China

My road : Chengdu, Renshou, Leshan, Qianwei, Muchuan, Xinshi, Suijiang, Shui Fu, Yanjin, Daguan, Zhaotong, Kunming, from 03-28 to 2006-04-13.

I spend several days in Chengdu, difficult to leave when you have a friend like Xiao Jun. He is free of his work for 2 days, don’t leaving me then, to the detriment of his family. From the morning he come to look for me, for at the first day visit the factory where he works, it is about a cigarettes factory and he assumes the maintenance. His friend Lee is there, and accompanying us with also his superior during the visit. Finished, I am invited to lunch at the dining hall to meet other people. Xiao Jun wants to show me Chengdu, and leads me to different places. In late afternoon, we take rest in a garden to drink tea, and try to get to know each other, we try to communicate through a dictionary English Chinese. I reached to explain him what was my work in France. In the evening, I mixed with a band of friends to him for dinner. But the atmosphere is rather hot, these guys are boon campanions, eating, clinking glasses, drinking, playing steadily. At no time I am aside left, they make me take part in their evening.
The next day, on a bicycle trip that awaits us, with the team of cyclists Xiao Jun, being more or less the manager. We go to Luotai, making stops for lunch. It is Saturday and this small city is invaded by the people, seeing me only foreigner among the Chinese. In the afternoon, a visit to the wall of Jing Long, which is planned. With Lee and Hu Xiao Dong, we climb up to reach a temple, the Chinese go up there as a pilgrimage. Back to the bike we take back the road from Chengdu, riding close to my friend, going at a good speed. He leaves me just enough time to shower and is back up for me going to dinner, always surrounded by friends, miss Zenghui joining to us. There, the discussion revolved around my adventure, trying to understand why I wanted that choice. In listening them, I feel privileged, Xiao Jun told me that if I want he comes to visit me in France, it will not be before his retirement. Nevertheless, they do not seem to make differences between them and me.
To Sunday we are, Xiao Jun returned to work to the factory, it never stops. But in the evening, he found the time to visit me, bringing me a present with big size, his kindness and his good heart are overflowing. Being busy now, he asks at 2 of his friends to join me the next day for a stroll with cycle. But his day ended, he continues to come to see me, this time with Dong, another friend, and telling me, "Hervé, you come we go for dinner". This is our last evening together, around a typical meal from Chengdu, a hot pot, to mark a incredible memory, but not coming to be the end this day because I planned to return to Chengdu for Xiao.

I left Chengdu, my road must continue, in 2 days I reach Leshan, making a stop to extend visa. I found another friend, Ni Ren Li, always in the same place. I meet also a woman Li Fangping, speaking in English, both for helping me to find a room. To extend my visa, Li Fangping helps me and accompanies me. The visa acquired visa, we make return, then she goes away to make her market, saying me at her return, "you come for lunch at home, how to decline a meeting and to enter at home with people. We path to her home, and then putting in my hands English books, she puts in preparing meals. Having finished, we can discuss during the return of her daughter from school. Then all 3, we install us around the kitchen table to enjoy a meal typical of Sichuan, a fish. The moment is particular for me, but how fascinating and exciting to be in the company of this woman and her daughter, to find myself in the intimity of a family. Li Zhouya her daughter, doing back at school, she takes back me. Li Fangping remains available to me, is’t a new friend that I have, in the afternoon she back with me to get my passport. Ni Ren Li waiting for me, I must go see him. Her little girl, Luo Gui Ming joined us shortly afterwards. The old man stopped his occupations and fold all its equipment loading it on a bicycle relic to spend a moment together and offer us a dinner. In leaving, he ask me to come back tomorrow. I am therefore remains in Leshan, regaining my friend in the afternoon. Again, he fold all, we go away, Luo Gui Ming in our company to have a walk in Leshan. On the way, he gives us a boazi, then show me exhibitions of paintings, it's his life. He makes me enter at a designer, leaving to listen of funny ideas, without take it seriously. Then we stop on a place where books spilled on the ground, the old man always surprising leaves with one intended to learn English. From there, he wants I go to his home, taking with us some provisions. We arrive in a tiny apartment, old, without comfort, with walls of boards. Upon Ni Ren Li puts his small children to work, a sheet drawing in the hands and asking me to sit for them. The matter becomes serious, these 3 young apply in their execution, under the eyes of the master who brings hisadvice and his help. For me, being there is incredible, with pleasure and ant and fascination for me enormously. Then come the moment to move to the table, a tiny table, 7 that we are around for an immense pleasure to be with these people. Yet yesterday, Ni Ren Li wondering what cost for me my trip after 2 years, he did not understand where from I could take out so much money. So what is the vision or the image they may have of me, no doubt they do not see the difference with them, just considering me like their friend. The meal finished, the old man takes back me with his little 2 girls.
Back at the hotel, the Chinese surprises continue, Li Fangping comes to visit me, handing me a package of cereal bars, a bag with duck, and out of his bag a a small bottle of Chinese wine. Suggesting her to uncork it, she is allowed me, clinking glasses together with red wine, and leading a discussion by showing her a lot of things. From all of this, I do not believe it, where the goodness of these people did stop!

We are on first of April, and yet this is not a fish that we prepare to me. I still remains to Leshan with Ni Ren Li and Luo Gui Ming who keep me with them. In the morning, they pass me up, and then we go on internet, I show them the pictures on my site, the both appreciating. So I offer them a lunch, it is my turn. Then asking to Ni Ren Li if he does not go to the river, there he says, "direction the park." I do not know yet what he has in mind, but it won’t be long. Giving a bag to his little girl, he sends her for shopping. Meanwhile, he takes back his pencil and his drawings sheets to fill in some with of my portrait. Then Luo Gui Ming back, I see that the idea of yesterday was not a joke, this is land he asked her to bring. It is no longer drawing he is preparing to do, but to model my head. His equipment is ready, he makes me sit where he wish it, then the work is thrown. He puts people to prepare his land while, he moulds and models. Inevitably it takes a moment, a part of the afternoon and attracts the people around us. It is probably rare to see Ni Ren Li away from his pencils. People come to put it the hand, meeting itself to 6 in this realization. We try to know about whom it is, and my friend does not stop telling them where from I come and what I do. A short time, a telephone walks, I tell myself that we’re preparing something else. How far will they go? And I do not wrong, we were called for a newspaper to mark this day. A journalist makes photos the time that Ni Ren Li works, remaining there until the finish. Then the old man is proud and happy to present me its realization. But his second idea is that I leave with it. It amuses me too much, not stopping burst out laughing, saying to them that it is not possible, that I travel in cycle. So I ask them if there is not a museum where to deposit it. And any serious they took it, I see that is where it will go. This time China don’t forget me.
Ni Ren Li remains a man really too curious and unbelievable, determined, passionate, a friend whom I shall not forget, who will have marked my journey.

I leave Leshan to go away towards Vietnam and Hanoï, I gave a appointment to my parents for one second meting, the time passes and we shall be at 20 months of separation. My journey now takes a different perspective, it becomes my priority and my purpose. China, then I will return later, then giving me the time to continue to discover it and to take an immense pleasure among these Chinese. I go down south to Kunming, making a first stop in Muchuan. From this day, I can wonder how I to be entitled to get all this. From morning till evening we came to offer me my meals. I continue by a unworthy road, of mountain and under the rain. The southern route is not easy. I am forced to look for routes dedicated to drive. For that I am going along the rivers, so I think that the journey will not be mountainous. I come in Suijiang, to get acquainted with a girl, Hua Jing who by accepting her invitation to dinner, said he was nervous and excited all, this is the first time she meets a foreigner, and furthermore who come at her home. Immediately, she warned her mother for my coming. I am magnificently received, being seen as someone important, her mother regretted not being able to talk with me. From there I aim rally Zhaotong, which it will drive me halfway between Leshan and Kunming. For night, I sometimes come to make stop in stopping places for truck drivers. The journey is enjoyable by these valleys that I follow in the hollow of mountains. But again, the folly of man, took a seat, highway constructions are still emerging in my eyes, telling me, "when we will respect the nature and when we shall protect it." It is unthinkable that can be developed and initiated, as it is so much made for the populations. Zhaotong is high, I will have the chance to make me board by 3 guy in a truck, seeing at the arrival Yang Lei stay in my company. I find housing for me, and then he said, "my parents await us for dinner." I do not know what to say about all this, can receive as much without asking anything. It is among his family that I find myself at a restaurant, this boy is celebrating its 24 years, and seeing me as his new friend. Henceforth Kunming is not very far any more, some days separate it from me. Already in altitude, I long to find a route where I could run, without having to climb enormous difficulties. My first steps will be shorter than I saw, with the second day find myself on a road paved with stones and mostly rising, where it is impossible to fit on a bicycle, must once again push, finishing with pains in the arms and shoulders. I say that it will not continue, and yet by returning the next day after only 4 km, I find the same thing. It is then possible, I stop on the edge of the pavement, waiting for a bus want to take me. The made thing, the route cycle for Kunming is ended, reuniting then the city during the day. Here I am for a few days, I need my Vietnamese visa.