YuanJiangleihasanamazingstorytotell.The27-year-oldisoneofahandfulofpeoplewhocansaytheyhavecycledthroughAfrica-solo.YuanbeganhisepicadventureintheWestAfricancountryofBenin,ending10,544kmand333dayslaterinhishometownofNingbo,eastChina’sZhejiangProvince.
Thejourney,whichcametoacelebratoryendinSeptember2017,tookhimthrough16countries.
“Thisisanamazingexperience,”YuantoldChinAfrica.“Personally,Iloveoutdoorsports.Icanhavegreaterfreedom,watchdifferentsceneriesandexperiencedifferentculturesandlifestyles,especiallyinAfrica,acontinentwhichisverydeartomyheart.”
TheridewasunderpinnedbyacharityprograminitiatedbyYuan,aimingatimprovinglocalpeople’saccesstodrinkingwaterandelectricityinBenin,acountrywhereYuanhadworkedasaChineseteacherformorethantwoyears.
YuanarrivedtoteachChineseattheConfuciusInstituteatUniversityofAbomey-CalaviinsouthBeninin2014.AftergraduatedfromChongqingJiaotongUniversityinsouthwestChina,heappliedtotheConfuciusInstituteHeadquartersforavolunteerjobandwassenttoBenin.
Duringhistwoyears’stayinthecountry,Yuangottotravelwidelyandcametolovethesurroundings.Ontheonehand,hewasawedbyitsnaturalbeautyanduniqueculture.Ontheotherhand,hewasshockedbythecountry’sharshnaturalconditionsandstringentsuppliesofwaterandelectricity.
“Thoughlivinginpoorconditions,localpeoplearoundmewereoptimistic,”recalledYuan.“That’swhyIhopetodomoretohelpthem.”LearningaboutYuan’saspirations,localChinesecompanyApsonic,amotorcyclecompanyundertheSincerityInternationalGroupLtd.,aninvestmentandtradecompanyheadquarteredinHongKong,agreedtogive$1toYuan’scharityforeverykilometerhecycled.ThefundscollectedwereusedtobuildawellandsolarpowerstationinNipouni,avillageinnorthBenin,whichYuanhadpreviouslyvisitedandfoundtolackbothwaterandelectricity.
“Actually,cyclingbackhomewastorealizemyowndream;butIalsowanttodosomethingformyfriendsinBenin,”saidYuan.Inaddition,hewantedtohelpthosepeoplehemetonhisjourneythroughAfricawhohelpedhimalongtheway.
YuansampleslocalseafoodinMoroccoAjourneyoffriendship
YuanstartedhisjourneyinSeptember2016andpassedthroughcountriessuchasTogo,Mali,Senegal,Gambia,Mauritania,MoroccoandsomeAsiancountriesbeforecomingbacktoChina.
“ThemostunforgettablepartofthejourneywasthefriendsImadeduringthetrip,”YuantoldChinAfrica.Hereceivedalotofhelpinghandsfromlocalsandwasmovedbytheirkindness.“Eventhoughwespokedifferentlanguages,asmileoragreetinglinespokeninthelocallanguagewasenoughtobreakdownculturalbarriers,”saidYuan.
ThemostdifficultpartofthejourneywasinMauritania.The440-kmsectionfromthecapitalNouakchotttoAtar,atowninthecentralwestofthecountry,whichhehadplannedtofinishinthreedays,tookhimeightdaystocompleteowingtoheavysandstorms.Yuansaidtherewasonlyonegrocerystoreevery50to100kmwherehecouldbuysomecookies.Policestationedatroadblocksalongtheroutewouldofferhimsomewaterforfreesothathecouldquenchhisthirstandkeepmoving.
ThemostimpressiveexperiencealsohappenedinMauritania.Yuanrecalledonedaywhenitwasalmostdark,hecouldn’tfindaspotsuitableforcamping.Becominganxious,hecaughtsightofasmallfarm.Hetentativelycalledout“Hello”inArabicseveraltimesuntileventuallytheownerofthefarmcameout,whonotonlyallowedhimtostayovernight,butalsogavehimalocalstyleheadscarfasareminderofhisjourney.
“Thankstothescarf,Iwasabletocontinueridinginspiteofthescorchingsunandthesandstormsinthedesert,”saidYuan.
InMorocco,YuanwaswarmlywelcomedbyTolbaSaadbouh,amanoftheSahrawiethnicgroup.HestayedovernightinSaadbouh’shomewherehewastreatedtoafeastofkingcrab.AfterbiddinghisfarewellandneverexpectingtoseeSaadbouhagain,Yuanhadtocontacthimforhelpafterhisbikebrokedown70kmoutsidethevillage.Upontherequest,SaadbouhimmediatelydrovehisvantomeetYuanandtookhimtothenextcitytofixhisbike.
“Iwashelpless.Ididn’texpectthatSaadbouhwouldtravelsofartohelpme.Iwasreallymoved,”saidYuan.
YuanatthefootoftheAtlasMountainsinMoroccoAnadventure
AlthoughYuanhadcarefullyplannedthetripandreceivedhelpfrommanyAfricanfriends,hedidn’tavoideveryaccident.AsthestrongwindslowedhimdowninMauritania,hewouldn’thavebeenabletoleavethecountrybeforehisvisaexpiredifhecycledalltheway.ThispromptedcatchingafreighttraininChoum,atowninnorthMauritania.YuanrecalledthatbecausethetrainstoppedonlybrieflyatChoum,hewasstilltryingtoloadhisbikeandbelongingswhenitbegantopullout.Luckily,ashepherdwhowasalreadyonboardmanagedtohelphimtogetonthetrainasitmovedoff.
ItisthesememoriesthatremindYuanofjustwhatanamazinglife-changingexperiencehehashad.
WhenhereturnedtoBeninonMarch6,sixmonthsaftercompletinghisridehome,tofulfilthepromisehemadetothepeopleofNipouni,hewaswarmlygreeted.
Thecharityproject,alongwiththisremarkablejourney,wasrecordedbyYuanwhoisbusyproducinga28-episodedocumentarytosharehisepicadventure.
“IhopepeoplecangettoknowamoreauthenticAfricaandacompletelydifferentworldfromoursthroughmycameralens,”saidYuan.
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