Danger in Laos I leave China and cross into Laos. Now all I see is bamboo! T e air is thick and hot. Clouds of mosquitoes buzz around me. I make camp and sleep. When I awake, fog surrounds my tent. My muscles are sore. I wait for the fog to liſt . It does, but my muscle aches increase. Mosquitoes carry diseases, and I believe I


have been bitten. My skin is burning. Chills rattle my bones. I can’t open my eyes. I have heard that some people with this type of illness try to cool off in water and drown by accident. I tie my leſt leg to a tree so I won’t stray in my feverish state. Four days go by before I start to feel better. T en I start walking again.


Across the River—Thailand T e Mekong River separates Laos from T ailand. I cross it and enter a new world. T e people here honor wanderers like me, and they take care of me. At night, I warm myself with bright campfires. I feel safe and comfortable. I eat well. I jump into cool streams aſt er long


days of walking. One day an elephant invites itself into camp. T e sounds, sights, and smells of the jungle fascinate me. Again, I feel so lucky. I make my way through rice paddies and


lotus fields. Finally, I reach the city of Bangkok. I board a cargo ship. I am the only woman on board. For thirteen days, I watch the water and dream of walking again. I am on my way to Australia—the final leg of my adventure.


Final Stop: Australia T e wilds of Australia are known to locals as “the bush.” T is is a place I know and love. In 2002, I spent more than a year walking around the Australian continent. At that time, a specific tree on the Nullarbor Plain enchanted me. T at name means “plain without trees,” so this one tree was special. It was a survivor. I set up camp under this tree and promised that one day I would see it again. As I make my way across


Australia, water buff alo, crocodiles, kangaroos, pythons, and ants are all my companions. But they are not my only companions. Friends I meet along the way


help me. A kind man in a cowboy hat brings me hot coff ee and pancakes. My mom comes to visit me near the end. I haven’t seen her in three years! I keep walking. Finally, I see it. My little


tree. I move across the open plain. T e sun is setting. Tears flow down my cheeks as I touch its familiar bark. I made it. People ask me why I walk. Aſt er many


kilometers and many years, I have learned this: it’s how I connect to nature. I walk at the perfect speed to see, hear, feel, smell, and taste our stunning world. Walking allows me to absorb all the beauty that surrounds me. T is is why I walk.


The Mekong River in Laos sprawls out before me.


16 NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC EXPLORER


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