Part II: Seven-Country, South-East Asia Friendship
Mission Bike Trek
Seven-Member Team Led by Jin Fei Bao of Kunming (Yunnan), China
Eighty-Days, Five Thousand Miles
For more information and photos of the trek go to -- Jesse's
Blog & Dawey's Blog & Fei Bao's Website
For Previous posts go to: S.E.
Asia Bike Trek Journal
To View Photo Videos of this Journey CLICK HERE
February 17 to March 2
-- Thailand --From the Cambodian border to Bangkok and 800 miles down the Thailand penninsula to Malaysia
Jesse writes: "What an incredibly diverse part of the country, both environmentally and culturally. We spent sixteen days in Thailand, from the border with Cambodia to Bangkok, and then south all the way to Malaysia. Like every place we have been, I would have liked to have stayed longer, but I have to keep reminding myself that this is not a vacation. Still it must be one of the best opportunities ever!"
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And from Fei Bao's Office: "Recently, because the war broke out in the border of Cambodia and Thailand, many friends who care for this event called Feibao for checking messengers’ safety. On the other side, messengers also become alarmed because of the broadcasting news report of Cambodia. However, when they reached the port Poipet, they didn’t feel any atmosphere of war; even couldn’t find any armed soldiers in this lively town only many reporters with cameras waiting for them to arrive. While passing by a Buddhist temple, team leader Jin Feibao, led the team to pray for peace of both countries. The Deputy Mayor of Phnom Penh, Mr. NUON SOMETH, hoped that messengers could express his good will of dropping the war and coexist peacefully when they transfer the friendly letter to Thailand. So messengers now are more of a task as Peace Messengers."
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Fei Bao comments: "The cycling journey before entering Thailand is made in almost no-man's-land. In roads of Laos and Cambodia, it’s quite normal that you can’t see a car in half an hour; however, once in Thailand, messengers seems like a lonesome boat in the sea of cars; except other travelers from other countries, few local people ride bikes. The lightning quick motorists are scary like tropical storms. It seems that there’s no speed limit for motor vehicles here. It’s lucky that all messengers are wearing close-fitting riding clothes, otherwise, the flood of vehicles, cars will be able to help them take off their clothes. Every people will feel that the driver wishes to put his foot into the oil tanker viewing their driving speed." And Jesse writes: "Thailand is the most developed country that we have been to on our journey, and things move much faster here than in Cambodia, Laos, and even China. When your on a bike the most notable thing is the cars, and in Thailand there are way too many of them, at least in the cities and the big highways."
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Fei Bao comments: "All messengers’ most obvious feeling is that the rhythm of life is more and more fast. When they were in Laos and Cambodia, sitting down for the meal, they had to wait an hour at least before being served with the dishes; however, in Thailand, all dishes will be placed in the table in a while as if by magic. And, vendors are as many as flies and it’s not easy to off them, whereas you never see a vendor in Laos. If you don’t buy their items, you will face discrimination immediately; even the 10 year old child can tell you a motto “NO MONEY, NO HONEY”.
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Fei Bao comments: Citizens of Laos and Cambodia live a tranquil and peaceful life, the event of offering food for monks in the morning shocked every viewer there, people chatter gently like whispering between lovers. However, in Thailand, every woman who is trying to sell her items to you like the Oscar-winning actress, and with exaggerated expressions. If you go into a small restaurant for meal, you might find that the adult magazines in the table are more than napkin papers. At last, don’t flatter yourself if a beauty winks and make signs to you in a barbecue stall, nine of ten of such beauties are lady-boys.
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Notice -- the above photographs were not taken by the cycling team but were copied by the web-guy (Gregg Millett) from a Google Image search on "Thailand Lady-Boys."
Jesse writes: "Once you get off the main highways and into countryside you begin to really experience the beauty of the country and its people. This is where our true vision of the trip comes into play and we really get the chance to interact with local people. The friendliness of the people equals that of which we've seen elsewhere in Southeast Asia, and it's not uncommon for somebody to hop on their motorbike to show you the way or for somebody to stop and ask us why we chose the hottest months to cycle "
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Jesse writes: Over 14 million tourists a year visit Thailand. Most tourists only visit a few specific areas, spending very little time and lots of money. I came for the first time nearly two years ago, and tried hard to stay away from the main tourist destinations. This trip we had no choice, and I can't tell you how much enjoyable it was. My first trip I took a night bus from the beaches near Krabi in the south to Bangkok and I had no idea what I was missing. This time it took us over eight days of straight cycling to cover the same ground and we saw barely any tourists. Once we got of the main road, the one that connects Bangkok with Malaysia, we began to really enjoy our ride. Through small fishing villages, salt flats, and hundreds of miles of untouched beaches. We road down the east side of the isthmus for four day before heading west to the border with Myanmar, and then down the west coast. The geography changed dramatically throughout our ride, as did the culture. Besides the industry outside of Bangkok, we passed many plantations of palm, coconut, pineapple, and rubber. The amount of virgin forests and national parks throughout the south is astonishing as well. At first glance you really begin to pat Thailand on the back, but if you look into it you realize that they are just stealing the resources from Myanmar, Laos, and Cambodia. While in Laos we passed a few massive hydroelectric plants, destroying the ecosystems of the area, and powering Thailand's growth.
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Fei Bao looking a litle weathered (and on to Malaysia -- by boat!)
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March 3 to March 14 -- Malaysia
First Communication from Fei Bao's Office in Kunming:
Being popular stars in Kuala Lumpur
Interviewed by radio programs and mass media, made speeches in middle schools
In the morning of March 10, Malaysian will read a wonderful news in one of the biggest Malaysian Chinese Newspaper China Press, with the title “Messengers for friendship arrive at Malaysia, the Chinese explorer will tell his wonderful dreams”.
Messenger tells their riding stories in radio programs
March 9, after 5700 kilometers bicycling journey for 2 months, the messengers for friendly letters transferring arrived at Kuala Lumpur city, the capital of Malaysia; they played as “Flying men” in front of the city landmark -- the Petronas Twin Tower, and encountered and interviewed by mass media and newspapers. Later, the team leader Jin Feibao and other messengers accepted the invitation of the most popular local Chinese Radio Program FM98.8, entering the broadcast booth and making close contact with local listeners.
When messengers were telling their stories happened in their journey with the popular radio DJ, some well-informed sources disclosed this news to local media, so reporters of Sin Chew Daily, Star Newspaper and China Press flocked to the radio station. Being busy with interviews of group newspapers, exclusive interviews and the show in the broadcast booth, messengers felt like they’re popular stars. In the morning of March 10, under the arrangement of Mr. Hu Weisi, the country's President of the Youth Association of Malaysia Junior College, messengers headed to Putrajaya city, which is known as “the city of wisdom and garden”, and is the national administrative service centre of Malaysia; then, messengers were invited to visit the Ministry of Sports and the Ministry of Health.
Jin Feibao made speech in Malaysia Middle Schools
March 11 and 12, messengers made speech on “Dreams lighten the life” respectively in Seremban of Negeri Sembilan and in Kuala Lumpur with the coordination of the Youth Association of Malaysia Junior College. Two thousand teachers and students of Seremban Middle School, and over 200 Chinese in Malaysia came for the speech, and enjoyed Jin Feibao’s adventure experience and his wonderful dreams of life, who is a famous Chinese explorer and friendly messenger from Kunming.
The Kuala Lumpur radio station and the China Press announced the news of making speech in advance, many listeners and readers showed great interest in their speech; some listeners sent many short messages to the radio station; the Penang G-CLUB team also showed great attention to this event, and sent the message “Welcome Baoge (Jin Feibao) and the team to Malaysia!”
Second Communication from Fei Bao's Office in Kunming:
Following the Chinese famous navigator Zheng He’s footsteps, Kunming messengers arrive at Melaka after 6000 kilometers journey
At 10:00AM of March 15, the mayor of Melaka Mr. Zainal bin Hj. Abu received a special letter in Melaka City Plaza, which is handed to the mayor by a team of Kunming messengers, they delivered the friendly letter to Melaka by following the Chinese famous navigator Zheng He’s footsteps and traveled over 6000 kilometers by bike.
Since January 9, taking the Kunming mayor Mr. Zhang Zulin’s friendly letters for South-East Asia countries, with blessings of Kunming citizens, the messenger team set off from the BiJi Plaza in Kunming, Yunnan province of China, heading for the journey of South East Asia.
Messengers cycled over 6000 kilometers in 66 days, passing by Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar and Thailand, and finally arrived at Melaka of Malaysia; once arrived at there, they enjoyed local municipal government’s ambassador treatment, police motorcycles lead the way, and police cars escorted them to the city hall. Finally, messengers presented the friendly letter to the mayor of Melaka Mr. Zainal bin Hj. Abu, and expressed the greetings of Kunming and Yunnan citizens. Moreover, the mayor also handed the letter of reply to the team leader Mr. Jin Feibao.
In the presenting ceremony, the mayor made welcome speech for the arrival of messengers, and said “It’s an honor to meet the cycling messengers from Kunming, Yunnan, this event is a really great one. Our city Melaka has cultural and tourism exchanges with many cities of China, like Nanjing and Lijiang; there are still many Chinese cultural and wonderful buildings in Melaka, especially many famous historic spots which were built after the visit of the Chinese famous navigator Zheng He. We welcome more Chinese to visit Melaka”
The team leader Jin Feibao noted “600 years ago, the great navigator Zheng He of our city Kunming visited Meleka, now, we followed his footsteps and arrived here after over 6000 kilometers journey by road; we deliver the friendly letter here on behalf of Kunming mayor and our citizen, in hope of establishing sister-cities with Meleka in future; and by riding bike, we want to express a healthy and green way and concept of life.”
After the presenting ceremony, the mayor talked kindly with messengers, and asked their accommodation. Later, the mayor happened to find the difference between the female messenger’s bike and male messengers’; in order to experience the riding journey, the mayor rode the bike in the accompany of Jin Feibao and experienced the hardship of messengers. At last, he and his colleagues sent messengers leave the city hall by waving the national flag of Malaysia.
In following days, messengers will continue to head south for their last stop Singapore.
And Jesse Millett's Commentary and Reflections (Photographs by Jesse and David Hiebaum):
We crossed over from Thailand by boat, and immediately had the feeling as if we had returned to China. People of Chinese descent make up at least 20% of the Malay population, making it very convenient for the Chinese to travel around as many people can speak Mandarin. There are also many restaurants that are run by Chinese descendants, as well as Chinese newspapers, radio stations, and TV stations. Oddly enough, many Chinese Malay cannot speak Bahasa Malaysian (the national language), and most Malay people cannot speak Mandarin, making English the common language. This also has made it more convenient to travel, as in most the other countries we have visited, it was hard to find someone who spoke English, and harder to find someone who spoke Chinese.
So after arriving the team first bought some Chinese newspapers and devoured some Chinese food. The Chinese food here is claimed to be better than native Chinese food and the Chinese culture even stronger. Since the Chinese Malay here have held so tightly to their culture, as to separate it from the Malay, and the Mainland Chinese have raced so fast towards modernity, we keep joking that Malaysia is more Chinese than China!
Malaysia is very unique in that there are many distinct cultures living together.
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Despite what I described of somewhat of an internal conflict in policies and concepts, we have still received nothing but the best hospitality and friendliness. There is no doubt that Malaysia has three very distinct cultures, Malay, Indian, and Chinese, but we were welcomed and applauded equally by each. Along the road, people would honk and wave, and as with elsewhere everyone we met we very interested in our trip and very supportive. Along the road, we were given small gifts from different shop and guesthouse owners, but the best gifts are still the encouraging shouts from the side of the road and the welcoming waves and smiles in the cities.
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On our fourth day of cycling in Malaysia, we were still unsure of where we were going to stay that night. This is very common on our trip. We knew we had to be in Kuala Lumpur in a few days, but other than that we had no set plan. There is a saying in China that "Changes happen faster than plans." I have truly come to understand this on our trip. Anyways we saw a sign for a town alittle off our path, but had heard it was nice so we decided to spend the night there.
Needless-to-say we decided to spend the next day seeing the sites around Taiping and I'm glad we did. Taiping sits a little inland on the edge of some mountains. There is a beautiful park with Malaysia's largest man-made lake and plenty of walking and cycling paths. We also visited a traditional charcoal factory led by the enthusiastic owner Mr. Chuah, the mangrove forests, and enjoyed a wonderful seafood lunch on the waterfront. After showing us around the area our new friends treated us to a delicious dinner and some fine whiskey! From Taiping it took us three more days to Kuala Lumpur, with some great cycling down the coast. So far palm forests have dominated the landscapes, used to harvest palm oil, but the coastal roads and villages make it all worthwhile.
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We stayed three full days in Kuala Lumpur. When I say full, I mean they were completely full. Gong Kai Ming, a Malaysian friend who works in Shanghai, as well as a few others, organized our schedule and packed it with interviews, presentations, and activities. Our first day we were interviewed live on 988 Radio, for an hour about our trip. Meanwhile several newspapers came to report on the event, including the Star Newspaper, the largest circulated English newspaper in Malaysia. We were also invited to a Chinese High School, in Seremban,about 50 kilometers outside of Kuala Lumpur, where we were welcomed by a full auditorium of over 2000 students, teachers, and community members. Fei Bao gave a wonderful presentation titled "Dreams Enlighten Your Life" and afterwords we all signed postcards for the students.
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I cannot express the gratitude that we have as a team to all the people we have met along the way in Malaysia. No matter what color, what language, what religion, or what culture, we have been treated so well that it has been hard to leave every city that we go to. Our next stop is Melaka where we will deliver our letters to the Mayor and see what friendship brings this time!
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For previous posts go to: S.E.
Asia Bike Trek Journal