I read the book Wild Swans by Jung Chang during my very first trip to Spain. Though I had been abroad before (most of my family lives in England and I had visited there throughout my childhood) Spain was different. I was intimated by the language barrier and cultural unfamiliarity. I shied away from speaking with locals even though I had a few years of Spanish under my belt. I comforted myself with croissants and wine, focused on climbing, and stuck my nose in my book to deal with discomfort.
Since Wild Swans I’ve become more comfortable with international travel, visiting Mexico, South Africa, and Morocco among others. I discovered that not being shy and not being afraid to make mistakes was the best way to delve into a culture and find out about a place I was given the unique opportunity to experience.
When this year’s Petzl Rock Trip was slated for China I knew it would be the pinnacle of my travels thus far, breaking the crust of a shell of misinterpretation and ignorance about a culture so huge, far away and complex as any. I thought of that book Wild Swans and the impression it made on me. I had always been interested in Asian culture, and realized I knew next to nothing about its history or its present cultural significance. This memoir follows Chinese history through three generations of women in the author’s family.
I was continually taken aback by the stereotypically inaccuracies pinpointed in the book, many of which I had mindlessly ingested throughout my childhood. In one chapter she writes, “Growing up in a upper class Chinese family we were taught never to waste any food, ‘Think of all the poor starving Americans out there,’ my mother would scold.” This quote was one of many that reminded me I didn’t know what to expect in China. I decided to do minimal research in an effort to let the experience take over, and take in a new culture the best way I know how, by being there.
When the parade of Petzl Rock Trip Athletes marched into the Getu Valley, the locals were as amazed by us as much as we were by them. Imagine tourists face-to-face with locals each holding cameras a few feet from each other’s faces, each capturing an image considered intriguing and different. Within my first few hours in China I had more photos taking of myself than I had of the new country. Being modest with taking photos was not the custom; check.
Needless to say this event was a spectacle before even considering its location. Over 50 Petzl Athletes and 500 other international climbers from all over the world meet together to climb, chill and party. There are people I’ve met on Rock Trips, that I would never see otherwise and usually never see again until the next year’s event. But often you meet a new person, swap plans, trade beta and touch base along the way on your next climbing trip. It’s really a very cool thing, and something Petzl has nailed in terms of celebrating of what it means to be a climber and traveler. They bring this feeling to a new community in each event and later display the experience for the entire world through video, photos and blogs.
Maybe the funniest thing about this trip was finding what I expected and then feeling differently about it than I would think. We knew it might be harsher accommodations than some rock trips. No clean drinking water, no hot shower water, a cuisine that didn’t vary and wasn’t recognizable at times. And they were right. Our hotel rooms were very nice considering what we heard they may be (wooden beds, no running water), but after a few days of cleaning regulations even these rooms weren’t quiet up to par with what we’re accustomed to, ie sinks that don’t leek and hot water. Personally I though the food was incredible, spicy noodles in savory sauce, rice with a variety of veggies and meat dishes seasoned to a delicious flavor, but even your favorite meal can get old at about day 12, we had it for 16.
Also I’d never felt so helpless in terms of communication. This area of Chinese culture wasn’t very dramatic with hand gestures, the language is so foreign the most simple of ideas felt impossible to convey, and often left you and your fellow interact-ee looking at each other with blank stares. So I guess what I found surprising was at the end of feeling out of my element, gargley bellied and like a communication disabled person I wasn’t homesick at all. In fact I’m feeling more stoked to travel than ever.
