Fellow Virtual Travelers,
This is a test sending from our iPhone while still in the U.S.
Put a candy bar in your pocket. Grab a bottle of water. Skivvies, socks,
shirt, jeans, and hiking books. Plane and train tickets. Big camera?
Nah, the cell phone has a camera in it. Let's go!
It's not so fast or easy getting ready for a history research mission in
China. It takes more preparation than stuffing a carry-on bag with a
swim suit and a tooth brush. Because unlike a holiday romp on a beach,
in China one cannot just bop over to Walmart, 7-11, Starbucks,
MacDonald's, or Safeway and get an instant fix for the need of the
moment.
That's not say it is impossible to "live in the now" in China, but to
capture images and stories about thousands of years of martial arts
history, there are concepts of CONTINGENCY PLANNING and LOGISTICS that
are huge factors in our trips.
WHAT IF:
- there is no toilet paper in the restroom/outhouse?
- it rains when you reach the mountain summit?
- the electricity goes out during the night?
- there is no recognizable food in sight?
- you get sick or hurt?
- the ONLY way to communicate to anyone is to talk or write, and we
speak different languages?
A BRIEF LIST OF CONSIDERATIONS FOR OUR TO-DO LIST:
Electricity -- Foreign voltage very different from USA. Our missions
rely on electricity!
Luggage -- Flight restrictions on weight and size. Carry on and
checked.
Medical/first aid -- No drug stores in remote areas to buy anything. You
get sick/hurt, you are your own doctor.
Travel documents -- Originals and copies of passports, visas, hotel
vouchers, train schedules, plane tickets, names and addresses, credit
card data, US Customs equipment receipts and more. Register with the US
Embassy in China.
Speaking of equipment -- While we've honed down the 720 cataloged items
needed for the 2002 expedition, we will each carry a backpack containing
25 - 30 pounds. What we need, can't be bought in rural China.
Then don't forget:
Things in your photo vest, like pocket knives, can't go in your carry-on
bag at the airport. But when you're on top of a mountain and need to
make a repair, you'll want to have that pocket knife handy!
Everything has to be light enough for YOU to carry by yourself in areas
where there are no elevators in hotels, or smooth sidewalks or even
streets sometimes. And keep the pocket translator handy. English is not
spoken except on rare occasions.
Things that make the trip FUN:
We make friends on the other side of the planet.
We design logos for every trip to go on shirts, luggage tags, etc.,
which we order or make ourselves.
Practice hikes, photo shoots, make small sample movies, build photo
album books. All to savor the memories, and share with our friends.
So, hands across the oceans. Friends over there and friends at home.
Such happiness is what life is all about. And as our cats, Sherlock &
Dr.Watson, teach us: sometimes life is SO FUN, you just have to RUN and
play hard!
Says the Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu, "A journey of a thousand miles
begins with a single step".
Much like Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's character Sherlock Holmes' phrase,
"The game is afoot".
So off we go….
… adventure in Wudangshan during the Chinese year of the horse. Our
next update should be from the other side of the planet!
Blessings,
Dennis & Anita