meigom

Hello TriggerEatsTheWolf! How are you? Thanks for writing! Uhhh...good questions!

Why?
In early 2014 I saw a TED Talk of Jean Béliveau who walked around the world for 11 years over 75 000 kilometers. I was very very impressed about his crazy achievement and stories!Before hearing his talk I could have never even imagined that it would be possible for a human body to walk continuously so much!?!Something changed inside me.

Then I found a list of over 10 people who had walked or ran tens of thousands of kilometers in different countries around the world! I was totally in shock!!!Why and how they did it?

Some days passed and I started to feel that I also have A LOT of energy and I could also do it - to walk tens of thousand of kilometers in different countries.This idea and feeling started to grow and grow and grow until it became a really really big and true dream for mine to walk in different countries as much as I can!

To meet different people in different countries and to learn about their cultures and lives. To make a lot of travel photos and videos. To see and experience different natural landscapes and different climates. To camp in the nature. To visit historical and popular tourist places. All this seemed very interesting.

Everything else in my life was also naturally moving towards that direction of starting a very long walk. It felt like the only right way for me to continue on with my life and I should really start - at least try!I was deeply in peace with all my family members, neighbors and friends who were all supportive of this dream.A start of a new period in life...

Any previous experiences with long distance walking? Training?

Before I had only done some short hiking trip maximum 2-3 weeks.But before the long walk I had been running for over 2 years 3-4 times per week 5-10 kilometers or 3-6 miles. This running was not a conscious preparation for the long walk. I just loved the joy of running and it helped me to sleep better.

What was the plan after the last euros ran out?

I had my own private house in my home country Estonia in Northern Europe.Just before the start of the long walk I had rented it out and I was waiting for the first rent money.

Thanks a lot TriggerEatsTheWolf!
I wish you good!
Please be safe, healthy and happy!!!

Hello sexyunicorn7! How are you? Thanks a lot for a good question!

I used total 24 pairs of shoes.

VIDEO
PHOTOS

I did not have any very expensive shoes except only for 1 pair that was sent to me as a sponsor gift by one hiking company. It was written that those very expensive shoes are waterproof and I used them with waterproof trousers but when walking over 9-10 hours in the rain they still got very wet.

When I was walking in the snow then I used some high hiking boot but too high boots can make the ankle very tired.Also some hiking boots can be a bit heavy which is not the best for a very long walk.

When it was raining and very warm like tropical monsoon then I mostly used some good strong sandals. Walked many thousands of kilometers only with sandals. I felt it to be a good choice in a period when it is raining almost every day for many months.Of course on a dry day the legs will get very very dusty and dirty.

I have to be very honest that I have never focused on the inserts too much although considering my walking distances I should really do it!

My very very favorite shoes were some very lightweight but very strong sport shoes.

Any recommendations?

Thanks for writing sexyunicorn7!
Wishing you good!
Please be safe, healthy and happy!!!

Hello SulkySquidward! How are you? Thanks for writing!That's a very tough question Sulky!!!I really loved to walk in Nepal. Beautiful nature and very very hospitable, helpful and giving people!!! Sooo many people invited me to their homes just from the road. Amazing! Although some mountain areas can be a challenge for walking because of the narrow curvy roads and traffic!

I also loved to walk though Vietnam over 3,100 kilometers. Loved it a lot!!!Amazing helpful people and beautiful nature!!!One of the greatest joys for me was to complete walking through India.Over 3,600 kilometers or 2,236 miles in 7 months! It was soooo diverse and colorful journey and I remember exactly arriving to the border of Myanmar thinking - WOW!!!

And I have very very warm feeling and memories with Turkey, Malaysia, Indonesia, Iran and Myanmar.

But that was already my TOP 8 now!

Thanks for your question SulkySquidward!
I wish you good!
Please be safe, healthy and happy!!!

Hello Frostgen! Yes, there were moments when I was scared. When I was camping alone in the snowy mountains of Turkey and hearing a lot of wolves howling in many directions. The wolves are very hungry in the winter and in the daytime I saw the local men wearing big guns to protect themselves.
Once in India exactly 1 AM I heard a very loud roar just only 2-3 meters away from my tent. My first feeling was - a tiger! My tent had 2 layers of doors - one plastic and one web and only the web was closed to have some fresh air. So my first instinct was to close both doors. The wild animal did not touch the tent but walked around it. This happened also in the hills just next to one very small Hindu temple. In the early morning 3 men came up the hill to wash the temple, make some tea and do some rituals. When they saw me they were really worried and told me that one leopard in living here in the mountains near this temple and very few people are coming up here.

Another area in India once at sunset time I got surrounded by a group of 8-10 young men. Their shirts were all very very dirty with some holes, their teeth all red and half disappeared from eating betel nuts and their eyes all very red. One guy opened the clips of my bag and my tent fell down. And then he started to open the zips of my backpack. Luckily I had not shaved for many many weeks, also not had any shower for many days. My yellow t-shirt was very very dirty, my skin very dusty covered with a dark layer from walking and sweating all day long. My sandals had just broke!! So our clothes looked a bit similar. At that time I had a very very small bag. Together with food and water only 8 kilograms. I was just standing there. My passport, mobile and the small pocket camera were hidden very deep in the bag. At one point I just took off my small half open bag, closed it, attached my tent, made a bow with my head and continued to walk.

I also crossed on foot and camped in some areas with tigers and elephants in Nepal, Malaysia and Indonesia. Never saw them. Only heard the sounds of elephants from the distance, saw their trails and poo. And heard some gunshots, probably wild hunters?

Saw many spiders and big snakes. Once in Malaysia a black cobra was just one meter away from me.

The area in Northeast India where I had a heavily armed police escort walking with me in one morning I walked by a still hot car that had just exploded from a car bomb last night.

I also try to avoid walking in the dark. Always trying to find a place to sleep before the sunset.

And in different countries the local people have helped me A LOT by telling me what kind of area is ahead of me and few times advised to strictly walk around some areas because of higher criminality rate.

Those were the moments of fear that I can remember now.

I did not feel any country especially hard to walk through.
Most probably it is still ahead of me!

Hello blageur! How are you? Yes, my actual name is Meigo Märk.
That's very funny blageur!!! 😅 Really sounds like a good name for me going. 😂 My parents surely did not know any English at the time of choosing this name.