Old road leads to new beginning for young Greenpeace activist

Curiosity got the better of Erinyes Chow Chung-wah when she was 26. With $40,000 in hand, the former Greenpeace China activist quit her job to spend a year travelling around the world.

'I wanted to travel and thought it would be best to do it before I settled into a career,' said Ms Chow. 'After 9/11 in the US, I was keen to learn about Islam as there seemed to be a lot of misunderstanding about the religion, so I based a large part of my journey along the ancient Silk Road,' she said.

She started her adventure in Canada as a volunteer with the Forest Action Network. Although she was no novice when it came to environmental protection, nothing in Hong Kong had prepared her for 'roughing it'.

'I didn't shower for 10 days while we were on a fishing boat as we had no fresh water. I had never been so dirty before and I smelled by the end of it,' she said.

She then embarked on a whirlwind visit to Belize, Guatemala, Mexico, Amsterdam, England, Greece and Turkey from November to March before tackling the Silk Road.

Although transport took up more than half her budget, she saved on accommodation as many local families invited her to stay with them.

'I was surprised by how hospitable people could be,' she said. 'When you are on the road, you develop a sense of who you can trust. During my travels, I paired up with all kinds of people.