Day 14: Chita - 108 Days Across Eurasia by Martins Ate


When I came till the border of Russia and China on Zabaikalsk and Manchurian the first thing I found out that I cannot cross the border walking. When I started catch the cars to drop me on the other side, one lady picked me up and after I explained my situation she was laughing on me and told that it will be very funny when in china will born my children with Chinese faces and with a blue eyes as due to my trip plans this is the best I can expect.


The truth is - it's forbidden to hitchhike in China. And more - I need to have a person who is watching me all the time which is usually provided in tourism offices. And if I will be cached I will be definitely moved to Chinese prison with fee of around 40,000 Yuan's a d if I will not pay them I will be moved, after spending some time in prison, to some country side with obligation to work until I pay them off. And as the salary in China is low - I will work until I'll find a wife and even will raise up a children.

That did not stopped me. Even if the story was quite scary but did made me think seriously for the first time during this trip. I asked more people afterwards on the border and all of them said the same thing and even worse. One truck driver told me that in the Northern part of the China people are living really poor and even a kids has got a knifes. They are killing even for a pair of jeans. The truck driver told that only in the last year three of his colleagues where stubbed by Chinese kids in the back in Manjuria and he really advice me not to go further.



The fact is that Manchurian is kind of a trading point between Russia and China and people going deeper into China must have a agent. But I don't have a money for it. So I went to the local pawn shop to sell my golden chain with the amulet which has been made especially for me according to my date, time and place of birth but the price they gave me still was not enough to continue my journey so I kept the gold.

I was so upset. All my trip has stocked because of some Chinese laws. So I moved through the city towards back to Moscow. A lot of youngsters in Zabaikalsk came to me and asked for stupid things just to beat me up around the corner and take my belongings. But after I explained that I don't have a money and cell phone they left me alone. I've hidden my phone inside a bag, wrapped in papers and socks. But the money - I truly have got only 150 rubles which is about 3 Eur...



It's a step out here: no place to run and no place to hide. Even after exiting the city someone was still following me with a car everywhere I went and time to time coming closer and driving around me like a flying bugs. I just slowly moved towards the highway.
After walking like that around two hours the rain came together with a sunset and my followers disappeared. 

I walked abou half hour more inside a step where are no trees to hide - just mountains and grass and quickly made up a tent as I decided that it is too late and I'm to tired for any decisions regarding my trip and it will be the best to leave it for tomorrow.

As I was all wet and the tent was wet as well all my clothes did not helped me much of being attacked by the cold nights of Russia. But somehow I managed to get my night-sleep. Thank's God i'm alive and I have all my belongings with me.