Investment banker turned adventure seeker cum philanthropist Morgan Parker roared into Central Thailand from Cambodia just in time for Songkran, otherwise known as the Thai New Year or the Water Splashing Festival.
And Morgan made quite a splash – in the most literal sense of the word! – as he motored his way through the streets of Pattaya. Riding on his massive BMW Enduro Bike, he attracted more than his fair share of H2O as he negotiated the waterfront roadway of the seaside resort.
While in Pattaya, Morgan tried his hand at para gliding over the azure waters of the Andaman Sea. Then it was off to Bangkok, the Thai capital, where he was joined by an entourage of biking enthusiasts, who rode with him in a pack to Lopburi, which is 230 kilometres north of Bangkok.
BaanGerda
Lopburi is home to , a small community where 85 HIV infected and affected orphans live and receive medical treatment in family houses under the care of foster parents.
It is a project of the Children’s Rights Foundation, a Bangkok-based non profit organization, and one of the 10 charities that will receive funds raised by Morgan’s epic journey from Hong Kong to his home in Brisbane, Australia.
“Days like these are really the ones I enjoy most when I get to ride in a group with a whole lot of other great guys,” Morgan says.
Leader of the Pack
“Riding in a pack is really, really satisfying. Even though you can’t talk to each other as you’re flying down the highway because you’ve all got helmets on, just the idea of being in a group as we all head off on this mission to support Baan Gerda and raise awareness of the HIV sigma that still exists in society today, I had a really warm feeling from all these guys who seemed genuinely interested in what Baan Gerda were going and really keen to get out there and see it for themselves.”
Many of the children arrived at BaanGerda with advanced stages of HIV. After receiving comprehensive treatment and loving care, their lives have been transformed.
Copyright: Michael Taylor