My decision to Backpack China

Mom suffered a minor stroke back in late May 2023 when I was halfway riding up in Thailand on my way to China for a 10 day ride tour to Yading. Video call was hard but mom was strong and in good hands at the hospital. There was not much I could do and knowing the initial danger has passed and only the long recovery phase to come soon, I continue my scheduled tour to China in Jun 2023.

After that was a run back to Singapore, discharge Mom from the hospital and with that, Dad and me to take care of mom while she slowly recover back functions from stroke. The next four months would be a constant chore of cooking, laundry, excersize, physiothery, accupuncture and lazing around at home or at malls. Slowly but surely, mom got better with a steady sight every day having new functions unlocked. One day, somewhere four months later. I somehow lost the kitchen. Mom was cooking again without me.

Me testing out Mom's Wheelchair before discharge from Hospital and contemplating Life

It was this milestone that I felt it was a good time to start planning again. It was in October 2023 and too late to do a ride through China to central asia which has always been the main goal for this gap being unemployed. Hence with a hope to ride in 2024 spring, I had time to burn and also luckily, the second entry Visa into China was still valid till Nov 2023.

China is big, and there was no way I could ride the whole of China on tour as it would cost too much money. Some places like cities are even not worth riding. It was back to the roots then, backpacking solo, but this time way way older than when I first started. China also did not scare me as much anymore, I could speak the languege althou I could not read and with that in mind, I really wanted to venture off the English tourist trail in China.

One month visa for China was still way too little to backpack the entire country, but we live and enjoy what we have. So here I am backpacking China and having a blast.

Traveled on : Nov 2023