I never thought of that I will visit India again in such a short time before I made a decision to quit my job in this summer. The original motive of this journey is just to go out and take a break during the vacancy. After some times of modify to my itinerary, the objective of this journey is getting clear. That is, I will have a tour of sightseeing to the Tibetan culture regions in India. The range of this journey includes Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Darjeeling, Sikkim and other regions in northern and eastern India. In addition, I also got a chance to visit a border city in Bhutan. From September to November, this journey spent me nearly 3 months.
As to most travelers, the major purpose of their journey is just for some relax. They enjoy traveling outside to see something different and escape from the daily life. As to me, traveling has more sense of ‘experiencing’. Therefore, my journey is always not as easy as most people. I hat the scenic spots that full of tourists, what I favor are the places which have a few climates of tourism and rich in the atmosphere of peace and plain. Sometimes I am lazy to make my travelogue in characters. I am more willing to record what I saw in cameras, although I know nothing about photography. When I saw something worth my notice, I will eager on looking for a chance to take a picture that can represent it. I always curious about everything I encountered during my trip like a baby. Besides, I will ask myself to valuate what I see without prejudices. Without the unnecessary prejudices, I can have more correct comprehensive about what I see. Sometimes the experiences can cause some enlightenment about something. This is my progress from ‘experiencing’ to ‘enlightenment’.
The landscapes in Himalayas are so awesome that I often wonder the authenticity of the sceneries when I place myself in it. The Creator vests the lands with an inconceivable shape and color which can not be done by human. But places which have magnificent landscapes are not always suitable for human. People in Himalayas are often behaves strong for their existence. Maybe because to exist is never easy in Himalayas, people in Himalayas are often more care for the friendship with humans and the harmony with the nature. I have been travel in Tibetan plateau for several times. While I getting more and more understand the Tibetan culture regions in Tibetan plateau, I gradually realize that the most beautiful thing in the world is not in any corner of the world, it should be in humans’ heart. There are always many events during my trip in Tibetan plateau, but I never feel lonely when I confront the troubles, because people always help each other in such a tough environment. You can feel a kind of care between mankind that origin from human’s nature in there, while it no longer exists in our society for a long time. From the view of Daoism, they are the people who proximate to Dao.
Except travel guide book, I brought “Lao-Zi” and “Zhuang-Zi” with me during the trip. Because Dao is a philosophy which have a highly abstract meaning that not easy to understand, so I thought it’s not a bad idea to try to understand it in a place which proximate to Dao. Although I am not sure if my comprehension about Dao is accurate or not, but I am sure that I have had some precious realization about Dao.
To be a solo traveler in such a trip is not quite easy. There are so many uncertain and many potential trouble on the road. Lonely, abscent, unrest and even fear are the mental conditions that familiar with during my trip. Sometimes I can’t conquer them just by appeasing myself. But when I thought of my family, my friends and even the strangers who give me the eyesight of care, I will restore my courage to hold on. Hence, I have to thank many people before the ending of my trip. Thank my family for their understanding and supporting, it should be a suffering to expect for my recent condition during my trip. Thank my friends, your care and encouragement is so important to me. Thank everyone who care for me, your love is the origin of my courage. With your love, I will always strong on my road. Although you don’t know that I always bless you in my heart during my trip, I am still willing to do it silently.
Three months of trip is not too long, but what important is weather I got something profitable from it or not. Actually, the good thing I saw and heard in my travel, and the good people I met during my trip are all my important property in my life. Ladakh should be capped with heavy snows in the end of November. How are you, my dear friends in Himalayas? Is there that cold as my imagination? Where are you, my fellow travelers? Are you still in your journey? Are you still leading a good life now? Will we meet again in somewhere?
Some people always forget their journeys soon, because traveling is just for fun to them. Some people keep traveling continuously and always forget themselves during their trip intentionally or unintentionally, because they are looking for something less of meaning blindly. For me, to travel is to experience. Maybe I can’t benefit from it immediately, but I know that something is accumulating in my mind. My life will be nice because I am always traveling. As to me, traveling is not just getting outdoors. Traveling is a kind of living attitude.
Majnu-ka-Tila, New Delhi
11/26/2007
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