Nipping out for a curry half a world away

LUKE Barton and Tom Smith both hankered after a break from the 9 to 5, time out to have an adventure on an epic scale that would test them in ways unimagined and give them memories they will dine out on for the rest of their lives.

The two friends, who are 28 and 27 and from North Yorkshire, will leave London’s famous “curry mile” in Brick Lane this Saturday and spend the next seven months cycling 15,000 kilometres through 20 countries – for a challenge, for fun and to raise money for charity. The only time they will leave solid ground will be on a cross-Channel ferry.

They hope to cover 75 miles a day, camping as they go or occasionally sofa surfing.They will travel through extremes of temperature from 50C in the Karakum desert in Turkmenistan in summer to -15C in the mountains of Northern Pakistan in November.

Tom, who lives in Headingley, Leeds and works as a sustainability consultant, sets off for London with his bike tomorrow. He’ll then meet up and make last-minute preparations with Luke, who lives close to Brick Lane in the East of the city – the hub of one of Britain’s biggest Bangladeshi communities.

After a final curry and a big send-off from friends and family, who are from the Ripon area, the pair will head off to the South coast, carrying a minimum of equipment and travelling unsupported. Each bike and equipment will weigh no more than 35 kilos including camping gear.

“Tom and I met 10 years ago when we were in the same rock band,” says Luke, who’s a web designer. “He went away to university but stayed in touch. I have been thinking about doing an epic journey for the last two years, and was supposed to be doing this with my girlfriend... but we broke up.

“I mentioned it on Facebook to Tom and he said he’d love to do it. Both of our employers have been great about it, and civil engineering company White Young Green, Tom’s company, are sponsoring us.”

They also have the support of other sponsors, one of whom has provided camping equipment and another clothing.

“I’ve had other adventures, including in Sumatra, the Himalayas and Bolivia, but nothing like this. I want another big one before I settle down. I think seeing the world at a bike’s pace, taking on a huge physical and mental challenge, is going to make me think hard about life and any dissatisfaction I’ve felt. Physically I couldn’t be less well-prepared and have had little time to train. I think I’ll get fit as I go in the first weeks.”

Their trek will take them from Europe into the Middle East, Central Asia, West China and finally across Pakistan and India before Bangladesh. Apart from the element of testing themselves mentally and physically in difficult weather and geographical conditions, they hope to raise £10,000 for two charities. War Child works with children affected by conflict, and the Noor E Farid Nasrene Academy is a boys’ orphanage in Bangladesh (see panel).

Luke and Tom aim to arrive in the capital Dhaka in late November and spend a month teaching sport and English in the orphanage before flying home on December 20.

Tom, who has previously driven to Mongolia in an old banger, says they are more concerned about threats from weather than any kind of human assault.

“Like Luke, I feel a desire for more adventure, having been working at the same job for a few years. I feel if I don’t do it now, before big commitments like a mortgage come along, I may never do it.

“But it is fantastic to be doing it for good causes as well. I’ve been training at 35km rides on a mountain bike, so I feel reasonably prepared. I think everything before Iran will be okay, but then we will have five days in the desert with the temperature up to 50C.

“There will be a 670km leg when we will have to do 10-hour rides through the night, and tight visa restrictions in some places mean we must travel quickly through those zones. Part of the ride through Northern Pakistan will be very high and cold, and that worries me more than being attacked in some way. We have been warned about radical groups, but I am sure most people are fine and we will make friends along the way.

“I’ve survived bad experiences in the past that were a nightmare at the time – like being pickpocketed and losing our passports in Mongolia. But I feel full of enthusiasm and optimism about this. And we have had messages already from some cycling groups along the route who are going to join us for part of the journey.”

Tom says both the British and Bangladeshi Chambers of Commerce are also enthusiastic about the trek, seeing mutual benefits in terms of strengthening bonds between the communities at either end and furthering understanding of the country and people of Bangladesh.

“I think some people have in the past had the wrong view of the country and we’d like to play a small part in changing that,” says Tom. “Hopefully, as people go online and read our blog and see the video clips, they will become aware of the reality.”

Luke and Tom will carry water and a certain amount of dried food with them, picking up more as they go. One thing’s for certain: the best of Bangladeshi hospitality will await them at the arrival parties being planned in Dhaka and at the orphanage.

“People over there seem extremely excited that we’re doing this and we can’t wait to meet them,” says Tom. “Only 15,000km to go...”

To sponsor Luke and Tom go to www.bricklanetobangladesh.com

Tom and Luke’s chosen charities

WAR Child currently operates in Afghanistan, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Iraq, and Uganda. It is also working with Syrian refugees in Lebanon.

Its volunteers are on the ground supporting the most vulnerable children who are too often forgotten in the aftermath of conflict.

These include former child soldiers, children living on the streets, children put in prison and girls at risk of rape or violence. Visit www.warchild.org.uk

THE Noor E Farid Nasrene Academy is a boys’ orphanage in Comilla, Bangladesh.

Its vision is to take 20 boys aged between two and four – some of whom have been abandoned on the streets – and give them a home.

The facility provides them with nutritious food, introduces them to sport and fitness and also provides them with good education.

The charity’s mission is to give these boys hope and support them until they graduate from university.