A 100-day trip in a wheelchair
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E-mail CNTV, October 23, 2012
Xishuangbanna, in southwest China's Yunnan Province, is a dream destination for people both at home and abroad. To realize their dream, two Beijing residents, Fan Meng and his mother Ms. Kou made the more than 3,000-kilometer trip by foot in 100 days. What added to the difficulty was that Ms. Kou was in a wheelchair throughout the journey.
This is how Fan Meng and his mother move forward towards their destination every day.
Exhausting as the trip is, they enjoy the novelties they see on route.
"It's awesome! I heard that riding an elephant is scary, but it's not at all."
The mother and son team spent all their time together throughout the 100-day journey. Compared to their previous life when they seldom held a long conversation, Fan says he never felt so good to share his joy with his mother, and take care of her well.
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Fan Meng and his mother Ms. Kou made the more than 3,000-kilometer trip by foot in 100 days. |
"I used to spend most of the time playing on the computer."
"I worked in an e-commerce company. I was tired when I got home and just wanted to go to sleep."
The trip was first planned by Fan Meng. He wanted to take his 53-year-old mother, who has leg problems, travelling.
"He asked whether I'd like to travel with him. I said I want to go to Xishuangbanna."
The distant destination got Fan Meng thinking about whether they could make it there on foot. Finally, Fan quit his job, and they started the journey towards Xishuangbanna, Ms. Kou's dream destination for years.
"I have been attracted by the place since I was young. I heard that the peacocks there show their tails once people go near them. I imagined that Xishuangbanna must be very beautiful."
Fan recorded the trip across 7 provinces and municipalities on Weibo. It has drawn more than 2400 fans who followed his updates every day. More than 30 volunteers joined the trip to provide them help.
Volunteer said, "Even me, an outdoor sports teacher, is feeling tired pushing the wheelchair for a while. Fan is really doing great. It's no easy task to push his mother all the way here from Beijing."
The team picked up the pace as they approached their destination.
When they finally reached Xishuangbanna, every effort was worth it.
"Travel in this way is much more fun than by train or bus. We walked and stopped to see the scenery. Beijing is too crowded and is never quiet. I felt so relaxed during the trip."
Fan says he will take his mother to the scenic spots in Yunnan. And for the return trip, Fan says they will take train.
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