How did you come up with the idea of driving a tuk tuk from Bangkok to Brighton?
Jo: I went traveling in Thailand four years ago, and a tuk tuk driver let me sit in the front and pretend to drive—that’s when the idea first came to me.
Ants: Jo asked me to do the trip with her last September, but it wasn’t the right time. When a friend of mine killed herself in November I changed my mind.

What did you hope to achieve, and do you feel you were successful?
Ants: We hoped to raise money for Mind and to raise awareness about mental health. We had some great press coverage in Russia, China, Kazakhstan and the Czech Republic. Moreover, “Ting Tong,” our tuk tuk, makes everyone smile and is a fantastic mobile anti-depressant.

How did you get along in such close quarters for three months?
Ants: We had a row in Russia, but it was fine after a few hours.

What was the hardest part of your trip?
Ants: The first two weeks in China. We only had a 28-day permit to get through 4,400 miles, but when we got there we were restricted to the old roads. Not only did it add at least another 600 miles to the trip, but the roads were so bad that we were averaging 10 to 20 miles per hour. It was exhausting, but there was no choice.

What was the most exciting part?
Ants: Northwest China—following the Old Silk Road, tukking along beside the Great Wall, crossing the Gobi desert. It felt really epic and very special.

How was the traffic leaving Bangkok?
Ants: Bangkok was the worst traffic we had all the way!
Jo: We were stuck for over three hours—total nightmare.

If you could have done one thing differently, what would it have been?
Jo: Taken some warmer clothes. We were so cold in Kazakhstan and Russia, we drove in our sleeping bags!

How can readers contribute?
Ants: They can make donations at www.tuktotheroad.com. It’s simple, safe and quick. Every bit helps and it all goes directly to Mind.