I am a person who has experienced this, and I am filled with emotions. Brother, I send you this article, I hope you can go well~

There is a kind of travel, the method is very poor, but it can change a person's life. This kind of travel has been inherited in the West since the end of the 16th century; but it has been lost in China for hundreds of years. That's the Grand Tour. Everyone deserves a grand trip in their lifetime, whether you have money or not.

In 13 years, people traveled around the world

On July 12, 1994, two ambitious young people in London began their journey around the world. This trip came from a whim they had while chatting in a bar. The two planned to travel around the world like Magellan, but what was crazier than their predecessors was that they planned to use only human power to complete it. In other words, rely on bicycles, pedal boats, roller skates and feet to travel around the world.

The then 27-year-old Jason Lewis had just graduated from college. He was the owner and employee of a cleaning company during the day, providing cleaning services for hotel windows, carpets, stairs, etc., and a rock band at night. The lead singer and guitarist, life is on track, with work, marriage, and having children, everything seems perfect. But Lewis was not satisfied with this simple life. He was moved by the grand tour plan proposed by his friend Steve Smith. Think about it, what a romantic thing. Not only will you create history, but you can also use your own muscles and bones. Experience the vastness of the world, go cycling in the Himalayas, attend a bonfire party with indigenous people in the African jungle, and travel across the entire United States on roller skates on the road. So Lewis replied, "When can we leave?"

Lewis never imagined that this grand trip would take him 13 years. When the trip ended, he had already gone from glory to glory. The prosperous young people turned into 40-year-old middle-aged people. On the T-shirts specially prepared for the trip, they printed the words "1994-1996". Lewis thought at the time that in just two or three years, he could complete a feat in human history and leave by the way. A long holiday in London.

Starting from the Prime Meridian in Greenwich, London, passing through the English Channel, along the European continent to Portugal, taking a pedal-powered boat across the Atlantic (Quotes Stock Bar), and arriving in Miami. In order to raise funds to continue on the road, Lewis and Steve spent several months in Miami, where they had a falling out and decided to go their separate ways. This journey across the continental United States mainly relied on roller skating. Lewis, who was alone, was unlucky to encounter a car accident in Colorado and almost had his left leg amputated. What was even more unlucky was that the driver who hit him was an 82-year-old man. The old man, who suffered from cataracts and had been drinking some alcohol that night, thought he had just knocked down a deer when he bumped into Lewis.

After nine months of rest, Lewis continued on the road and reached San Francisco. Here he met Smith again. The two traveled from San Francisco to Mexico, then returned to San Francisco and took a boat to Hawaii. At this time, Smith officially quit. It was already 1999. Lewis began to walk the rest of the journey alone. He set out from Hawaii to Tarawa Island, then turned to the Solomon Islands, and then arrived in Australia. In Australia, Lewis found a group of students and teachers, and traveled with them through the Australian interior. , due to the huge expenses on the way, Lewis already owed a debt of 40,000 US dollars. In order to pay off the debt, he had to take a break and work at a funeral company in Australia to earn money to pay off the debt.

After paying off the debt, Lewis took a boat across the Indian Ocean to Singapore, and then cycled through Thailand, China, and Nepal to India. Afterwards, he set out from India, crossed the Arabian Sea to Djibouti in North Africa, and crossed the European continent. On October 7, 2007, Lewis crossed the English Channel and returned to London, completing a journey that took 13 years, spanned 74,000 kilometers, and passed through 37 countries. grand tour.

In the Atlantic, he almost became the "belly meal" of a whale; in the Solomon Islands, his trip was disrupted by the local civil war; in Egypt, he was suspected of being a spy and imprisoned, facing 40 years in prison; in the Pacific In the movie, he suffered from sepsis, and the doctor saved his life by guiding him to take antibiotics through a satellite phone; in Australia, he was almost bitten to death by a crocodile.

When this 13-year journey came to an end, Lewis said, "Finally, I have brought this journey to an end. I feel a great sense of accomplishment that has been completed."

Free ride around the world

French Ludovic Huebler started traveling the world by car at the age of 25. He spent a total of 20,000 hours in 59 countries waiting for people to pass by. The longest time for a vehicle was at a gas station in Brazil, where he waited for a full 28 hours. His luckiest experience was also in Brazil, where a driver took him directly to Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina, 1,700 kilometers away. Huebler estimates that about 20,000 drivers declined his ride requests, while about 2,000 others agreed to give him a ride. One of his most unpleasant experiences occurred in Costa Rica, when a driver thought he had encountered a bad guy and pulled out a pistol and pointed it at him. When he was traveling across the ocean, his solution was to take a boat, but in order to get the captain's permission, he had to do a lot of hard work on the boat.

The "Fat Burning Boat" Grand Tour

It sounds a bit scary. This New Zealand man named Pete Bethune plans to travel around the world by boat from this year, and his The fuel for the ship is human fat. He plans to cross the Pacific, Atlantic, Indian Ocean, Panama Canal, Suez Canal, etc., covering a journey of more than 24,000 nautical miles. Peter and two other volunteers have taken the lead in donating "ecological fuel" to the boat through liposuction surgery, but he is still looking forward to more sponsors to provide financial support and "ecological fuel". He needs a total of 3,000 gallons of body fat! I don’t know how many liposuction surgeries were needed to fully satisfy the power support of this ship.

The Grand Tour changes lives

Since the new millennium, the "Grand Tour" has become popular again in Western society, becoming a way for young people to broaden their horizons, understand other cultures, participate in volunteer work and enjoy Opportunities for life's fun.

A grand tour refers to a trip with great ambitions, including three characteristics: long travel time, highly challenging itinerary, deep interaction with humanities and society, especially after planning and thorough execution with a high degree of will. Grand Tour is not wandering, it embraces great ambitions and has positive educational significance. It is not the same as adventure. Grand Tourists are not limited to going deep into nature, but also go deep into the people, using their own muscles and bones to experience the vastness of the world.

In fact, the first person in the world to complete the global feat on foot or by bicycle was a Chinese. In 1930, Pan Deming, a young man from Shanghai, decided to circumnavigate the earth in order to avenge his shame as the "sick man of East Asia". During the journey, he always carried with him a four-kilogram "Collection of Ink Leaves by Celebrities", which was signed by world celebrities such as Mahatma Gandhi and Rabindranath Tagore. French President LeBlanc and US President Roosevelt also received him and presented him with gold medals. As soon as he returned to China seven years later, the July 7th Incident broke out immediately, and his great deeds were lost.

In fact, the Youth Grand Tour is not a modern exclusive activity. The word "grand tour" originated from the Tang Dynasty. It was an era of grand tours. The eminent monk Xuanzang went to Tianzhu to seek Buddhist scriptures. It was one of the most famous grand tours in ancient and modern times at home and abroad. Even the poet Du Fu prepared a boat in Suzhou and almost Traveling east to Japan, he wrote in his autobiographical "Zhuang Travel Poems": Going east to Gusu Terrace, he has already sailed on the sea. I still have regrets that I can’t help but live in poverty... Because this poem is so famous, the word "Zhuang You" was left behind.

In Europe, there is also a kind of trip called Grand Tour, which can be translated as grand tour. At the end of the 16th century, it was popular for the children of British aristocrats to cross the English Channel with a tutor or valet after completing their studies, and go on grand tours to Paris, Rome, Venice, Florence and other European cities to visit cathedrals, castles and fine arts. They learned to speak different languages ??and were introduced to European nobles. This trip to the European continent usually took three years, so it was called the Grand Tour.

In addition to learning about foreign cultures, this kind of travel has another important attraction - it is a cultural feast that is free from the constraints of parents and full of fun.

By the 19th century, the Grand Tour had become a rite of passage for European elites. For this period of Grand Tour, a proper term appeared, The Gap Year, which refers to The period between college graduation and before starting a job. Traditionally, the gap year is the stage when European young people become adults. Most of them complete this rite of passage by traveling abroad. Today, grand tours are still an important part of education in Western countries. Grand tours can increase foreign language skills and enhance personal competitiveness, including independent spirit, interpersonal relationships, problem-solving abilities, self-discipline, and communication skills. More importantly, many people have found their direction in life, which is the greatest motivation for self-fulfillment.

The value of grand tours lies in the changes they bring to people. There are too many examples in ancient and modern times, both at home and abroad, of people who experienced grand tours that changed their lives and even improved human civilization. Over the past three or four hundred years, the grand tour tradition in Western society has settled at the bottom of society. Especially young people who originally had single values ??will start to think deeply when they see different people, behaviors, and social norms around the world. : Is our standard the truth?

Anyone who has watched the movie "Motorcycle Diaries" will be deeply impressed by the clips of Che Guevara traveling on a motorcycle. People believe that if he had not ridden a heavy motorcycle in his fourth year of medical school, he would... After a nine-month, thousands-mile journey across five countries, he might just be an unknown doctor in history. Guevara's father later published his "Motorcycle Diary on the Eve of the Revolution" and wrote in the preface: "He traveled not to find pleasant places to take photos like ordinary tourists, but to take pictures along the way. Experience the suffering of people's livelihood at every turn and explore the source of these sufferings. His travels are a kind of social investigation."

China's greatest historian Sima Qian traveled to nine provinces at the age of twenty, and the same is true of "Historical Records". Completed after his grand tour. When he was 20 years old, his father Sima Tan gave him a carriage and guided him to conduct a purposeful and planned field trip to the vast society, get in touch with the magnificent rivers and mountains and the living customs of the people from all over the world, and search for historical legends and various historical materials. . Sima Qian successfully completed this academic journey and finally completed the greatest history book in history.

It is a pity that China lost the tradition of Grand Tour after Zheng He. Domestic education and moderate thinking have caused young people to lose the courage to go out and their strong will to live. After the Ming Dynasty implemented the policy of seclusion, the country's power began to decline, reaching the bottom in the early years of the Republic of China. The spirit of exploration and grand tours was lost. When the national strength was at its weakest in the half century around 1900, not only was it absent from the field of exploration, but it also became the target of exploration by other countries. The grand tour represents the pioneering spirit of a country and a nation. Without this spirit, one cannot be rich for more than three generations, and the country will also change dynasties. In our education, there is too much emphasis on "the book has its own golden house" and does not encourage young people to surpass themselves in real environments. When you are poor, you can get ahead, but once you are rich, you overprotect your children. The next generation loses the ability to enterprising and will easily lose its competitiveness.

Fortunately, China today is interested in revisiting the tradition of grand tours. In 2005, in order to celebrate the 600th anniversary of Zheng He's voyages to the West, a group of entrepreneurs in Shenzhen spent half a year sailing a sailboat back to Shenzhen from France; in October 2006, CCTV's "Xuan Zang" organized entrepreneurs and media to drive a cross-country convoy through eight Asian countries , arrived in Nalanda, India. This is also a "spiritual pursuit journey" that retraces Xuanzang's path.

13 months on the road for a Guangzhou youth

On December 26, 2007, the day after Christmas, the 391st day on the road, I was still in Kathmandu, Nepal. Today I still went to the nursing home to help the elderly clean the floor and wash clothes. It’s starting to feel cold in Kathmandu. The fog is thick every morning and the nursing home is very humid. Recently, except for me and a few Chinese friends, there are no volunteers from other countries. I’m really worried about the next days for these lovely elderly people. Unfortunately, I have to go and go home.

I think it’s time for my journey to end.

From the originally planned three months to the current thirteen months, from the originally planned two countries to the six countries I visited, I should feel lucky that I am still alive, not to mention that I found what I was looking for.

In October 2006, I told my boss that I wanted to volunteer in India. I thought I had to resign, but he gave me an unprecedented three-month vacation. I don’t hate my job. In fact, I still have deep feelings and harmonious cooperation with my colleagues. I can go out for a hike and still keep my job. This unexpected surprise makes me feel that I am the happiest in the world. people.

As for destinations, I chose India and Tibet. My original plan was to spend two months volunteering in India and another month traveling to Tibet. Unexpectedly, after arriving in Thailand, many things were unexpected and delayed my time, and my mini gap year trip became a I went on a grand tour across Asia, from Thailand in Southeast Asia to Laos, from Laos to Yunnan, into Myanmar, to India, Pakistan, Xinjiang, Tibet, and Nepal. I visited 6 countries. It took me 13 months to travel. A truly grand tour.

On December 1, 2006, my friend and I rushed to Macau, the first stop. The combined air tickets from Macau-Bangkok-Calcutta were cheaper than the direct flight from Guangzhou to Calcutta. After staying in Macau for 4 days, we took a flight to Bangkok Airport in Thailand. When we got off the plane, a wave of heat hit us, reminding us that we were in a country of slippers and T-shirts. I quickly exchanged some foreign currency, walked out of the airport, and hailed a taxi. Sitting in the back seat of the taxi, I asked the driver to turn off the air conditioner, open the windows, and feel the temperature in Thailand. I felt extremely relaxed: I finally entered Thailand smoothly. At this moment, the driver turned his head, showing white teeth on his dark face, and said straight to the point: "Do you want to fuck?"

In the next three months, we did not fly immediately as planned. Instead of going to India, I lived a wandering traveling life in Thailand, Laos, and Myanmar. So when I arrived in Kolkata, India, to start my volunteer work, I realized that my three-month vacation had ended, but my journey seemed to have just begun. Just getting started.

The "Death House" in Calcutta is the first charity founded by Nobel Peace Prize winner Mother Terresa. It is here that I started my volunteer work. The first person I met here was Sister Salina, who was my interviewer when I applied to become a volunteer. Because of my English proficiency, I answered her last question "why do you come here?" with trepidation.

"I wanna help people" I replied.

Salina was smiling, filling in my information with one hand, and preparing my volunteer job card with the other. I knew that the interview was over, and she was filling out the job card, which meant that I passed the interview, and I never felt I was extremely relaxed, as if I was satisfied with a successful interview. Salina put her work card in my hand, suddenly leaned over and said to me with a smile: We don’t need your help, but you need to be here.

My mind was stunned and I suddenly couldn’t react. However, I felt that the interview was over, so I thanked and left my seat. However, along the way, I always felt that I didn’t know how to understand this meaningful sentence. The organization does not provide any accommodation or meals to volunteers. Most of the volunteers here have to pay for all their own expenses. Despite this, there is still an endless stream of volunteers coming from all over the world to work here every day, and some come here specially to work. , some of them, like me, traveled to Calcutta and joined in the uprising. I think everyone may have a reason to come here, but why do we need to come here?

I don’t know if it was to get the answer to this question, but I decided to stay and quit my job.

Maybe it’s because Mother Teresa’s charity is headquartered in Calcutta. There are many volunteers here. Some of the volunteers in the volunteer team come here specifically to work, and there are also some like me who traveled here and stopped to work. Volunteer travelers. Most of the hotels I stayed in were filled with traveler volunteers, and the hotel has also become a good time for travelers to rest and chat. Backpackers from all over the world work in this place while exchanging travel information and sharing wonderful stories on the road. Living a life full of warmth in a cheap hotel. In the evening, everyone played guitar and sang together on the rooftop of the hotel, lying on the floor chatting until late at night. The next morning, they started volunteering again, even though they were consuming their already thin body every day. It's a lot of money, but I feel very fulfilled and satisfied in my heart.

There are so many volunteers who come to the "Death House" every day, and sometimes there is a surplus of manpower. The organization does not really need manpower. It can even be said that they do not really need the help of volunteers because there is a surplus of manpower. , there are really very few people who can help, and in this world, around me, there are many, many people who need help. I think the most important meaning of my coming to work here is not to help others, but to help others. Let yourself learn how to "love" and then bring this "love" to the people around you.

I think maybe this is what Sister Salina wanted to convey to me during the interview. Later, I left Calcutta and continued my grand tour, traveling and volunteering along the way. The journey started with the idea of ??volunteering and ended with volunteering. I think it was complete. When I left Kathmandu and returned to China, I remembered what a Korean friend I met on the road said: We learn love on the road, and practice begins when we return.

Plan your grand trip

First, exercise a strong body, which is the most necessary capital when leaving home.

Second, take into account reality and ideals, and complete the grand tour plan in stages. You can first travel across the country, or you can travel around the continent, but not everyone has to travel around the world.

Third, find a route related to history and culture, deeply explore the local culture and people, and you will be more attentive to your grand tour. Otherwise, if you eat and take photos every day, the journey will be wasted.

Fourth, make every possible use of modern high-tech products. Compared with the ancients, our ability to survive in the wild has been greatly degraded. With the use of high-tech products, we can grasp the weather, direction, and conditions at travel destinations.

Fifth, be sure to keep records. Similarly, when going out, some people become travelers while others are just passers-by. The difference lies in whether there are records or not. Especially for the Grand Tour, most of them are routes that few people have traveled, and the words and pictures left behind can help those who come after you.

Sixth, be aware of risks, but don’t be too nervous. Traveling means being prepared to accept challenges. You must know that the experience on the road cannot be taught to you in school or at home.