On August 18, 2013, He Jianghai updated his Weibo post: "Georgian flatbread—tough, chewy, and great for self-defense."
At 3:30 p.m. Beijing time, He Jianghai had just finished breakfast at a hostel in the East African country of Tanzania. Today (February 25) marks the 650th day of his global journey, during which he has already visited 21 countries. "If the weather is good, I’ll go see the mountains, and then I’ll keep working on getting to South Africa," he said.
He Jianghai is from Xi'an and is 28 years old. Traveling around the world has been a dream of his since childhood. In February 2012, after quitting his job, he set off on his trip with three years’ worth of savings. In his own words, having the time and having saved up some money made this journey possible. At first, he hadn’t planned to travel for such a long time, but along the way, he encountered many things and met many people who inspired him, leading him to decide to go on a round-the-world trip and fulfill this dream.
Visited 22 countries in one go with no prior overseas travel experience
Like many others, He Jianghai used to think of globetrotting as nothing more than a daydream. Before this, he had never even traveled abroad. "When I got to the Nepal border from Tibet, I didn’t even know how to cross into another country. At the beginning, my English was also terrible—I could only say simple greeting phrases."
But as it turned out, none of these were real obstacles. He Jianghai entered Nepal from Tibet, then traveled to India, Sri Lanka, and various Southeast Asian countries, flew to Iran, reached the Middle East and the Caucasus region, also visited Turkey, which is part of Europe, and then began his African journey, heading south all the way. "My immediate goal is to reach South Africa, the southernmost tip of Africa at Cape of Good Hope, and then try to make it to the Americas."
Traveling while doing global shopping agent work, and loving to stay on others’ couches
He Jianghai said that this trip wasn’t strictly “budget travel.” Although he kept costs low along the way—often staying as a couchsurfer (which, as the name suggests, means “sleeping on someone else’s couch”) and hitchhiking—his monthly expenses, excluding airfare and visa fees, were still around 2,000 to 3,000 yuan. "I like trying new things, like paragliding, diving, hot air balloons, and other paid activities, which I’ve all experienced," he said. Nowadays, many people use low spending as a selling point, but he feels that constantly comparing costs takes away from the meaning of travel.
"Staying on a couch isn’t just about saving money—it’s also the best way to experience local life," He Jianghai said.
During his travels, He Jianghai also did some side business in global shopping, sharing interesting items he found locally online. If people wanted them, they could contact him via Weibo or WeChat to help purchase them. "In Turkey, I also set up a street stall, and the money I earned helped subsidize some travel costs."
On the road, there can be so many different "ways to live"
"Meeting so many people and experiencing so many things on the road made me realize that there are so many ways to live and so many possibilities—not as monotonous and unchanging as we imagine," He Jianghai said. Along the way, he often met other travelers he clicked with. When their routes overlapped, they’d travel together for a while before going their separate ways, which is how he made friends from all over the world.
What impressed him most was the time he spent volunteering in India. He Jianghai said that at the time, he volunteered at Mother House’s Home for the Dying and the Home for the Aged, taking care of critically ill patients and elderly people. "The founder of this organization, Sister Terrisa, came from Europe to India when she was young and decided to stay to help the poor. She never returned to her home country. People from all over the world come to volunteer at her organization—some stay for half a year or even a year, including students, elderly people, doctors, and construction workers."
"In Vietnam, I bought a motorcycle, rode from Hanoi in the north to Ho Chi Minh City in the south, and then sold the motorcycle," He Jianghai said. All kinds of unexpected things happened along the way—for example, in Hong Kong, a roommate stole his wallet, and in Lebanon, he was suspected of being a spy. At the same time, he also experienced a lot of touching moments and met many kind-hearted people. "Sometimes when you stay in someone’s home, you really don’t want to leave."
The ideal way to travel in the future is hand-in-hand with someone you love
He Jianghai said that when he first planned the trip, his family was strongly against it and urged him to come back every day. "At that time, I was really annoyed and felt they didn’t understand me, so I played the disappearing act. My mom even went to the police to report me missing. She only found out I was in Nepal after going to the entry-exit administration center." He said that he did worry his parents a lot at the time, but after communicating with them properly and sharing his experiences, they gradually began to appreciate the wonders of his journey.
"I might not get the chance to travel like this again—it might only happen once in a lifetime," He Jianghai felt that the experiences of these two years were even richer and more colorful than the previous 20-plus years combined. He said this trip should end within this year, after which he plans to return to a normal life. The ideal way to travel in the future is to explore hand-in-hand with someone he loves.