Curtis, Honorary Professor at the School of Business Administration, Sun Yat-sen University
Travel enthusiasts have their own preferred ways of exploring the world. Curtis, an American, plans meticulously; Singaporean Tan Cheng Fa is spontaneous and carefree, as long as the general direction is set, the small details don’t matter; Spanish youngster David even says “the thought of planning gives me a headache,” and just sets off with his visa and enough money for food, lodging, and transport. Korean Kwak Sang-seop jokes that he’s “getting on in years” and prefers leisurely and themed travel. The impatient Rose couple rarely stay in one place for more than two nights, matching the efficiency of Chinese tour groups.
People often describe life as a journey with a known starting point and destination. From a person’s travel style, it’s not hard to see how they live their life. The method is a personal choice—everyone has their own preference. But there is one thing that all travel enthusiasts agree on: respecting the people and culture of your destination is a basic sense of responsibility as a visitor.
Curtis (American, 59, former P&G Global President and current Honorary Professor at the School of Business Administration, Sun Yat-sen University)
On June 26, Curtis set off from Guangzhou with three pieces of luggage and an open ticket, taking the first step of his “80-Day Trip Home.” From then on, he headed westward, crossing 12 time zones, 16 countries, traversing both hemispheres, oceans and deserts, mountains and plains. He will arrive at his final destination on the other side of the ocean—his home in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA—on September 14.
This travel plan marks the end of Curtis’s sabbatical year. Next year he will turn 60. Having stepped down last year from his position as P&G’s Global Vice President, he gave himself a year before starting the next phase of his career to fulfill his dream of traveling across China. In September last year, he was invited to serve as an honorary professor of marketing at the School of Business Administration, Sun Yat-sen University, for one year. In his spare time outside teaching, he completed 25 trips, with his trip to Liaoning in June marking the end of his travels across China.
With three months left in his sabbatical year and the university on summer break, Curtis planned to go home—but in an unusual way. Inspired by the classic French novel “Around the World in 80 Days” by Jules Verne, and considering that Guangzhou and Cincinnati happen to be 12 time zones apart, Curtis decided to embark on an “80-day journey around half the globe.”
Among the 16 countries he passed through were some he liked, such as India, as well as five he had never visited before: Nepal, Oman, Germany, Denmark, and Iceland.
The detail-oriented Curtis always prepares meticulously and makes detailed plans before any trip. This journey was no exception—the 80-day schedule was tight, leaving no time to waste. He arranged everything in advance: visas, transport, accommodation, guides. He also did his homework on local weather, history, geography, and culture, carefully tailoring each destination’s itinerary to suit the location. The length of his stays varied, from as short as three days to as long as ten. For example, he has visited Australia and Vietnam more than once, but this time he chose to go hiking in remote mountainous areas in the north, so he spent relatively more time there. His longest stay was in the UK, particularly in Stoke-on-Trent by the River Trent, the famous British ceramics hometown. It is not only Curtis’s birthplace but also where his mother now lives. He took the opportunity to visit and spend a few days with her.
What excited and moved Curtis most during the trip were not the world-famous attractions, but the intimate experiences with local cultures. In the Sapa region of Vietnam, Miao girl Linh served as Curtis’s guide. Thanks to his extensive hiking experience accumulated during his travels in China, Curtis finished the itinerary earlier than scheduled. Linh extended the original route and took Curtis back to her small mountain village, inviting him to have lunch with her family and taste local Miao cuisine. “Surrounded by steep terraced fields covered with lush green rice, little boys herding water buffaloes, and locals preserving the traditional lifestyle of men farming and women weaving—such experiences are the surprises of travel.”
Hiking also brought many memorable moments. Once, while hiking in the mountains, a sudden rainstorm forced them to take shelter in a villager’s shed. There, Curtis met a group of local children who eagerly showed him their handmade toys. When the rain stopped, they all ran out barefoot to play in the puddles. “It was pure joy. These unplanned moments are what make travel truly special.”
Today, Curtis arrived at the 12th stop of his journey—Belgium. The “80-Day Trip Home” continues.
Route Map
Guangzhou, China → (6.26) Australia → (7.6) Vietnam → (7.14) Thailand → (7.19) India → (7.24) Nepal → (7.29) India → (7.30) UAE → (8.3) Oman → (8.10) Germany → (8.14) Denmark → (8.16) Germany → (8.19) Netherlands → (8.21) Belgium → (8.23) France → (8.26) UK → (9.5) Iceland → (9.9) New York, USA → (9.14) Cincinnati
80-Day Journey Around Half the Globe
Luggage Normally, Curtis only brings two pieces of luggage when traveling, but this time he brought an extra one due to some books and work materials he needed to bring back from Guangzhou to the US.
Equipment Apple laptop, two compact cameras (one as backup), iPhone, flashlight, Kindle e-reader, various chargers. One pair of lightweight hiking shoes, two pairs of regular shoes; waterproof jacket, several quick-dry shirts, hiking socks, and some casual clothes that can also double for slightly formal occasions when necessary.
Rant Corner
The World’s Most Annoying Tourists Ranking
1 Americans 6 Koreans
2 Chinese 7 Indians
3 French 8 Germans
4 Japanese 9 Spanish
5 Russians 10 British
(From a March 2012 survey conducted by research firm Mandala Research in partnership with U.S. travel website LivingSocial, where 5,600 respondents from the U.S., Australia, Canada, Ireland, and the UK shared their views.)
■ Foreign Media Commentary
America’s leadership in many fields is being overtaken by China, and experts are more than just dismayed—but there is one top honor we’re perfectly happy to hand over, and that’s the title of “World’s Most Annoying Tourist.” When news broke of a 15-year-old Chinese boy carving his name into a 3,500-year-old Egyptian artifact, Americans breathed a huge sigh of relief. —— U.S. fashion magazine Blackbook, May 28
In fact, the graffiti at the Temple of Luxor in Egypt and other sites is not limited to just this incident, nor are the culprits only Chinese. But the Chinese do have a particular fondness for writing their names on ancient ruins. This tradition is likely inspired by the classic novel “Journey to the West,” in which the Monkey King inscribes “The Monkey King Has Arrived Here” on the finger of the Buddha.
――Los Angeles Times, May 29
Recently, Chinese officials criticized their compatriots for uncivilized behavior abroad that damages the country’s image. In reality, it can’t be concluded that Chinese tourists behave worse than those from other countries; it’s just that Chinese people prefer group tours, and large groups of tourists are always very noticeable at destinations. This is not hard to understand—Chinese cities have high population density, and when walking on the street, you often have to push your way through with your elbows just to move. People are already accustomed to crowding and jostling. ――The Nation (Thailand), June 10
“The ‘bad reputation’ of American tourists comes from the fact that they are very loud and often show little respect for local culture. Unfortunately, I’ve witnessed similar situations many times.”
“A qualified tourist should respect the local culture and even take the initiative to learn some local customs. No matter which country you visit, as long as you show respect, you will be welcomed warmly and hospitably.”
――Stephan Mueller (German raised in the U.S.)
Typical “offenses” of Chinese tourists:
1. Spitting in public
2. Littering
3. Cutting in line everywhere
4. Speaking loudly
5. Tolerating children urinating or defecating in public
6. Carving “So-and-so was here” on monuments
7. Eating only Chinese food wherever they go and refusing to try local cuisine
8. Smoking in non-smoking areas
9. Jaywalking in the Chinese style
10. Making restrooms filthy and messy
Day 36
Abu Dhabi, Desert Dune Bashing
The Liwa Desert is one of the largest continuous sand deserts in the world, stretching across four countries on the Arabian Peninsula. Our professional driver, Xiao Mu, took us on a thrilling dune-bashing adventure in a 4x4 vehicle while we enjoyed the sunset. The vehicle sped up 1000-foot (about 300-meter) sand dunes and then plunged down at high speed—more exciting than a roller coaster.