From the early days of Christian pilgrimage, women have been escaping from the shackles of duty or domesticity and setting off on a variety of pretexts to bring the Bible to China to forget a broken love affair, to expiate a past guilt or study plant life - or simply to have fun Some of the most remarkable journeys have been made by women who have not only pushed to the limit their own strength and endurance, but have sought to define their own identity by breaking down barriers