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It's the journey, not the destination or the distance that matters

Mountains, valleys, mist, mud, trees, cliffs, stones, bamboo, buffalo, clouds, flowers, air, rain, dirt, sunshine, bumps, honks, barking, croaking frogs, green, blue, brown. These are the main things that bombarded my sensory cortices as I traveled the mountain roads of Yunnan. Yet while on the motorbike, these things didn’t really register as nouns, or even concepts, but instead were processed by my brain as a series of emotions. Mountains and mist were processed as awe, wonder, and respect; trees, flowers, bamboo, and sunshine were felt in terms of joy, relaxation and sheer contentment; clouds and valleys were thrill and excitement; dirt, mud, bumps, honks and barking were annoyance, determination, and fortitude; cliffs, rain, darkness were terror, cold, and uncertainty.

Yet the emotions that triumphed were pride, fun, and happiness. I’m proud of myself for riding a motorcycle through bumpy country roads for two and half weeks with no accidents (aside from a burn). There were a few precarious cliffs with downhill, hairpin turns and no guardrail that could easily have sent any of us off a cliff-face, but that fortunately didn’t happen (Not to worry, I was well prepared mentally to handle that situation. I practiced in my head how I would jump off the motorbike and let it and my stuff go off the side of the mountain in the event of a slide out arounda turn. I would have been fine, just down a motorbike, two computers, my passport, and all my stuff. Hypothetically.) I had an amazing time with Andy after 9 months of separation, and went on a magnificent adventure. The scenery also was just breathtaking. I’ll post a few of Andy’s photos here, but you should check out his Flickr site to get the full effect. All in all, it was one of the most exciting vacations I’ve had in a long while. I’m very sad that I had to abandon my beloved motorbike in Yunxian. Hopefully somebody with a good heart will find it and give it a good home.

Gorgeous scenery (Andy's picture)

Exciting certainly doesn’t mean that the experience was a piece of cake, nor that it was all enjoyable. There were plenty of times where the ride was hard, terrifying, wet, and cold. The forty kilometers from Gengma to Mengsha was ridden entirely in a steady rain that left me soaked and chilled to the bone. I also felt a profound sense of unease whenever trying to get past a herd of water buffalo on the road. Although I know that those animals are docile to the core, and rather stupid to boot, they are massive, alien, and with rather unnervingly large horns. Trying to ride through a pack of them is unsettling as you feel that they could either kick you or gore you and that would be that. I feel much better trying to get around a herd of goats or cattle.

More beautiful scenery

Many have said that the journey is more important than the destination. In the case of this trip, it was totally true. The road itself was the adventure, the present was beauty, your fellow travelers your home. It was a good ride.

Sunburn was a constant threat. Here's how I protected my arms! I know I look goofy as all get out, but function is better than beauty!

Muddy roads. I almost got stuck one time when I was following Andy and he suddenly slowed. Note: Do not lose velocity when trying to get through mud. I had to frog push my way out.

Trying to wait out the rain

Now on to my next adventure of the summer: my internship at the Consulate.