Another Day(s)

The Chinese visa and the Indian visa are already on hand. There is no reason to stay here anymore. I can’t wait to move. Lazying in a place is not my style of traveling. (Occasional lazying is somehow permitted J). Neither does sticking in a place without any specific reason. Y, a Japanese guy slept next to me has been traveling for 3 years. He has been staying in Sakura Guesthouse in Bishkek for 3 weeks. I asked him what did he gain in the past 3 years and he said: ‘Well, after 1 year, the things you see are almost the same’. I didn’t nod at this time. Neither did I shake my head. I have changed my point of view in regards of traveling in a long journey. Tell you next time. We always hear the same story from him in which he tells everybody that he is going to leave tomorrow and after 1 week, he is still here and even after I came back from Issyk-Kul Lake, he is still lying on the same bed next to me. I presume he must had used 1 year for traveling, 1 year for moving and another 1 year for resting. So is Ym, another nice and kind Japanese guy. He plans to stay long here, probably 1 or 2 months, reputedly learning Russian. I have been staying here for a week in total and none of those days could be considered as ‘productive’ except suffering from a combination of light fever, flu, sore throat and diarrhea again and again each time I arrived here. (This might be the reason I don’t really enjoy this free-WIFI free-laundry guesthouse). My rule of thumb is never stay in a place, no matter how comfortable, how cheap or how backpacker-friendly the place is, more than a week or you would become lazy to move again. I have no intention of being sarcastic because you can do everything with your freedom and of course money but it is just that I really don’t understand how could that be possible for travelers to stay in a place for weeks by doing nothing except drinking and reading comics. Perhaps no reason or no ‘sense’ things are required if you have freedom and money.

I’m a serious traveler. (People already know lar! No need to emphasize from time to time). I have been too slow in moving. But the fact is I’m currently traveling with S – a Korean guy since Osh. He wants to stay here because there are bunch of Japanese here(including Y and Ym) and he speaks Japanese. He enjoys chatting and hanging around with them as if never care about tomorrow. I think, once again, I have made an unwise decision. I know I can simply say goodbye and leave but I think it’s too early and too emotional to make such decision. I decided to wait for another day as he promised to leave to Song-Kol tomorrow morning.

The first time I met S is in Tehran. It was there that we learnt we are traveling in the same direction. He dropped me a message in Facebook when I was in Samarkand hoping to meet me up somewhere and we did meet up in Samarkand but that was at the day I left to Tajikistan. He kept on persuading me to give up Tajikistan and travel with him from Samarkand onwards. It was in Bahodir House that I have no objection to travel with him to China and then Pakistan provided I didn’t have a chance for Gorno-Badakshan Autonomous Oblast. In fact, it has been my habit to travel alone. One of the reasons I ‘compromise’ is that I think I should re-adjust the way I travel and I need something or someone out there to make it happen. I think perhaps traveling with someone else would be a good idea.

I know my style of traveling very well and I also know that sticking with your own rigid style won’t make you good especially when you are in a long journey. To be honest, I don’t really like to travel with others, especially girls(Ok, not all of them lar). Sorry my fellow female friends and travelers. I’m sure someone out there can’t wait to lift up a banner of ‘sexual discrimination’ to show their opposition and call me a sexist. But hey, I really don’t want to take a taxi for a ‘short distance’. (You know what I mean for ‘short distance’). I don’t mind to walk under the sun(…the moon, stars, rain or whatsoever) for hours. I don’t mind to walk in the dark at night, or midnight or whatsoever. I don’t mind for not taking shower for days. I don’t mind to stay in a ‘cheap’ place. (You know what I mean for ‘cheap’). I don’t mind to sleep on the street for some unforeseen circumstances. I don’t mind to alight from a mistaken bus or ‘something’ I hitch and walk to the destination. I don’t want to pay for a pee. (You know what I mean). I don’t want to dine in a restaurant. I don’t need to call Mom…Bla…bla…bla

Most of the time, I prefer to be alone. I like total freedom and flexibility. This doesn’t mean I discard occasional socializing. You can classify me as a lone ranger or call me a freak. I don’t mind. I’d rather with my ownself unless I find someone who shares the similar travel style, and of course serious about traveling, someone like Vladimir from Russia, or someone like Christopher from South Africa. Ok lar…that someone also means girls even though I haven’t met any yet. I was damn bored while traveling in Central Asia at that time and desperately need someone to talk to and I’m sure so did S. I really treasured the last few hours of chatting, joking and smoking with him in Samarkand but you know, hanging out and traveling together are two different things. I couldn’t talk to the locals…Ok…not all locals are money-oriented and unapproachable. Some of them are actually quite helpful to some extent but there was no ground for conversation as I don’t speak Russian and they don’t speak English, or Chinese.

So, I ended up lazying in Sakura Guesthouse now where the only ‘productive’ thing I can come out with is this blog entry full of nagging and mumbling. HA! HA! HA! I hope tomorrow is a good day for Song-Kol and for me and of course I hope it will be a go.

Good night and good luck!