Iwouldtravelnon-stopforeverthroughChinaifIcould.
MilkLakeinYadingNatureReserve,SichuanProvince.Inspiring,solitaryandquiet,thislakesitsatanaltitudeof4,480meters.Breathingcanbedifficultupthere.
ChinainMyEyesChinaisadishofexoticfood,maybespringrolls,atallandsymmetricalancientpagoda,alakecoveredwithlotusflowers,theForbiddenCityand,ofcourse,theGreatWall.Chinaisawomanwearingcheongsam,animpossiblelanguage,strokesofblackinkformingcharactersandaconveniencestoreinmyhometown.Itiseconomics,politics,proverbsandsayings,apageofthenewspaperand,overall,anunknownplace,sofaraway.Ihavealwaysbelievedthateverycountryhassomethingwellworthvisiting.However,beforearrivinginChinathreeyearsago,IconsideredChinaanythingbutatraveldestination.Ithoughtofitasaplacetolearnanewlanguageorfindbetteropportunitiesandper-hapswanderaround.InowrealizehowmistakenIwas.WhenpeopleaskmewheretogoinChina,myanswerisalwaysdifferent.Ican鈥檛saythatthemistysunsetfromatoptheYellowMountainisbetterthanseeingitfromthekarstlandscapesofYangshuo.AreTibetanmonasteriesmoreimpressivethanthepaddyfieldsmirroringthesunrise?SometimesIthinknothingcouldrivaldrinkingteaintheWuyiMountainswhiletalkingtolocalteafarmers,butwhenIstrollBeijing鈥檚alleysamongtheelderlyplayingChinesechess,Idon鈥檛wanttobeanywhereelse.GotoShanghaiforskyscrapersandlightsandtoHainanforislandsandbeachesortryYunnanforelephants,ChengduforpandasandtheHimalayasforsnow-cappedpeaks.Thecountryalsohassanddunesandsteppeswithethnicminoritiesandtravelersridinghorses,yurts,mosquesanda170-meter-tallBuddha.Afteralltheseexperiences,ifIweretotravelonecountryindefinitelyfortherestofmylife,itwouldcertainlybeChina.LessonsfromtheTrainNotonlyarethehugevarietiesoflandscapes,culturesandbuildingsfascinating,soareallthedifferentmeansoftransportationtogetaroundthecountry.Fromlittletuk-tuksandelectricmotorbikestoairliners,fromhigh-speedtrainstobuseswithbunkbeds,thecountryhasoptionstosuitalltastesandpockets.Somepreferflyingdirectlytothefinaldestinationtosavetime.However,travelingbyasleepertraininChinaisauniqueexperience.Theenvironmentalongthewayisveryauthentic.Sittingnexttolocalsandchattingwiththemcanenrichthetrip.Alongtheroute,nomatterwhethersleepingonahardorsoftbed,sittingorstanding,peopleofallagesfloodcarriagesandaisleswithinstantnoodlesandnuts.Somesnoreloudly,andothersoffertoshareanuncommonsnackandfoodtheybroughtintheirextensiveluggage.Suchatripleavesnobodyunmoved.ItispartofthesurpriseofexploringChina.ThefirsttimeIdecidedtotaketheslowtrain,IwaslookingtotravelfromBeijingtoXi鈥檃ntoseetheterracottawarriors.MyfriendsandIgottothestationthreehoursinadvancetobuythetraintickets.Ithoughtitwouldbeplentyoftime.Afterwaitinginlineforaboutanhour,therewerenoticketsleft.Weweresonaive.Naturally,inacountrywithapopulationofover1.4billionyoucan鈥檛waituntilthelastminutetomakeanydecision.Firstlessonlearned!IfyouwanttotravelinChina,bookinadvance.
Werescheduledeverythingthreedayslaterandthen,finally,IexperiencedanovernighttripbytraininChina.Bythattime,sleepingonsuchahardmattresswithfiveroommateswiththesoundoftherailwaytrackswasachallenge.That鈥檚whyinthemorningafter12sleeplesshours,everyinchofmybodyached.Ontopofeverything,Iwasindesperateneedofashower.Clumsily,Isatuponmybed.Nexttomewasamiddle-agedChineseguywhosmiledandofferedsomesortofsnack.IsmiledbackandwavedmyhandtolethimknowIwasn鈥檛hungry.However,heinsistedandsinceIdidn鈥檛wanttobeimpolite,Iaccepted.Everyonearoundwashavingbreakfast,soIjoinedthem.Shortlyafterwards,Istartedlookingformycomb.Maybebrushingmyhairwouldhelpmefeelcleaner,Ithought.AsItookitoutofmybackpack,theguywhohadsharedhisfoodwithmesaidsomethinginChinese.Inodded,smilingagain,butnotunderstandingwhathewassaying.Then,hetookthecombfrommyhandandcombedhishairtolookperfect.Secondlessonlearned!Ifyoupretendyouunderstandthelanguage,suffertheconsequences.
SomepeopleliketostrollaroundtheForbiddenCity.WhatIlikemostaboutitistheviewfromJingshanParkatsunset.
SpanishParentsinChinaIhadlivedinChinaforabouttwoyearsbeforeIfinallyconvincedmyparentstovisitme.TheyhadnevertraveledtoadifferentcontinentandhadalotofmisconceptionsaboutChina.Butaftershowingthemtonsofpicturesandpromisingtheywouldn鈥檛havetosharetheircombswithanybody,theyagreed.AfterfivedaysbetweenBeijing鈥檚alleysandrooftops,theTempleofHeavenandtheSummerPalace,wetookajourneytoAnhuiProvince.WestayedatasmallhotelinoneoftheAnhuivillages.Myparentsreallylikedtheenvironment.TheywerecuriousabouteverysingleaspectofChinesecultureandtookphotosofeverything.Moreover,myfather,whoisacook,lovedtryingeverylocalspecialtyandaskingabouttheingredients.Hedoesn鈥檛speakEnglishorChinese,however.HewouldstilltrytocommunicateinSpanishasifanyonecouldunderstandhim,whichalwayscausedlaughsalongsideconfusion.Onedayafteralongwalkaroundtown,hesaidhefeltlikecooking.Despitemyattemptstoexplaintohimthatitwasn鈥檛agoodidea,hemademetranslatehisintentionstothehotelowner,anextremelypolitewomanwhocouldn鈥檛sayno.Asaresult,weallendedupinthekitchenwiththehotel鈥檚chefhelpingmyfathercooksomeSpanishrecipeswithlocalproducts.Later,allofus,thehotelstaffandmyfamily,haddinnertogether.Actually,itwasthebestpartofthetrip.