I met bachelor and passionate traveler, Miguel from Majorca, in the lobby of THE LOFT guest house and youth hostel. We had noodle soup together and for a couple of hours after that we romanced over the map of China. He had been on a 3 month journey from Beijing to Lhasa, and south to Kunmin in Yunan, and now in this restaurant-with-no- name, his baritone voice described the places on the map with the perceptive enthusiasm of a modern Marco Polo.
Traveling only for spiritual fulfillment he made no purchases, took no photographs, kept no diary. His bible was a - Lonely Planet - "China". He carried maps and sleeping bag, toothbrush and toothpaste, essentials: 1 change of clothes... He loved China only a silk strand less than Africa…
While waiting for the green light at an intersection of West Section 2, 1st Ring Road, Miguel said that the relatively low level of traffic noise in Chengdu was because the myriad motor-scooters dashing through city streets as silently as the equal number of bicycles and tricycles was because the motor-scooters ran on electrical power, NOT on petrol.
It was peak hour, the side street we turned into was totally blocked with everything and everybody, nose to nose, bumper to bumper, going both ways, in and out, without any visible order.
On the edge of a patchy sidewalk beside the fruit and vegetable display of a you-name- it, we-have-it shop, we waited for a chance to cross the street; then walked the distance to the next stop light as crossing was possible only at great peril to everything and everybody… I remarked that only a miracle could prevent such chaos from turning into massive accidents, but Miguel again explained that in China it was not divine intervention but the skillful defensive driving of those behind the steering wheel that prevailed…
I discovered the opportunity to get correct change for the bus by buying grilled snacks, or thirst-quenching pineapple wedges from the vendors who daily, set up their bicycle or tricycle business on the sidewalk behind most bus stops…
Actually the uses of un-motorized vehicles are countless…
We exchange a kiss but before we lost sight of each other Miguel repeated: “If you can, don’t miss Lhasa, Tibet is like no other place in the world…"
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