Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore.~Andre Oide~
Having lived in China for a couple of months, the initial shock of being on your own in a foreign country, and even worse, making your own living so far from your loved ones subsiding somewhat, it is now time to start traveling!
My job allows me enough time and money to travel throughout the year. Exploring the city you live in can be just as rewarding as traveling to all the corners of the earth. My first winter in Baotou, I decided one morning that it was the perfect time to explore Baotou on foot. Armed with my provisions of dried cheese and beef and some warm milk tea (a very traditional Mongolian meal for nomads), I set off, not yet realizing just how cold Baotou gets in winter. After about two hours of walking, my lips were starting to turn blue (seriously!) and my fingers tips were going numb. Spotting a small open shop I darted inside to hide from the cold for a while. Not being able to speak – because of my half frozen mouth – the two ladies offered me a cup of warm water to ‘defrost’ my face and hands. I spent the better part of two hours with these two angels, talking (mostly in broken Chinese on my part) about this and that. I found out just before I left that they were in fact Mongolian, not Chinese. I had to have been one of the most rewarding, frozen experiences of my life. Another brilliant way to discover your city is to simply get on a bus or a metro and see where you end up. It can be either a daunting experience or a discovery – it’s up to you. Don’t only look for the magic outside your current sphere. The true magic happens under your nose, if you have the courage to search for it.
One of the more difficult things for me was not to decide to travel wider, but to make the first trip – even when it meant I had to do it alone. You see, at the time of my first ‘big trip’ I haven’t met a lot of foreigners yet, which meant I had to make my first journey a solo one. The thrill of booking your first trip, and then to finally get on that airplane is out of this world. My first solo trip was to Beijing. Although I landed in Beijing when coming here, I didn’t have time to explore the city. I had to start learning the skill of booking accommodation and traveling as well using my time effectively – yes, it is a skill that you have to learn or refine – and it takes a lot of mishaps to learn the necessary lessons. I had time to see the more cultural side of Beijing – The Summer Palace and the Forbidden City, a part of the Great Wall of China (yes there are several parts) and The (still active Buddhist) Lama Temple. One lesson I learned, was to always check from which airport you are departing! For my return flight back to Baotou, I automatically went to Beijing Capitol International Airport, but my flight actually departed from Nanyuan Airport, an airport used for local flights but about a two hour drive (during rush hour I might add) from Capitol Airport. Needless to say, I reached the airport in time for my flight, although I had about three heart attacks in the taxi on the way! Looking back at this trip, I realize that every trip, no matter how hard or wonderful it is, is a blessed one, because you have the courage to try something different. If you try, you will always find something out you didn’t know before.
My second trip to Datong was an absolute feast. I went with two friends – one from Spain and one form the United States and the ease with which we found our trains and accommodation was incredible. I realized again how necessary it is to make mistakes and take trips as they come – there are no perfect trips, only perfect memories. Datong is famous for the Hanging Temple or Xuankong Temple near Mount Heng in Shanxi Province (although the temple is not in Datong, it’s the nearest city). It was built in the fifth century AD and it’s the only existing temple that combines three traditional Chinese religions: Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism. On the day of our visit, our guide surprised us with a trip to Beiyue Hengshan Mountain. Being avid hikers, we jumped at the chance to scale one of China’s five great mountains – a hike that took us over 2000 meters above sea level and took four hours. The peace you experience that high up in the mountains is simply perfect.
One final trip I wish to mention, is a trip one of my colleagues and I took to the Mongolian border. We were invited to the wedding of one of our Chinese friends, whose hometown is on about an hour from the Mongolian border in Daoma. The honor of being invited and accepted into their familial circle is humbling. Our friends family welcomed us with open arms and made us feel absolutely welcome. One family member welcomed us with a Mongolian welcome song and the strength with which the woman sang is tremendous. The privilege of experiencing this part of the world that is relatively unknown to the western world is at times overwhelming.
I have come to realize that traveling is not merely a phase one goes through or a gap year or a time to ‘find yourself’. It is the privilege of finding your courage and seeing the world around you. Don’t be afraid!