Hitchhike, sleep with strangers and ask them for food… This is the challenge that Julien Escaffit took on, returning to Cébazan after five days of travel between Saint-Emilion and Sète.
On paper, going on a five-day trip between Saint-Emilion and Sète doesn’t sound like a great adventure. But if you add to that the challenge of hitchhiking and asking strangers for room and board, you considerably increase the chances of mishaps.
This is the journey undertaken by Julien Escaffit, resident of Cébazan and caregiver, who embarked on this route from May 20 to 25. Still on cloud nine since his return, he wants to share his experience which was“a real breath of fresh air, with encounters that give hope”.
Adventure around the corner
He took part in the second edition of “Village Express”, an adventure imagined by Jo-Thaï Fiat at the head of a small travel agency and inspired by the popular show “Pekin Express”.
On the starting line, twelve participants divided into pairs must complete challenges to score points. Being hosted by strangers earns fifty points for the team, and taking a very atypical means of transport (hot air balloon, helicopter, boat…) earns forty. Julien Escaffit did not know his partner before leaving: “With Marine, we met on the day of departure, we immediately had a good feeling. We have the same character, both calm and dynamic. We created a bond, in fact we have already planned to see each other again at the end of June.”
The caregiver, who registered “to open up and go beyond your limits”was especially marked by the people he met. “It only lasted five days, but it was so intense that everything was magnified tenfold. We became a little family,” he still rejoices.
Meet strangers
“To our great astonishment, convincing people to host us or take us by car was quite easy. They got into the game and got out of their routine with us,” supports Julien Escaffit.
He remembers with pleasure an evening of sharing that began on the Millau market. A couple of caterers who run a Vietnamese specialties stand agree to accommodate the four participants in their garden. Better still, they prepare a huge buffet of South-East Asian dishes for their impromptu guests and extend the evening with karaoke.
Finally, the most difficult thing was the return to reality, “after such a tidal wave of love, we don’t want to return to normal life”.
