#Coventrytolondon #Microadventure

9.01 pm south tip of St Albans towards M25, I am right next to the “technical” London boundary.

Failed to visit my friend in Durham (sorry Galina!), I was in search of another adventure (as I always do) Next exciting event on my list is the 21^st century challenge at RGS in London. Hmm, what to do until then? I have explored most places in Coventry, least all the bushes and park are “discovered”.

Sticky rice and chocolate - food for the trip!

As soon as the crazy idea form, I knew this would be a little fun adventure for myself. Friends thought I was plain mad however they were supportive! Knowing me, there is no way they can stop me anyway.

Planning for this trip proves how useful geography is in real life. I ustilised Google map to sketch out my routes. Google map direction for walking was mostly to stick to the A45 (Kenpas Highway in Coventry) then makes a turn to the A5 until London Colney, meeting M25.  Fortunately, a day before I start, a tweet arrived suggesting I should walk by the side of the Grand Union Canal to avoid the busy A road. This was to be my escape from the danger of walking by the side of cars at 60 mph.

There were calculation to be made of stopping points and possible miles per day. The plan was to follow this route, walk 40 miles a day; Day 1 stopping at some point between Weedon Bec and Milton Keynes, and Day2 reaching St Albans.

I shall be walking during the night or early morning if this was permitted, urban camp and head on.

Finally see why I should appreciate OS map in England. Shout out to whoever made the “freeOS” online.  With the aid of Satellite print screen and the OS, I made my own map like a piece puzzle.

Monday 28 October 2013

6.00 am in the morning, I left the house diving into the gloomy darkness with my sweet sister giving me a hug and told me to be safe. I headed south towards London from the A45 which the house situated on. It was very early on a Monday morning. MET office said to expect wind with rain. It was drizzled with rain.

Obviously, walking from Coventry to London at a distance of nearly 90 miles was not going to be easy. Cars with their headlights still on, sprint pass me. I thought may be this was not a good idea after all and perhaps I should just gave up and head back… However, think of it this way: in two days I will have achieved the greatest accomplishment in my life and have something to tell.

The A roads are evidently not designed for people to walk on, let alone this crazy girl with a plan of madness. I realized that I would have to figure out alternative routes when the footpath diminished as I continue to walk.

It is silly but I felt safe walking beside the busy roads. I could follow the sign without getting furiously lost and security of being close to “people”. All vehicles at this time of the day were heading south. There was a massive queue on A45 south whereas I was walking by the side of the North. I felt slightly embarrassed to be the only person walking on the road geared to cars. The rain was intimidating me, created this massive flood on the road which meant I had to take my shoes off treaded on the cold water to keep my shoes dry…

Eventually, I made an exit out of Coventry but this also meant, public footpath has diminished because who would be walking alongside the road now? I stuck to the grasses bit on the side and kept going.

There is an excitement everytime I began to come close to a town or a village because traffic slow down, footpath appeared and I knew where I was.

Arriving at Northampshire.

By lunchtime, I was walking through Daventry. I stopped here for a SHORT lunch break. Sticky rice wrapped in plastic bag. Kids were looking at me oddly. I must look like some hobo living day to day on the street…

It kept raining on and off for the entire day. My shoes were getting dry and wet constantly... However, I was rewarded with the most beautiful scene of this stunning rainbow, a complete semi circle with the the green fields shinning below. 

I reached Weedon around 4 in the afternoon. November short day light of Britain was catching up. I was tired and thought may be I should stop here and continued to walk early in the morning. Sister insisted I should find accommodation instead of sleeping outside. So I did look for one but at the price of £60 – no thanks! I made a turn to the A5 and began walking in the dark.

Have to admit, I was scared but I was also filled with the adrenaline rush of excitement as though I was heading towards nowhere. My aim tonight was to pass Towncester and ended up somewhere halfway to Milton Keynes.

 

Found a public footpath, by the side of the road, leading to freshly cut grass field. Oh I am so exhausted! My socks and shoes were wet. I need to stop. Hoping this is not trespassing… I learnt that because I decided to power in the rain with wet shoes, I now have extremely white blistery feet. In the dark gloomy night, as the yellow streetlight peaked through behind the trees, I managed to pull out my sleeping bags, bivvy and a survival bag. It is cold and to prevent hypothermia I needed to sleep in three layers. Wore everything I have, put heat pack in my socks and wore gloved to sleep.

I slipped inside my little cocoon for the night, ate what is left from my food portion of the day and zipped tight inside the bivvy. The cold seeped through the thin layer of a summer night bag, and now I was glad I brought those heat packs with me.

My feet are dead.

Tuesday, 29^th October

3.00 am I woke up to the most beautiful night sky. I have forgotten how beautiful the night sky is living in light-polluted cities. The half moon was bright and stars were sparking on the sky.

The night dews have covered wet the outer plastic bags. Despite feeling like I should continue cocooning inside this relatively more warm than the outside air haven, I got up and started packing. Considering the state of my feet at the moment, it will take me longer than expected to reach St Albans tonight. I must get on.

4.00 am Hit the road once again, looking to reach Milton Keynes by 8.00 am. I made a quick stop at Tesco to buy water. Since I was the only one in the store at this early in the morning, the manager asked me about what I was doing. She was laughing at what I was trying to do. I told her I was trying to raise some money to possible go to Africa and send some back home for the flood damage in Vietnam, tried my best to justify myself to not sound like some mad person. The woman kindly let me use their restroom to wash up before heading on. How wonderfully kind!

The golden sunlight loom over the green grass field. Daylight was to officially open up a new day.

Do not make a turn here...

When I got lost from finding the Grand Union Canal and started to look for directions, two truck drivers made a good laugh out of me. They thought I was crazy to do such a thing and that I should get a boy to do this. Now that just infuriated me! It is crazy what I am doing and that is okay. But, telling me I need to have a boy to do anything is just sexist. Women can do things just as well as men if not better! I walked away.

From the roundabout of the A5 to Milton Keynes was around 6 miles, I am going to have to walk beside the narrow road side. After awhile, I rest under a bridge to have some breakfast. Cars were shooting pass. Here I am below a bridge, unnoticed by civilization.

“Can you speak English?” Funnily enough, the police must have thought I was some illegal immigrant. That was the most hilarious question to which I quickly said Yes! They stopped by questioning: “What are you doing?” I explained everything. They thought my walk was quite cool and that I have made quite a progress walking all the way from Coventry yesterday.  However for my safety, they offered to take me to the next bit of the Grand Union Canal in Milton Keynes. Incidentally, this speeded up my trip.

I continued now to walk beside the beautiful and peaceful Grand Union Canal. Houses here are gorgeous. I remembered thinking – some very rich people must have this as their second home for relaxing. The ducks were paddling quick on the calm water. Trees shuffling sheltering boats below. People live on the canal, on their boat. It was nice to walk alongside the silence away from the busy roads.  Some old men greeted me as I walk pass them fishing. Happy people were enjoying their walk with their dogs.

I rested my tired feet on a bench beside the footpath. Here I am gnawling on my pack of sticky rice while other people are relaxing and enjoying the scenery around them… I am STARVING!

Having a look at my map, I thought if I wanted to reach London by tonight, I would have to continue walking nonstop to the night. I will have to take a turn, out of the Grand Union Canal, walking beside the road. I am not now officially in a race with myself.

My fitness level have gone down so much since last year and my feet really were screaming at me to stop. I half wanted to give up and head home but I really have to finish this. At least reach M45 at London Colney…

I continued to tread along the Grand Union Canal until reaching Leighton Buzzard where I made a turn, back on the road of A505, hopefully reaching A5 in a few hours.

I was estatic to arrived at the A5 again and this time with a footpath beside it.  I imagined myself in a race with the cars by my side. Soon enough I reached Dunstable and darkness consume us quickly. I only have a few miles left until St. Albans. I began to feel the pain in my leg. It took a lot of self- motivation for me to not give up at this point.

You could not imagine the excitement I felt as I arrived in St. Albans. It would now take me around an hour to get to my finish point. I need to reach London Colney and the M25.

Tweet: 9.01pmReach tip point of StAlbans to M25, toodarkforpicture no more walking, feet dead, head home #tired #microadventure #coventrytolondon

I did nothing but dropped down to the floor. I am EXHAUSTED! Cars continued to hurdle along the highway and the motorway below lit up like flower works, celebrating my achievement.

 I have done it! I have done what I thought I could not.

Heading back to my sister in Coventry now. A hot shower, warm bed and food is waiting for me!

Arriving home, selfie at the door, what a trip!

Being on the road really made me appreciate transport, especially cars. It took me a little over 2 hours to get home on buses and train, probably under 2 hours by cars yet it would take 2 days of strenuous walking for that over 80 miles distance.