I had probably one of the best 2 months trip this year.
A 56 days expedition (It was supposed to be 60 days but something happened, I'll explain it soon) from China and across 5 Southeast Asia countries was truly a remarkable journey which brings out new perspective of travelling, adventure and cultures.
Coming from a typical middle-income Singaporean family, I grew up in a metropolitan city which is a hotpot fusion of different races and cultures from Chinese, Malay, Indian, and Caucasian and spanning across all the different religions you can think of. From young, I was taught to be tolerant of other races and their practices and we learnt the importance of racial harmony (in which Racial Harmony Day, in conjunction with Total Defence Day, is held annually in Singapore on 15th February. It serves as a reminder of the dark times when Singapore was under immense national security threat of numerous racial riots in the 1960s after the independence, but let's save this space for my trip.)
Therefore, it wasn't a culture shock for me travelling in this strongly-cultured Asian countries, but what actually open my eyes were the travellers I've met along the the way. They've made me realize how contented I am living within my comfort zones, when these people, coming from all of the different sides of the world, travelling alone and accomplishing more than I do at a relatively young age.
I've met a Belgium guy, William during our first week in Guangzhou, China and he the the first traveller we've made friends with. At that point, he was travelling alone for 3 months across China, and at the last leg of his trip in the country before continuing to the other parts of Southeast Asia. He just graduated from the University of Brussels with a degree in Sports Science, and I suspect he is younger than me. To think about it, a fresh graduate from Europe backpacking alone in China for months! When asked why he was travelling alone, he said none of his friends wanted to go with him because they thought he was crazy to backpack in a country with huge communication barrier and being the 4th largest nation in the world (I've googled and realize USA & Canada are ahead with 3rd & 2nd respectively, apart from Russia which everyone knows). However, that didn't stop him. Apparently, we went our separate ways in a most unglamorous way, by getting lost in the Guilin jungle. It was a shame I didn't manage to get hold of his personal contacts, but he somehow strikes a resemble of Bear Grylls, and he was sure living up to his doppelganger as he has no choice but to leave us behind to reach his destination before dusk at a Chinese village on the other side of the Guilin mountains.
Another guy worth mentioning here was a young Argentinian dude, Nico. I've made friends with him when I was in Hanoi, Vietnam. It was on a Sunday, when my 3 good friends and I had planned to visit the Ho Chin Minh Museum (apparently that's the only opening day of the week), and our hotel receptionist arranged Nico take a taxi with us since he was travelling solo. He was an avid photographer and his photos were amazing, always capturing the essence of it. To our pleasant surprise, he was our roommate in our shared dorm that night, we managed to catch up our dinner at a vegetarian shophouse stall (sadly, there wasn't any cheap halal food) and i've learnt he had worked for 8 years to save enough money to travel the world for a year. A South-American backpacking for a year across Asia? You bet it. It was interesting to hear his insights on Asia in general, and strangely enough, earlier that day we ourselves had a bitter experience dealing with a Taxi Mafia which has its meter digitally modified that makes the fare goes up at a ridiculous rate. We manage to negotiate for a lower price (if we didn't pay he would drive us to his armed Mafia gangs), but Nico almost did his South American move and gagged that taxi driver from behind. Thankfully, that didn't happen and manage to resolve the issue peacefully, albeit a sour one. After we went our separate ways, Nico went on to Nepal, India and the other parts of Asia and having to see his wonderful pictures, I can't help but to feel happy for him.
Both of them resembles the new travellers of our time, exploring places to widen up their perspective and pushing themselves out of their comfort zones. We too, should, inculcate those values on top of the existing cultural roots which shouldn't be marginalized.
On a personal level, as a Muslim, I would want to travel, not just for the sake of travelling, but with a niya' (purpose) to find the path that will bring me closer to Him and my religion. Where it is all started from the Middle East with the holy lands of Jerusalem, Madinah, and Mecca, and not to forget some of the Islamic regions in Turkey, Spain and the other parts of Europe. Learning the history of it and seeing the historical places ourselves will bring out the best and strengthen our beliefs.
Travelling intrigues your mind and question your purpose in this life. When you come across a beautiful scenery before your very eyes, you cannot help but to feel blessed how beautiful this world is crafted. It leaves us wondering and be mesmerized with the wonders of this world. Only He, the Creator, knows and to whom we seek for His Mercy and His Blessings.
P.S: Apologies for being a doing more of a reflection for this entry.. I would surely want to share my 2 months backpacking adventure across the 6 countries to you guys soon!
