Travelling the beautiful back roads

Tucked away at home during the Covid-19 pandemic, I inevitably found it hard to fight against depression and loneliness. After my utopia island in Nintendo’s Animal Crossing had lost an air of excitement, I needed a new start to reconnect with the beauty of nature and warm sunshine in the real world again. Eventually, I discovered the splendour and tranquillity of Thailand’s northeastern countryside.

Starting with the D-Hope village in Nakhon Ratchasima, I spent the day riding an old bicycle around the lagoon and then cycled a few miles to collect fresh vegetables from an organic garden with villagers. When lunchtime came, they taught me how to make fresh spring rolls from red and green cabbages from the…