![]() ![]() The journey is not hassle-free: Ting Tong has breakdowns, they have to contend with huge trucks and scarily steep roads – and the occasional drunk men. But there was a problem: they had to be out of China by 7 July, impossible at their current speed, and they could find no way of extending their visas. They weren’t allowed to drive on the highway and had to take the back roads instead, which were often in bad shape. But eventually permission was granted on one condition: they would have to be accompanied by a guide at all times. Getting permission to drive through China was complicated – foreigners are not allowed to drive. Word of the women spreads and they are sometimes stopped at checkpoints in Russia just so that the guards can check out Ting Tong. Driving through Laos on the main road linking Thailand and China, “gangs of children screeched in delight at the sight of the peculiar pink vision whizzing past”. Ting Tong attracts plenty of attention: people take selfies with her (Ting Tong is definitely a “she”). Tuk Tuk to the Road collects the blogs they wrote while on the road. ![]() Their route took them through Laos, China, Kazakhstan, Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Czech Republic, Germany, Belgium, and France. Huxster had suffered from severe mental illness, spending time in psychiatric institutions, and Bolingbroke-Kent used to get panic attacks which could be debilitating. This trip was important to Huxster and Bolingbroke-Kent, who were childhood friends: they were raising money for Mind, a charity for mental health. And on, the three of them set out on their adventure from Bangkok, heading for Brighton, 125,000 miles away. Painted a bright pink, the newest member of the team was christened Ting Tong. Anuwat built them a customized model with a higher suspension clearance, a bigger fuel and tank, and more comfortable seats. ![]() For the tuk-tuk, they turned to Thai contact Anuwat Yuteeraprapa, who came from a family that has been building tuk-tuks for generations. ![]()
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