An Otherworld Awaits You

sol·dier of for·tune
n., pl. soldiers of fortune.

One who will serve in any army or undertake risky tasks for personal gain or love of adventure.

~~~~~

...after so much planning, paying, and flying, I'm finally here..."here" being Zhongguo (China). The most striking part of the whole scene, as expected, is the sheer age of everything here. Just as in Seoul and Tokyo last summer, there are temples nextdoor to skyscrapers, and much of what's to be seen is *way* older than the States ^_^

...after last night's abridged walk around the Forbidden City area, today I went on a tour of the Badaling portion of the Great Wall, which isn't far from Beijing proper. There is an 'easy' way and a 'hard' way to climb the Wall...

Um...

Uh...

...?!

*sigh*...

You: This is the 'easy' way?!
Me: 'fraid so -_-'

...the steps are insanely steep and narrow, so it's no small task to hike up the short way. If the tour hadn't been so rushed, I would've surely taken the hard way, but there just wasn't time (yeah, that's the ticket...). Finally making it to the top, there's a great view of the surrounding mountains, and you have a chance to rest your legs and pride before the arguably harder trek back down...those steep steps are even worse when you're leaning downhill! (hint: try walking down backwards...it works ^_^)

...there was a good mix of travelers on the tour; this is usually the best way to meet the kind of individual travelers that are so rare in my experience. (in fact, last summer...haha, nevermind ^_^) There were two Muslim businessmen visiting from South Africa on the tour, and we had what I expect to be the most memorable discussion of all my travels. At the very least, it's a bittersweet relief to meet people that understand the annoyance of being judged on appearance (thanks in great part to everyone's fear of damned near everything...but especially people that look like 'terrorists'). In short, they more than understood, and they told me so much about Islam and South Africa that I would likely never come across otherwise. It makes my heart ache to hear of the violence in their home country, and considering that South Africa will host the World Cup in 2010, I wonder what can change in such a short time. Along the lines of being judged, it was enlightening to learn of their experiences with non-Muslims criticizing their faith. While everyone assumes that hijab (modest dress) is an oppression of women, I was touched in a strange way by how one of my cohorts described the practice as finding a perfect diamond and keeping it safe from the external world. A Catholic as I am, something about his explanation made me smile inside...I can't describe it...

...on the ride to the other parts of the tour (the Jade Museum, Ming Tomb, and a museum where they make Ming-esque vases), I asked hundreds of questions about halal, haram, etc., as I tend to do when I meet someone who profoundly believes something to which I'm foreign. This was merely the first day of a long summer of travel, but this exchange epitomizes why I travel at all:

...there are some experiences that can't be taught, bought, bartered, borrowed, or sold; the "you" that you are capable of being will only be when you see outside of yourself. Travel is a step outside of a your comfort zone, but moreso it is a step outside of you. When I travel, I see not only the world, but myself...on my own two feet...moving freely...in the world.

...my standards for what makes a trip worthwhile are getting so high, but this part of the overall summer makes me dangerously reflective...

...it puts me face to face with him...I think you know who :)

Yours,

Khamsin
[Overdrive mode: Rook]
[Charges when character magically blocks attack.]