Back from China

There are numerous places in the world that many of us would like to visit. I myself have a list of locations that I intend to visit. Several years ago, I had achieved one of my lifelong goals to visit a part of the U.S.A.

But recently, I have just returned from a two-week vacation in another country I had intended to visit for some time – China.

The lady friend of mine, whom I may have mentioned, resides in that country and thus invited me to spend a vacation with her over there. She has visited me here in the UK numerous times, and so it was with great pleasure to give something back. And it was all worth it.

Once I visited China, I knew it was going to be different from the UK. The obvious includes the language, and as we know, many countries have their own languages (exceptions include Brazil, which shares its language with Portugal).

But compared to the UK and other Western countries, China is very up-to-date with the latest technology. Some of the hotels we stayed at had robots working there, with duties including providing delivery services. I was also intrigued by the transportation. Not only did we take the bullet train across different cities, but it was also awesome to be travelling on a maglev. A lot of railway enthusiasts seem to be drawn to steam trains, but I’ve always admired the diesel ones and the “futuristic”-looking trains, i.e., maglevs, monorails, and hyperloops, a little bit more.

One thing I should point out, though, is the keywords: up-to-date and technology. There’s a lot of fast learning and development in China. Most people have used phone apps to scan their tickets at the train stations and exhibitions at each entrance. It’s the case with some places in Western countries that certain places no longer accept cash payments. But it’s more the case in China. Also, before you enter China, or any other country, I’d strongly advise you to turn on the data usage on your phone and keep it switched on, and/or buy a spare phone and SIM card, so that you won’t have any navigation issues.

I visited the Terracotta Warriors exhibition, City Wall, Panda research centre, and Pagoda in Xi’an, then traveled to Nanjing and Suzhou, where we visited the Botanic Gardens and climbed two mountains. Finally, we ended the holiday in my favourite part of China, Shanghai, which I’d describe as the “New York City” of the country, known for its uniquely structured buildings and beautiful park.

This vacation has to me been a welcome break from work, creativity, other regular routines and my home country in general. Of course, now that I’m back, I’m back on the writing and with other plans up my sleeve – including upgrading my sound equipment. The surroundings in China have provided me with some inspiration.

I also have plans to revisit China, and I hope to explore other countries, including India, Russia, Egypt, and others. While those journeys are for the future, my recent experiences have reminded me how travel can broaden horizons, inspire creativity, and offer fresh perspectives. I look forward to seeing where these adventures will take me next.