time they have been living on just two euros (US$2.70) per day.
Both of them had good jobs in France, but a shared passion for travelling and adventure soon brought them together and their mission was born.
Montaner was the instigator of the plan. Bored at work one day he made the snap decision to quit and do something new and different with his life. He dreamed up a plan to travel around the world, but decided he did not want to go alone.
He shared his idea on the internet and looked for a partner in adventure. He received 88 responses and shortlisted eight candidates.
As a final test he required that the candidates hike through the snow for 10 days in the mountainous southern region of France. One by one the contenders gave up, until only one man remained. Blais officially joined the team and the two began to plan in earnest.
Each carrying 18kg of luggage on their back, they started walking from Valence in Paris in May 2008 and made their way through Italy, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia, Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, Turkey, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Kazashtan, China, and now Viet Nam.
“We walk 15-20km a day and never travel by train or plane,” explains Montaner. “To travel across the ocean, we use boats.”
They have had many unforgettable moments – and a fair few scary ones – on their journey. One day, having arrived at the northern border of Turkey, where there was significant political upheaval, they were caught and interrogated.
“It was difficult to explain to the soldiers where we were going and what our intentions were because they didn’t speak English or French,” Montaner recalls.
“They pointed their guns at us and sometimes shot above into the air. We were very scared, but they finally released us.”
It took the duo one year to walk through Europe, eight months in Turkey and a year and a half travelling through China. They intend to stay in Viet Nam for three months and walk to Ha Long Bay. Then they will move on to Laos, Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia.
To survive on their very tight budget, they have had to manage all expenses very carefully. Whenever possible they spend the night at the house of a local resident, or in their sleeping bags.
“In Asia, we can manage to live with this small sum of money,” says Montaner, “but in Europe, it is difficult indeed because food is more expensive. To get by we usually eat the cheapest kind of bread, cheese and butter. Sometimes, we have expiring cakes for free.”
Luckily, they have a friend in Ha Noi who has offered to give them free accommodation and food.
They have already discovered the beauty of the Vietnamese countryside after a visit to the northern province of Bac Ninh.
“We really enjoyed the trip,” says Blais, “we spent one day working in the field with local farmers, ate dog meat for the first time and had some other great food. We really like it here.”
Montaner’s parents have come to Ha Noi to visit their son for the first time since he left home and they have provided the adventurers with some essential provisions.
The pair plan to finish their itinerary in the next three years. After Asia they will journey through South America and West Africa.
“We walk around the world for a simple purpose; to make our lives exciting and meaningful, and to satisfy our passions,” they declare.
With thousands of kilometres covered and many obstacles overcome, they still have huge smiles when they talk about their expedition.
They haven’t really thought about the future after they are finally finished, although Montaner has considered volunteering and Blais would like to find the right woman and get married (ever considerate, his travelling companion has offered to find a suitable partner).
But, at least for now, the future remains a place far away, somewhere on the other side of the world.
Source: VNS
