Day: T-1
Current Location: Beijing (北京)
Hello friends!
It’s been 30 days since I arrived in Beijing and I have written 0 blog posts. My days have been filled with work, learning and exploration.
With the Beijing part of the trip behind me, I now turn to the second part: the epic 3,212 mile journey across China. In the next six days, I will be taking a series of planes, trains and boats through Yunnan and Hubei Provinces, finishing back in Beijing next Friday, August 4. The itinerary leaves no room for error; with only a night in each place (for the most part), it is imperative that I make each plane, train and boat. Cities I will visit in the next few days will include:
- Lijiang
- Kunming
- Chongqing
- Yichang
- Wuhan
For those of you who like maps, here is a visual representation of the journey.
As I was packing tonight, I wanted to think of some goals I had for this expedition. While I am sure more will emerge as the trip progresses, here is what I have so far:
- Reconnect with friends and local contacts in Kunming and Lijiang in order to strengthen my relationships with the Chinese people.
- Make a return to the Nanyao Village, the village I stayed in two summers ago and visited last summer.
- Interact with Chinese tourists and locals on the Yangtze River passenger boat.
- Make every single plane, train and boat (with time to spare )to avoid a complicated mess of rebooking.
- Write a blog post every night reflecting on the day’s events.
- Maintain the highest standards of safety, security and health throughout the trip.
So there you have it. 3,212 miles is a lot to cover in six days, but I am glad I have chosen to take this trip. It will be great to reconnect with old friends in Yunnan and have some new experiences as well. I am happy that you, as readers, will also join me along this journey. Please feel free to comment with any questions or suggestions you may have.
As I said in goal 5, I will attempt to write a blog post every night reflecting on the day’s events. Most of the time, it will include pictures, depending on the internet connection. Although I will be traveling to somewhat remote places, wifi access seems to be reasonably abundant, so I’m hoping I can keep the blog going over the next week. Stay tuned!
Next stop: Lijiang. ETA: Saturday night China time.
The photo above is the view from my apartment in eastern Beijing. While I’ll miss the view and egg tarts downstairs for breakfast, I know there will be many more exciting adventures and rich experiences ahead.
Until tomorrow,
Benjy
