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Experience Travel Team Walking Challenge!

by Becky Grainger

We are pleased  to announce that Experience Travel Group will be sponsoring Marina and the ‘Freedom to Walk’ challenge. We will also be doing a virtual sympathy walk alongside them from rainy old London!

Human trafficking is defined as the illegal trade of humans for the purposes of forced labour, sexual exploitation, or extraction of organs. Unfortunately in today’s world trafficking is an incredibly profitable industry, often argued to be second only to the drug trafficking industry as the most lucrative illegal industry in the world. The ‘Freedom to Walk’ campaign not only wants to take a stand against this horrendous industry: it wants to take an active step in the right direction.

The amazing volunteers at the ‘Freedom to Walk’ campaign have decided to do a sponsored walk from Bangkok to Burma, to help raise both money and awareness for their cause. ‘Walkers’ will trek up to twenty miles a day educating people along the way. They believe that both ‘talking the talk and walking the walk’ help will take positive steps towards both countering human trafficking trade and creating a better future for those already affected by it. One such admirable ‘Walker’ is Marina- a Brazilian journalist now living in Thailand, whom Experience Travel has decided to sponsor throughout her journey.

Mariana and her fellow walkers, Ali and Tanny.

Though sadly we will not be able to join the ‘Walker’s on their expedition along the Thai-Burmese border we have decided to get in the spirit of the campaign and show our support in our own way back in the UK – by walking the length of the Mekong River virtually! Everyone here at the Experience Travel offices in London has been given a pedometer to keep a tally of how far they walk every day. We have been split into two teams of eight and will race roughly 2700 miles down the meandering waterways of the Mekong, from its source on the Tibetan Plateau, through China, Burma, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia, right the way down to the river mouth in Vietnam.

On one team (or what I like to call ‘The Winning Team’!) we have me (Becky), Boy Sam, Matt, Lyria, Alice, Melissa, Mick and David. Whilst on the other team we have Nick, Tom, Vicki, Girl Sam, Harriet, Alun, Shayna and Lara. Together we will race down the length of the Mekong passing many of its incredible sights and attractions along the way, whilst paying tribute to the epic journey Marina and other ‘Walkers’ will be undertaking.

Most of the Experience Travel Group walking teams!
(From left: Nick, Matt, Tom, Alun, Melissa, Becky, Alice, Harriet, Mick, Sam, David and Lyria)

As part of this, we hope to learn how to integrate more walking and everyday activity in all of daily routines – which will hopefully keep us all fresh and on the ball when it comes to organising awesome holidays for your all. Thanks To Esme Ferguson for introducing us to the 23 and ½ hours concept and organising this for us. If you’d like to know more about 23 and 1/2 hours, do watch this great little video here:

(23 and 1/2 Hours! )

We would also welcome any Experience Travel clients who would like to get involved and walk the Mekong with us! If you did want to go out and see Thailand and Burma for yourselves – get in touch!

 

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