A SUMMARY OF THE ORANGE WALK

WHAT:

The ORANGE WALK is planned from Ho Chi Minh City in the south of Vietnam to the northern city of Ha Noi, a distance of over 1000 miles/1700 kilometres along the beautiful east coast of the nation. The burning motivation for the walk is to raise funds to assist the very many children afflicted with terrible birth defects as a result of generational exposure to Agent Orange, used extensively during the Vietnam war.
 

WHO:

While there are five core people intent on making a difference to these children, anyone, the world over, is invited to join us for all or a small distance.  If you are able to be with us for part or all of the journey, we will gratefully add your name to the [About Us] Roll of Honor, with your permission. You will also have earned your very own Orange Walk t-shirt (supplied by one of three nations - the US, Vietnam and Australia), if you manage to cover 25 miles! Please see under the [About Us] tab to learn more about the core participants. Doc Bernie Duff, a US Vietnam veteran and Bui Thi Bao Anh, a Vietnamese citizen, are the masterminds behind this momentous walk and it is has become a living, breathing entity to them and to others from multiple nations throughout the world who are participating and assisting, many ‘behind the scenes’.
 

WHY:

Nobody has an exact number of those people affected by what is commonly referred to as “Agent Orange” in Vietnam. Bernie and Bao Anh have personally seen too many of them to ever count, let alone determine an “official” count.
“Doc” is himself a victim of Agent Orange, as were many of his peers (both sides, as well as civilians) who fought during that war. When he first returned to Vietnam in 2005 and saw kids affected with Agent Orange, kids born with malformed (or no) arms, legs or eyes and still other kids born with huge heads laying on beds for their entire lives, he began to feel the real pain of Agent Orange in Vietnam.
“Orange pain” is not simply a problem that belongs to those people who suffer from the effects of Agent Orange, or to any one country, but rather, to people throughout the world who feel the pain of small children. It is time to move beyond old war wounds and stop pointing fingers of blame. Instead, it is time to help ease the suffering of children who, at the time of the Agent Orange sprayings, were not yet born. Simply stated, this walk is for ALL of us…as citizens of the Human Race.
 

WHEN:

APRIL 5th 2008 – JUNE 2008
DEPARTURE TIME/DATE: 7:00am on Saturday 5th April 2008
DESTINATION DATE: not fixed, considering the distance, the varying geography and populace and the doubtless varying pace of the walkers.
WHERE:
DEPARTURE POINT: the Hoa Binh/Peace Village (which belongs to The Tu Du Women’s Hospital), Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
DESTINATION POINT: the Hoa Binh/Peace Village, Thanh Xuan, Ha Noi, Vietnam
ROUTE DISTANCE: Approximately 1,068 miles (about 1719km) – Based on Wikipedia: http://vi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qu%E1%BB%91c_l%E1%BB%99_1A

This time of year was chosen because the weather in Vietnam is at its best during April and May and the traffic is not as heavy as it is during the Tet (Vietnamese New Year) holidays, or later in the summer months.

 

HOW:

Considering the vast distance to be covered, the proposed daily schedule (although we may aim to walk a certain distance before having a break) is:
06:00hrs – rise and shine
06:15hrs – break camp, walk 1hr 45mins
08:00hrs – breakfast
08:30hrs – walk 2 hours
10:30hrs – break (bathroom, etc)
11:00hrs – walk 1hr 30 mins
12:30hrs – lunch
13:30hrs – walk 2 hours
15:30hrs – break (bathroom, etc)
16:00hrs – walk 1 1/2 hours (maybe 2 hrs, depending on energy reserves)
17:30hrs – ‘Driver‘ will make camp/find lodgings while waiting for walkers to catch up
18:00hrs – shower/swim
18:30 hrs – evening meal/recap the day/plan the morrow
Evening – update journals/computers/blogs/socialise/collapse, etc
We anticipate a full day ‘off’ each 6th day (walk for 5 days, day 6 ‘off’) - we have to get our blogs written somehow!
If you plan on joining us, a good exercise routine, even as simple as a LONG walk every day, is advised.  As is ‘running in’ your walking shoes - blisters could well be the undoing of the not-yet-hardy!
We will have a 4WD, possibly towing a trailer, as our support vehicle. It will be bright orange so that no mistake can be made about its purpose! It will carry the bone-weary, the painfully blistered, water, non-perishable foods, medical kit, camping gear, t-shirts, etc.
 
For those who will be walking with us:

Recommended DOs:

• Do allow US$15-$20 per day for food
• Do allow US$15-$20 per night for hotel accommodation.  We won’t be staying in hotels every night, by any means, but once in a while we’ll need a shower!
• Do allow extra money for emergencies, snacks, trinkets, miscellaneous
• Do advise your local bank that you will be in Vietnam and give them the dates. It is not unknown to have them put a stop on your ATM transactions, thinking that someone in Vietnam is trying to steal your money. Normally, each bank has a toll free number that you can contact - it might be an idea to note that number before you leave home. Aside from that, you should be able to withdraw funds from ATM machines along the way.
• Do make a copy of your passport and visas and carry them in a different place than the original, just in case either is lost or stolen. It’s wise to also keep a scanned copy on your computer as a back-up, even if the computer is at the other side of the planet!
• Do ensure that when booking into an hotel, you have your passport and visas. To be without either invites refusal.
• Do ensure you have had all pertinent vaccinations prior to visiting Vietnam.  Your doctor should have up-to-date lists of recommended precautions.
• Do undertake a training regime…NOW!
• Do ‘run-in’ your walking shoes
   

Recommended DON’Ts

• Don’t carry large sums of money - the risk of theft increases exponentially!
• Don’t buy anything without asking Bao Anh or other trusted local what the real cost should be

 

PLEASE NOTE: All travel and living expenses related to the Walk are the personal responsibility of each participant. 100% of donations will directly benefit those children affected by Agent Orange.