Xa abantu abaneminyaka engamashumi amabini besiya eMzantsi-mpuma Asia, bapakisha iisuti zabo zokudada eziqhelekileyo, izinto zokugxotha izinambuzane, iiglasi zelanga, mhlawumbi neencwadi ezimbalwa zokugcina indawo yabo ngelixa benyamekela ukulunywa ziingcongconi kumanxweme ashushu eziqithi zaseThailand.
Nangona kunjalo, ipeninsula engathathi thuba lide kukuba kufuneka ukhwele ibhayisekile iimayile ezingama-9,300 ukuze ufike eNewcastle.
Kodwa yile nto uJosh Reid ayenzileyo. Ithambo lepani lalibotshelelwe emqolo wakhe njengofudo laza labhabha laya kwelinye icala lehlabathi, lisazi ukuba uhambo lwakhe lokubuya luza kuthatha ixesha elingaphezulu kwesiqingatha sosuku.
“Ndihleli nje etafileni yasekhitshini, ndancokola notata kunye notata wam, ndaza ndacinga ngezinto ezahlukeneyo endinokuzenza,” uReid uxelele iBicycle Weekly malunga nendawo eyazalelwa kuyo le ngcinga. Kwiminyaka embalwa edlulileyo, uReid wayesebenza njengomqeqeshi we-ski ebusika, umlimi wemithi yasehlotyeni eBritish Columbia, waza wafumana i-visa yokusebenza yeminyaka emibini eCanada, ephelisa umsebenzi wakhe eMntla Melika, waza wakhwela ibhayisekile eNova Scotia.
>>>Abakhweli beebhayisekile behlabathi lonke babulewe kufutshane namakhaya abo ngelixa bekhwela iibhayisekile, nto leyo esindise ubomi babantu abathandathu ngokunikela ngezitho zomzimba
Kule mihla, ekubeni uninzi lweebhayisekile zenziwe e-Asia, ingcamango kukungenisa iibhayisekile ngokwakho. Olu hambo luthathe iinyanga ezine ngo-2019, kwaye ekubeni ubhubhane we-coronavirus wenze ukuthenga iibhayisekile kwaba nzima kangaka ngo-2020, indlela yakhe yabonakala inolwazi.
Emva kokufika eSingapore ngoMeyi, waya emantla waza wadibana nebhayisekile kwiinyanga ezimbini kuphela. Ngelo xesha, wazama ukusebenzisa ibhayisekile yaseDatshi ukuze aphinde enze umfanekiso weTop Gear kwiHai Van Pass eVietnam.
Ekuqaleni, ndandifuna ukuthenga ibhayisekile eCambodia. Kwacaca ukuba kunzima ukuyisusa ngqo emgceni wendibano. Ngenxa yoko, waya eShanghai, apho bavelisa khona ibhayisekile ngobuninzi ukusuka kumgangatho wefektri enkulu. Thabatha ibhayisekile.
UReid uthe: “Ndiyazi ukuba ndingadlula kweziphi iindawo.” “Ndibonile ngaphambili kwaye ndibonile ukuba ndingafaka isicelo se-visa kwaye inokusingatha ngokukhuselekileyo i-geopolitics kwimimandla eyahlukeneyo, kodwa phantse ndineengxaki kwaye ezinye iiTurmoil ziye ngqo eNewcastle.”
Akunyanzelekanga ukuba uReid ongeze amamayile amaninzi yonke imihla, logama nje enokutya namanzi, wonwabile ukulala engxoweni encinci ecaleni kwendlela. Okumangalisayo kukuba, wayeneentsuku ezine kuphela zemvula kulo lonke uhambo, kwaye xa waphinda wangena eYurophu, uninzi lwexesha lwalusele luphelile.
Ngaphandle kukaGarmin, usebenzisa i-app ekwifowuni yakhe ukuya ekhayeni lakhe. Nanini na xa efuna ukuhlamba okanye efuna ukuphinda atshaje izixhobo zakhe ze-elektroniki, ungena kwigumbi lehotele, athathe amajoni e-terracotta, iimonasteri zamaBhuda, akhwele umvukelo omkhulu, aze asebenzise ii-Arkel Panniers kunye nee-Robens sleeping pads zifanelekile kubantu abanomdla kuzo zonke izixhobo, nokuba abazi ukuba bangaziphinda njani izinto zikaReid.
Elinye lawona maxesha anzima yayiluhambo ekuqaleni kohambo. Wahamba entshona edlula eTshayina ukuya kumaphondo asentshona-ntshona, apho kwakungekho bakhenkethi baninzi khona, kwaye wayelumkile nxamnye nabantu bamanye amazwe, njengoko okwangoku kukho amaSilamsi angama-Uyghur asisigidi abanjwe kulo mmandla. Iziko lokuvalelwa. Xa uReid wayedlula kwiindawo zokuhlola rhoqo emva kweekhilomitha ezingama-40, wayiqhaqha idrone wayifihla phantsi kwesutikheyisi, waza wasebenzisa iGoogle Translate ukuncokola namapolisa anobuhlobo, awayesoloko emnika ukutya. Waza wenza ngathi akaqondi ukuba babuza nayiphi na imibuzo enzima.
ETshayina, ingxaki ephambili kukuba ukukhempisha akukho mthethweni ngokwenzululwazi. Abantu bamanye amazwe kufuneka bahlale ehotele ubusuku ngabunye ukuze urhulumente akwazi ukulandelela imisebenzi yabo. Ngobunye ubusuku, amapolisa amaninzi amkhuphela isidlo sangokuhlwa, kwaye abahlali bambukela esitya iinoodles kwiLycra ngaphambi kokuba amthumele ehotele.
Xa wayefuna ukuhlawula, amapolisa akhethekileyo ali-10 aseTshayina ayenxibe izihlangu ezingangeni mpu, imipu kunye neentonga, angena ngenkani, ambuza imibuzo ethile, aze amqhube ngelori, aphosa ibhayisekile ngasemva kwakhe, amqhubela kwindawo awayeyazi apho. Kungekudala emva koko, kwaphuma umyalezo kwirediyo othi angahlala ehoteleni awayesandula ukubhalisa kuyo. UReid uthe: “Ndigqibele ndihlamba ehotele ngentsimbi yesi-2 kusasa.” “Ndifuna nje ukushiya inxalenye yeTshayina.”
UReid wayelele ecaleni kwendlela kwiNtlango yaseGobi, ezama ukuphepha iingxabano ezingaphezulu namapolisa. Ekugqibeleni xa efika kumda waseKazakhstan, uReid waziva exinezelekile. Wayenxibe umnqwazi omkhulu, obanzi wonogada encumile kwaye exhawulana ngezandla.
Kule ndawo yohambo, kusekho okuninzi ekufuneka akwenze, kwaye sele edibene nobunzima. Ngaba wakha wacinga ngokumgxotha aze abhukishe inqwelo-moya elandelayo ebuyayo?
UReid uthe: “Kusenokuthatha umgudu omkhulu ukuya kwisikhululo seenqwelo-moya, kwaye ndenze isithembiso.” Xa kuthelekiswa nendawo apho kungekho ndawo yokuya khona, ukulala phantsi kwisikhululo seenqwelo-moya kunzima kakhulu kunendlela yokulala emagxeni abantu abangenandawo yokuya. Isondo asifunwa eTshayina.
"Ndibaxelele abantu into endiyenzayo kwaye ndisavuya. Le iseluhambo olumnandi. Andizange ndizive ndingakhuselekanga. Andizange ndicinge ngokuyeka."
Xa udlula kwisiqingatha somhlaba ungenakuncedakala, kufuneka ulungele ukujongana nezinto ezininzi uze uzilandele. Kodwa enye yezinto ezimangalisayo zikaReid kukwamkela iindwendwe kwabantu.
Wathi: “Ububele babantu ongabaziyo buyamangalisa.” Abantu bayakumema nje, ingakumbi e-Asia Ephakathi. Okukhona ndisiya eNtshona, kokukhona abantu abakrwada besiya beba nobubele. Ndiqinisekile ukuba abantu banobuhlobo kakhulu. Umninimzi undinike ukuhlamba okushushu nezinye izinto, kodwa abantu baseNtshona bakwihlabathi labo. Baxhalabile ukuba iifowuni eziphathwayo nezinto ziya kwenza abantu batshise amathe, ngelixa abantu baseMpuma Ngokuqinisekileyo bafana ne-Asia Ephakathi, abantu banomdla wokwazi ukuba wenza ntoni. Banomdla ngakumbi kuwe. Abakwazi ukubona uninzi lwezi ndawo, kwaye abakwazi ukubona abantu baseNtshona abaninzi. Banomdla kakhulu kwaye banokuza kukubuza imibuzo, kwaye ndiqinisekile, njengaseJamani, uhambo ngebhayisekile luqhelekile, kwaye abantu badla ngokungathethi nawe kakhulu.
UReid uqhube wathi: “Eyona ndawo inobubele endakha ndayibona ikumda weAfghanistan.” “Indawo apho abantu bathanda ‘ukungayi apho, kubi kakhulu’, leyo yindawo enobuhlobo endakha ndayibona. Indoda engumSilamsi yandimisa, yathetha isiNgesi esihle, saza sancokola. Ndayibuza ukuba kukho iindawo zokumisa iinkampu edolophini, kuba ndandihambe kwezi lali kwaye kwakungekho ndawo icacileyo.
“Wathi: 'Ukuba ubuza nabani na kule lali, uza kukwenza ulale ubusuku bonke.' Ngoko wandithatha waya kula madoda aselula ecaleni kwendlela, wathetha nawo, wathi, “Balandele”. Ndalandela aba bantu kwezi ndlela, bandithatha baya endlwini kamakhulu wabo. Bandibeka kumatrasi ohlobo lwaseUzbek phantsi, bandipha zonke izibiliboco zabo zasekuhlaleni, baza bandithatha baya apho kusasa endandindithathele ukuya kutyelela indawo yabo yasekuhlaleni ngaphambili. Ukuba uthatha ibhasi yabakhenkethi ukusuka kwindawo oya kuyo ukuya kwenye, uza kuzibona ezi zinto, kodwa ngebhayisekile, uza kuhamba yonke imayile endleleni.”
Xa ukhwela ibhayisekile, eyona ndawo inzima yiTajikistan, kuba indlela iphakama iye kufikelela kwi-4600m, eyaziwa ngokuba “luphahla lwehlabathi”. UReid uthe: “Intle kakhulu, kodwa inemingxuma kwiindlela ezirhabaxa, ezinkulu kunayo nayiphi na indawo kumntla-mpuma weNgilani.”
Ilizwe lokugqibela elanika uReid indawo yokuhlala yayiyiBulgaria okanye iSerbia eMpuma Yurophu. Emva kweekhilomitha ezininzi kangaka, iindlela ziyafana neendlela, kwaye amazwe aqala ukuba luzizi.
“Ndandikhempisha ecaleni kwendlela ndinxibe isuti yam yokukhempisha, yaza le nja yaqala ukundikhonkotha. Kweza indoda ethile ukuza kundibuza, kodwa akukho namnye kuthi owayenolwimi olufanayo. Yakhupha ipeni nephepha yaza yazoba indoda yentonga. Yandikhomba, yazoba indlu, yazoba imoto, yaza yakhomba imoto yayo. Ndafaka ibhayisekile emotweni yayo, yandisa endlwini yayo ukuze indiphe ukutya, ndahlamba, ibhedi ingasetyenziswa. Emva koko kusasa yandisa ukutya okungakumbi. Ngumculi, ngoko wandinika esi sibane seoyile, kodwa yandithumela endleleni yam kuphela. Sasingathethi ulwimi lomnye nomnye. Ewe. Amabali amaninzi afanayo aphathelele ububele babantu.”
Emva kweenyanga ezine zokuhamba, uReid ekugqibeleni wabuyela ekhaya ngoNovemba ka-2019. Ukufota uhambo lwakhe kwiakhawunti yakhe ye-Instagram kuya kukwenza ufune ukubhukisha ithikithi lokuya kwindawo ekude ngoko nangoko kwaye wenze idokhumentari ye-YouTube ekumgangatho ophantsi ezisa ukucoca ngokupheleleyo kwi-editing egqithisileyo kunye nokukhuthazwa kakhulu kweqonga lonke le-Agent. UReid ngoku unebali afuna ukulixelela abazukulwana bakhe. Akanazo izahluko zokubhala ngokutsha, okanye ukuba angakwenza kwakhona, kungcono ukukrazula amanye amaphepha.
“Andiqinisekanga ukuba ndifuna ukwazi ukuba kwenzeke ntoni na. Kuhle ukungazi,” utshilo. “Ndicinga ukuba le yinzuzo yokuyivumela ukuba ibhabhe kancinci. Awusoze wazi. Nokuba kunjalo, awusoze ukwazi ukucwangcisa nantoni na.
"Ezinye izinto ziya kuhlala zihamba gwenxa, okanye ezinye ziya kwahluka. Kufuneka nje unyamezele okwenzekayo."
Umbuzo ngoku ngulo, ukukhwela ibhayisekile phakathi kwehlabathi, loluphi uhlobo lohambo olwaneleyo lokumkhupha ebhedini kusasa?
Uyavuma esithi: “Kumnandi ukukhwela ibhayisekile ukusuka ekhaya ukuya eMorocco,” uyavuma, nangona kungengoncumo nje oluvuyisayo emva kohambo lwakhe olunenzondelelo.
“Ekuqaleni bendiceba ukuthatha inxaxheba kumdyarho weTranscontinental, kodwa warhoxiswa kunyaka ophelileyo,” utshilo uReid, owakhulela kule moto. “Ngoko ke, ukuba iyaqhubeka kulo nyaka, ndiza kuyenza.”
UReid uthe eneneni, kuhambo lwakhe oluvela eTshayina ukuya eNewcastle, kufuneka enze into eyahlukileyo. Ngexesha elizayo xa ndipakisha iswimsuit enye kuphela, ndinxibe ezimbini ebhegini yam, ndize ndizikhwele zonke ndigoduke nazo.
Ukuba ufuna ukuhlala uzisola, ukupakisha iibhangqa ezimbini zeebhulukhwe zokubhukuda lukhetho olufanelekileyo.