From the Mountains to the Pacific: A Journey Worth Taking

Li Ming is a college student in a small province in China. He loves travel more than anything else. This summer he has one strong desire: to see the wide Pacific Ocean. To be eligible for the trip, he first checks his passport and applies for a visa. He is a careful holidaymaker, so he formulates a clear plan. He sits down with a pen and drafts a list of everything he will need. He reads a short guideline about safe travel. Then he writes a short composition about his journey for English class.

His teacher asks the class to choose the best kind of transport. The students vote, and after the poll they count the votes. Most students choose the train, because the fare is low. Li Ming estimates the total cost. His estimation shows that a railway trip costs less than flying. He keeps a bill for every ticket, and the hotel gives him an invoice. He pays by cheque, and he also keeps a traveler's check as a backup.

On the day of the trip, he goes to the airport early. The airport is large and busy. He pulls his baggage and carries a heavy backpack. His luggage is small enough to fit in the cabin locker. At the security gate, the staff check his papers and stamp his passport. He walks across the apron to board the airplane. Once aboard, a passenger smiles at him. He finds his seat in the cabin and fastens his seat belt. The jet takes off, and soon he sees the city far below. He is not nervous now.

After the plane lands, he disembarks and takes a shuttle to the station. From the station he rides a double-decker bus, a bus with two levels. Later he changes to a minibus for a short ride. In the city he sees many automobiles on the road, most of them private cars. He takes a taxi to his hotel and enjoys the short drive through the busy city. A lorry full of goods and a tanker carrying petrol pass by. The traffic is heavy on the highway, so they switch to the freeway to move faster. There is a diversion because of road work. So they take the ring-road around the town and cross a high viaduct. At last the driver parks the car in a garage.

At the coast, he boards a ferry to cross the water. A small boat is rowed out first, and he joins a boating trip on the lake. He watches a boat-race in the harbor. Then he sails on a big ship that will carry him on a long voyage. The vessel is grand. A tanker and a cargo ship are tied at the dock. The ship carries goods for transhipment to another port. He charters a small sailing boat for a private cruise along the shore.

Finally he reaches the Pacific coast. The ocean is wide and constant, and the sand is warm. He goes on a trek through the hills and takes a long hike to the cliff. He straps his bag shut and ties a strong rope around it. He carries a gallon of clean, non-toxic water and a small lamp. At midday the sun is strong, so he rests in a shelter. He eats a simple lunch: a handful of nuts, a sandwich with mustard, a bowl of warm gruel, and a cup of skim milk. The skim milk is light and easy to digest. The route is sometimes difficult and dangerous near the cliff. A small reflector on his pack helps cars see him at night. Snow covers the high peaks even in summer, and an ultra light tent makes his pack easy to carry.

In the old town he visits a grand museum. The building is decorated with geometrical patterns and an oval ornament above the door. A brass plaque tells the story of the town. Inside, he sees a model spaceship and a humanoid robot. A guide explains that a spaceship must move at relativistic speed to reach far stars. He also sees an old telegraphic machine and a room full of ink and pens. He buys some souvenirs for his family and a few stamps to mail postcards.

He interviews a local teacher in a one-on-one talk. The teacher is frank and respectful. She says tourism makes a positive contribution to the town. She also invites him to a seminar about road safety. At the seminar, an expert shows a projection of future traffic growth. He talks about the expansion of the freeway and the correction of a dangerous corner. He asks everyone to conform to the rules and to participate in the discussion. A local company sponsors the seminar and writes an editorial for the newspaper. Li Ming gives an impromptu thank-you speech at the end.

Not everything is easy. One morning he finds his taxi bill is wrong, and waiting for the correction is frustrating. But he stays sure of himself and rarely gets angry. On the road, he sees a lorry dump sand near a building, and the dust makes him sneeze. A child screams suddenly when a dog runs by. He holds his tongue and stays calm. He was mistaken about the time of the last bus, so he waited at a vacant stop until late. Still, he finds the whole trip entirely worthwhile.

At the hotel reception, the clerk asks for his signature on a form, and he signs his name clearly. The next morning he sends a follow-up email to the travel agency. The email is short, with no filler words. He checks the status of his booking online. Everything is tidy and in order. He then takes the train to another province. He rides in a comfortable carriage and travels by rail across the country. He likes to navigate the old streets with a paper map, following a circuit around the old city walls. The city has a good public transport system.

In one small town, the people hold an election and elect a new mayor. Li Ming watches and learns. He also uses his trip as an example to encourage his friends. He says a journey is the best way to learn, and the prime reason to travel is to grow. One day the weather turns bad, and rain falls heavily for hours. The mountain path becomes a mass of wet mud, and the ice by the stream begins to melt. He walks lightly on the slippery stones and steps deliberately on each one.

He does not isolate himself from the local people. At the market, a seller motions him to come closer. He does not obsess over small problems, and he stays positive. Li Ming also dreams of a future tour of Pakistan, a country he has rarely seen in photos. As a tourist, he would visit its northern mountains and meet its people. He believes an active life of travel adds to health and longevity.

He rents a bicycle and rides behind a big bus, staying in its slipstream to save energy. He is careful, because a crash would be dangerous. A plane flies overhead, low and loud. At a small bar near the square, he has a drink and rests. He learns the key to a happy trip: take the least luggage and only one sort of bag. On the wall, a road sign is a symbol that gives an indication of danger ahead.

Back home, he shares a full disclosure of his spending with his family. His photos are sharp, and he chooses them with great precision. He still remembers a small tremor on the train. When the cups shook, nobody was hurt. Therefore, he is now a more qualified traveler, ready for any trip. He is never unfit for a long walk, and no day of travel is unproductive. Wherever he goes next, he will pack light and plan flexibly.

Travel is always extraordinary. He now understands that some mountain villages still fight against illiteracy. He wants to repay the kindness of the people who helped him. His daily intake of new words and ideas grows fast. His train reservation was revocable, so he changed it without trouble. He remembers the sunrise over the sea distinctly. On the way back, he gives a ride to a friendly hitchhiker, just as strangers once helped him.