Lapho abantu abaneminyaka engamashumi amabili beya eNingizimu-mpumalanga ye-Asia, bapakisha izingubo zabo zokubhukuda ezivamile, izinto zokuxosha izinambuzane, izibuko zelanga, mhlawumbe nezincwadi ezimbalwa ukuze bahlale endaweni yabo ngenkathi benakekela ukulunywa omiyane emabhishi ashisayo aseziqhingini zaseThailand.
Kodwa-ke, i-peninsula ende kakhulu ukuthi udinga ukuhamba ngebhayisikili amamayela angu-9,300 ukuze ufike eNewcastle.
Kodwa yilokhu uJosh Reid akwenza. Ithambo lepani laliboshwe emhlane wakhe njengofudu futhi landiza laya komunye umkhawulo womhlaba, azi ukuthi uhambo lwakhe lokubuya luzothatha isikhathi esingaphezu kwengxenye yosuku.
“Ngihlale etafuleni lasekhishini, ngaxoxa nobaba kanye nobaba wami, futhi ngacabanga ngezinto ezahlukene engingayenza,” kusho uReid etshela i-Bicycle Weekly mayelana nendawo okwazalelwa kuyo lo mbono. Eminyakeni embalwa edlule, uReid wasebenza njengomqeqeshi we-ski ebusika, umlimi wezihlahla zasehlobo eBritish Columbia, futhi wathola i-visa yokusebenza yeminyaka emibili eCanada, waqeda umsebenzi wakhe eNyakatho Melika, wagibela ibhayisikili laseNova Scotia.
>>> Abagibeli bamabhayisikili abavamile babulawe eduze kwamakhaya abo ngesikhathi begibela amabhayisikili, okwasindisa izimpilo eziyisithupha ngokunikela ngezitho zomzimba
Namuhla, njengoba amabhayisikili amaningi enziwa e-Asia, umqondo uwukungenisa amabhayisikili ngokwakho. Uhambo lwathatha izinyanga ezine ngo-2019, futhi njengoba ubhubhane lwe-coronavirus lwenze ukuthenga amabhayisikili kwaba nzima kangaka ngo-2020, indlela yakhe yabonakala ihlakaniphile.
Ngemva kokufika eSingapore ngoMeyi, waya enyakatho washayisa ibhayisikili ezinyangeni ezimbili nje kuphela. Ngaleso sikhathi, wazama ukusebenzisa ibhayisikili laseDashi ukuze aphinde afane neTop Gear eHai Van Pass eVietnam.
Ekuqaleni, ngangifuna ukuthenga ibhayisikili eCambodia. Kwavela ukuthi kwakunzima ukuthatha ibhayisikili ngqo emgqeni wokuhlanganisa. Ngakho-ke, waya eShanghai, lapho bakhiqiza khona ibhayisikili ngobuningi besuka phansi efektri enkulu. Thatha ibhayisikili.
UReid uthe: “Ngiyazi cishe ukuthi yimaphi amazwe engingadlula kuwo.” “Ngibonile ngaphambilini futhi ngabona ukuthi ngingafaka isicelo se-visa futhi engakwazi ukubhekana ngokuphephile nezepolitiki zezwe ezindaweni ezahlukene, kodwa cishe nginamaphiko futhi ezinye izingxabano zaya ngqo eNewcastle.”
UReid akudingeki ukuthi angeze ibanga elide nsuku zonke, inqobo nje uma enokudla namanzi, uyajabula ukulala esakeni elincane eceleni komgwaqo. Okumangalisayo ukuthi wayenezinsuku ezine kuphela zemvula phakathi nohambo lonke, futhi lapho ephinde wangena eYurophu, isikhathi esiningi sase siphelile.
Ngaphandle kukaGarmin, usebenzisa uhlelo lokusebenza efonini yakhe ukuze aye ekhaya lakhe. Noma nini lapho efuna ukugeza noma edinga ukugcwalisa kabusha amadivayisi akhe kagesi, ungena egumbini lehhotela, athathe amaqhawe ase-terracotta, izindela zamaBuddha, agibele umkhankaso omkhulu wokuvukela umbuso, futhi asebenzise ama-Arkel Panniers kanye nama-Robens sleeping pads afanele abantu abanentshisekelo kuyo yonke imishini, noma ngabe abazi ukuthi bangalingisa kanjani isenzo sikaReid.
Esinye sezikhathi ezinzima kakhulu kwaba uhambo ekuqaleni kohambo. Wahamba entshonalanga edlula eShayina waya ezifundazweni ezisenyakatho-ntshonalanga, lapho kwakungekho khona izivakashi eziningi, futhi wayeqaphile ngokumelene nabantu bakwamanye amazwe, njengoba okwamanje kunamaSulumane angama-Uyghur ayisigidi aboshwe esifundeni. Isikhungo Sokuboshwa. Lapho uReid edlula ezindaweni zokuhlola njalo ngamakhilomitha angu-40, wadiliza idrone wayifihla ngaphansi kwesikhwama, wasebenzisa i-Google Translate ukuxoxa namaphoyisa anobungane, ayehlala emnika ukudla. Futhi wazenza sengathi akaqondi uma ebuza noma yimiphi imibuzo enzima.
EShayina, inkinga enkulu ukuthi ukukhempa akuvumelekile ngokomthetho ngokomthetho. Abantu bakwamanye amazwe kufanele bahlale ehhotela njalo ebusuku ukuze umbuso ukwazi ukulandelela imisebenzi yabo. Ngobunye ubusuku, amaphoyisa amaningana amthatha ayodla isidlo sakusihlwa, futhi abantu bendawo bambuka edla ama-noodle eLycra ngaphambi kokumthumela ehhotela.
Ngesikhathi efuna ukukhokha, amaphoyisa akhethekile ayi-10 aseShayina ayegqoke izihlangu ezingangenwa yizinhlamvu, izibhamu nezinduku, angena ngenkani, ambuza imibuzo ethile, abese emqhuba ngeloli, aphonsa ibhayisikili ngemuva kwakhe, amyisa endaweni ayeyazi lapho. Ngokushesha ngemva kwalokho, kwaphuma umyalezo emsakazweni othi angahlala ehhotela ayesanda kubhalisa kulo. UReid uthe: “Ngigcine ngigeze ehhotela ngo-2 ekuseni.” “Ngifuna ngempela ukushiya ingxenye yeShayina.”
UReid wayelele eceleni komgwaqo eGobi Desert, ezama ukugwema izingxabano ezengeziwe namaphoyisa. Lapho ekugcineni efika emngceleni weKazakhstan, uReid wazizwa ekhungathekile. Wayegqoke isigqoko esikhulu, esibanzi sonogada emomotheka futhi exhawulana.
Kuleli qophelo lohambo, kusekuningi okusamele akwenze, futhi usevele uhlangabezane nobunzima. Wake wacabanga yini ngokumxosha emsebenzini nokubhukha indiza elandelayo yokubuya?
UReid uthe: “Kungase kudingeke umzamo omkhulu ukuya esikhumulweni sezindiza, futhi ngenze isithembiso.” Uma kuqhathaniswa nendawo lapho kungekho khona indawo yokuya khona, ukulala phansi kwesiteshi kuyinkimbinkimbi kakhulu kunendlela yokulala emahlombe abantu abangenayo indawo yokuya. Ucansi alufunwa eShayina.
"Ngibatshelile abantu engikwenzayo futhi ngisajabule. Lokhu kuseyindaba emnandi. Angikaze ngizizwe ngingazethembi. Angikaze ngicabange ukuyeka."
Uma ugibela ingxenye yomhlaba usesimweni esingenamandla, kumelwe ulungele ukubhekana nezinto eziningi futhi uzilandele. Kodwa esinye sezimanga ezinkulu zikaReid ukungenisa izihambi kwabantu.
Uthe: “Umusa wabantu ongabazi uyamangalisa.” Abantu bamane bakumema, ikakhulukazi e-Asia Ephakathi. Lapho ngiya eNtshonalanga, kulapho abantu abadelela khona. Ngiyaqiniseka ukuthi abantu banobungane kakhulu. Umninikhaya unginike ukugeza okushisayo nezinto eziningi, kodwa abantu baseNtshonalanga bangabantu abaphila nabo. Bakhathazekile ngokuthi omakhalekhukhwini nezinto ezithile zizokwenza abantu baphuze amathe, kuyilapho abantu baseMpumalanga. Ngokuqinisekile njenge-Asia Ephakathi, abantu banesithakazelo ngalokho okwenzayo. Banesithakazelo esikhulu kuwe. Abakwazi ukubona eziningi zalezi zindawo, futhi abakwazi ukubona abantu abaningi baseNtshonalanga. Banesithakazelo esikhulu futhi bangafika bezokubuza imibuzo, futhi ngiyaqiniseka, njengaseJalimane, ukuvakasha ngamabhayisikili kuvame kakhulu, futhi abantu bavame ukungakhulumi nawe kakhulu.
UReid waqhubeka wathi: “Indawo enomusa kakhulu engake ngayibona isemngceleni we-Afghanistan.” “Indawo lapho abantu bethi ‘abayi lapho, kubi kakhulu’, leyo yindawo enobungane kakhulu engake ngayibona. UmSulumane Indoda yangimisa, yakhuluma isiNgisi esihle, futhi saba nengxoxo. Ngayibuza ukuthi ngabe kukhona yini izindawo zokukhempa edolobheni, ngoba ngangihambe kulezi zindawo futhi empeleni kwakungekho ndawo ecacile.
“Wathi: 'Uma ubuza noma ubani kulo muzi, uzokulalisa ubusuku bonke.' Ngakho wangiyisa kulaba bantu abasha eceleni komgwaqo, waxoxa nabo, wathi, “Balandele”. Ngilandela laba bantu ngalezi zindlela, bangiyisa endlini kagogo wabo. Bangibeka phansi ematilasini afana ne-Uzbek, bangipha zonke izibiliboco zabo zasendaweni, bangiyisa lapho ekuseni engangiyisa khona ukuvakashela indawo yabo yasendaweni ngaphambili. Uma ugibela ibhasi lezivakashi ukusuka endaweni oya kuyo, uzobona lezi zinto, kodwa ngebhayisikili, uzohamba yonke imayela endleleni.”
Uma ugibela ibhayisikili, indawo eyinselele kakhulu yiTajikistan, ngoba umgwaqo uphakama ufike ku-4600m, owaziwa nangokuthi “uphahla lomhlaba”. UReid uthe: “Muhle kakhulu, kodwa unemigodi emigwaqweni emibi, emikhulu kunanoma iyiphi indawo enyakatho-mpumalanga yeNgilandi.”
Izwe lokugcina elanikeza indawo yokuhlala kuReid kwakuyiBulgaria noma iSerbia eMpumalanga Yurophu. Ngemva kwamakhilomitha amaningi kangaka, imigwaqo ifana nemigwaqo, futhi amazwe aqala ukufiphala.
“Ngangikhempe eceleni komgwaqo ngigqoke isudi yami yokukhempa, khona-ke le nja eqaphayo yaqala ukungikhonkotha. Insizwa ethile yeza ukuzongibuza, kodwa akekho kithi owayenolimi olufanayo. Yakhipha ipeni nephepha yadweba indoda enenduku. Yangikhomba, yadweba indlu, yadweba imoto, yabe isikhomba imoto yayo. Ngafaka ibhayisikili emotweni yayo, yangiyisa endlini yayo ukuyongipha ukudla, ngageza, umbhede ungasetshenziswa. Kwabe sekuthi ekuseni yangiyisa ukuyodla ukudla okwengeziwe. Ungumdwebi, ngakho wanginika lesi sibani samafutha, kodwa wangithumela kuphela. Asizange sikhulumisane ulimi. Yebo. Izindaba eziningi ezifanayo zimayelana nomusa wabantu.”
Ngemva kwezinyanga ezine zokuhamba, uReid wagcina ebuyele ekhaya ngoNovemba 2019. Ukuqopha uhambo lwakhe ku-akhawunti yakhe ye-Instagram kuzokwenza ufune ukubhuka ithikithi lokuya endaweni ekude ngokushesha bese wenza idokhumentari ye-YouTube esezingeni eliphansi eletha ukukhishwa okuphelele kokungcola ekuhleleni nasekukhangiseni ngokweqile kwengxenye esele yesikhulumi i-Agent. UReid manje unendaba okufanele ayixoxele abazukulu bakhe. Akanazo izahluko angabhala kabusha, noma uma engakwenza futhi, kungcono ukudabula amakhasi athile.
“Angiqiniseki ukuthi ngiyafuna yini ukwazi ukuthi kwenzekeni. Kuhle ukungazi,” kusho yena. “Ngicabanga ukuthi lokhu kuyinzuzo yokuyivumela ukuthi indize kancane. Ngeke wazi. Kunoma ikuphi, ngeke ukwazi ukuhlela noma yini.”
"Ezinye izinto zizohlala zihamba kabi, noma ezinye izinto zizohluka. Kufanele ubekezelele okwenzekayo."
Umbuzo manje uwukuthi, ukugibela ibhayisikili phakathi nendawo emhlabeni wonke, hlobo luni lohambo olwanele ukumvusa embhedeni ekuseni?
Uyavuma: “Kuhle ukugibela ibhayisikili ukusuka ekhaya lami ukuya eMorocco,” uyavuma, yize kungewona nje ukumamatheka okujabulisayo ngemva kohambo lwakhe lokukhuthazela.
“Ekuqaleni ngangihlele ukuhlanganyela emjahweni we-Transcontinental, kodwa wakhanselwa ngonyaka odlule,” kusho uReid, owakhulela emotweni. “Ngakho-ke, uma iqhubeka kulo nyaka, ngizokwenza.”
UReid uthe empeleni, ohambweni lwakhe oluvela eShayina oluya eNewcastle, kufanele enze into ehlukile. Ngesikhathi esizayo uma ngipakisha ingubo yokubhukuda eyodwa kuphela, ngigqoke ezimbili esikhwameni sami, bese ngizigibela zonke ngiziyise ekhaya.
Uma ufuna ukuphila ngokuzisola, ukupakisha amabhulukwe amabili okubhukuda kuyisinqumo esihle.