From November 10th to November 13th, 2005, David Curtz, Jany Barraut, and Max Woodfin cycled over 500 kilometers from Chiang Mai to Doi Saket via Fang, Chiang Rai, and Phayao to raise money and support for Chiang Mai children directly affected by AIDS.

WHEN DAVID AND JANY first stepped out of the van and unpacked their bikes, I was intimidated; their legs were those of seasoned bicyclists, and their bikes were evidence that they had logged thousands of kilometers on the road. I was new to road biking, having just finished my third month of distance training, and here I was embarking on a four day, 500 kilometer ride with veterans of various triathlons and tours. But I had committed to this ride, and knew it was for the better. Because of our efforts, dozens of children affected by AIDS in the Chiang Mai area now have the funds to attend school.

Organized by David and Dittaya Curtz in collaboration with the Zonta International Chiang Mai Club, the 2nd annual Biking for Education ride took us over 500 kilometers through northern Thailand's mountainous terrain in an effort to raise awareness and funding for children who have lost their parents to AIDS. Throughout the ride, members of Chiang Mai's Zonta Club played a key role in coordinating local support from regional Red Cross stations, Rotary Clubs, the Royal Thai Police (who kindly provided escorts for us in heavy traffic), media organizations, local bicycling clubs, and hotel and restaurant owners. The money Zonta International Chiang Mai raised for this ride will go directly into scholarships for children to attend school, an opportunity for them to escape the material deprivation that constantly holds them back from their potential. According to UN and Thai government statistics, over 90,000 people in Chiang Mai province are infected with AIDS. And across Thailand, over 250,000 children have been orphaned by the disease, 80,000 of which live in the northern provinces. These figures are frightening, no doubt, but the efforts of hundreds in Chiang Mai are paying off.

Day 1. On the cool morning of November 10th when the sun finally shone through the clouds, we were well on our way to Thaton. We had already surmounted the first hilly endeavor of the ride in Chiang Dao and had one more to go before the flat road opened to Fang. Supported by a breakfast at the Chiang Dao Elephant Camp and a host of Zontians, we tackled the final leg of our 160 Kilometer day. Toward the end, approximately 30 Kilometers from our destination, we were graciously received by the Rotary Club of Fang, who treated us to much-needed water and rest, and Fang's bicycling club, who escorted us in a large pack to Tha Torn. As we road into the small riverside town, the good earth thanked us with a light, misty rain and a rainbow that spanned from the Fang valley into the hills of Burma. The local Rotary Club planned a party for us, but our fatigue drew us away from the crowds and into bed early. The next day was to be perhaps our most difficult.

Day 2. We awoke early with little fanfare and were on the road by 7:30. Now, if anyone has driven the road from Fang to Chiang Rai by car, she may or may not have noticed the geographic feature we commonly refer to as "mountains." But make no mistake, they are there. By bike, this is quite obvious. A bicycle is a vehicle for humility, and no less so when crossing the great range of hills that separates the valleys of Fang and Chiang Mai from those of Chiang Rai and Payao. On that range, we ached, we suffered, we panted, and we climbed. Switchback after switchback deceived our hopes that it would soon be over. It was only hours later, after speeding down the eastern flank of the range and spinning our way amid trucks and cars into Chiang Mai, that we stopped feeling the direct effects of such a climb. In Chiang Rai, we were again met by members of Zonta and Rotary Clubs, as well as the Chiang Rai Bicycle Club, who escorted us around town for a brief fund-raising effort. When a day of biking is done, it is done, and so we retired to our beds after a brief escapade in Chiang Rai's night market.

Day 3. The road to Phayao, was a quick and easy leg that took us up and down one small hill. Our pace quickened after the hill, and the 90 Kilometers went by in just a few hours. While it was a relatively easy day, our reception in Payao was grand. After meeting the Phayao Bicycle Club for another fund-raising round in town, the local Red Cross office treated us to a grand feast. That night, we walked along Phayao's lakeside promenade to catch a bit of the Pre-Loy Kratong festivities. All the charm of a small town in northern Thailand came out that night in Phayao. It is a town that avoids the fanfare but celebrates its cultural legacy like no other. So we watched: drummers and fireplayers, dancers and gymnasts, traditional orchestras and singers, and it was all we could have asked for on our final night.

Day 4. In the first three days of the ride, we quietly loathed Day 4. Our knowledge presented a dismal picture: 170 kilometers over two mountain ranges, multi-kilometer hills and endless rolling with little flat to regain strength. To compound our fears, we were joined by an semiprofessional biker from Italy and another biking enthusiast from Chiang Mai. After three days of hard cycling, I wondered whether we would make it. But it was beautiful. Hill after long hill, forest and mountain broken by the occasional waterfall or limestone precipice; these were the things that inspired me to take deep breaths and maintain momentum with a comfortable effort. And somewhere on the emotional horizon, children awaited our arrival back in Doi Saket, the final destination of our four-day endeavor. When we finally arrived at Doi Saket's Red Cross station we were, in one word, happy.
For us it often seemed like a casual affair, marked by companionship and an underlying confidence that we were raising awareness and opening doors for those who are in need. But it is only a casual affair for those not directly affected by AIDS. For children with no parents, for children who have watched their parents struggle with terminal illness, and for children who have AIDS, life is not so easy. As I see it, we are all children; we were born unto this earth and are alive because humanity has supported us. It is this deep empathy that mandates us to support those who are in need. If charity is at all a selfish endeavor, it is because we have the subtle awareness that, should we ever be in need, we too would want humanity to support us.

Please help continue this project established by the Zonta International Chiang Mai Club by donating to the Education Fund in the amount of Baht 2,000. per student.