A girl hiked and hitchhiked to Nepal, carrying 500 yuan and eating just one steamed bun a day.
Hu Die, a 26-year-old woman from Dianjiang, embarked on a life-changing journey with another girl, traveling from Chengdu to Tibet and then to Nepal by hiking and hitchhiking. The trip was full of hardships but also moments of warmth. Recently, after nearly 3 months on the road, Hu Die returned to her hometown in Dianjiang.
Her backpack weighed 35 kilograms
“I started preparing for this trip a year ago,” Hu Die said enthusiastically over the phone when talking about her nearly 3-month journey. The idea of traveling to Tibet and Nepal by hiking and hitchhiking had been in her mind for two years, and in July of this year, she met 22-year-old Jin Lilan from Zhejiang online, who shared the same dream.
Originally, Hu Die worked at a chemical plant in Changshou, earning nearly 4,000 yuan a month, but she quit her job to pursue her dream. On July 23, the two met up in Chengdu and set off together on their journey to Tibet and Nepal. In addition to clothes, medicine, a sleeping bag, a tent, hot pot base, and Lao Gan Ma, her backpack also contained candy for Tibetan children. Carrying a 35-kilogram backpack and often walking 30 to 40 kilometers a day, she chose this travel style to achieve a personal transformation.
One steamed bun per day
“Hiking inevitably means dealing with hunger,” Hu Die said. When they were close to Yamdrok Lake in Tibet, they only had two steamed buns left. “We each took one, eating half in the morning and half at night.” Sometimes, when their water ran out, they had no choice but to eat snow from the mountains.
She only brought 500 yuan in cash when leaving Chengdu, and by the time they reached Lhasa, most of it was gone. To raise money, she bought some bracelets and Buddhist beads from a wholesale market. “I bought them for a few yuan and sold them for over 10 yuan each.” Many travelers visited her small stall, helping her earn a bit of extra cash. “Most backpackers try setting up a street stall at some point,” Hu Die said. It not only helped cover travel expenses but also provided a unique life experience.
“You really have to rely on luck—sometimes you can get a ride without walking much at all,” Hu Die told reporters. Once, they started walking at 5 a.m. and didn’t come across a border checkpoint until it was completely dark. They couldn’t stop, so they kept going through exhaustion until 3 a.m. the next day when they finally reached the checkpoint. A soldier, seeing how tired and hungry they were, made them two instant noodles, which deeply touched her with the kindness of strangers.
Cried for the first time in despair
Upon reaching the Zhangmu Port in Nepal, Hu Die had her first thought of giving up. “That day, we walked over 50 kilometers and were completely exhausted. To lighten our load, we threw away whatever we could from our backpacks along the way, and we still hadn’t found a place to stay by midnight.” Hu Die said that Jin Lilan had wanted to quit long before, but she had been the one pushing forward. That day, the two argued due to their differing opinions. Sitting by the roadside, Hu Die cried for the first time during the trip and considered giving up. Fortunately, around 1 a.m., a Tibetan friend driving by gave them a ride, which encouraged them to keep going.
“Along the way, we begged for meals, squeezed into cars, stayed overnight with herders, bathed in lakes, and even skipped attraction entry fees…” Hu Die said. Everyone they met was kind. “When we had no money, were hungry, or had nowhere to sleep, many people offered help and warmth, which we’re truly grateful for.” When they reached Dongba Village, they happened to encounter a Tibetan harvest festival. Kind villagers, seeing their exhaustion and hunger, quickly brought food from the village. Once, while staying overnight at a Tibetan villager’s home, the host even gave up their bedroom for the girls to sleep in while the family slept in the kitchen to ensure they rested well.
It’s reported that after traveling from Tibet to Nepal, Hu Die and Jin Lilan hiked and hitchhiked back along the same route. Yesterday, from photos provided by Hu Die, reporters saw that she had fair skin before the trip but is now tanned. Since quitting her job before the trip, she remains unemployed. Reporters contacted Jin Lilan by phone, who said she has started working again. When asked about future plans, she mentioned that she and Hu Die have agreed to hike to Ngari once they save enough money.