In 2014 I first visited China with the main intent to visit the Xinjiang province in far western China. At the time there was a growing separatist movment. I didn’t think that the Chinese government would tolerate it for long. I guess I was prescient as in April 2014 after an attack by Uyghur separatists a massive crackdown began while I was there. I wanted to see the people and culture of the region before it changed. That was 12 years ago. This trip in 2026 is partially to see if my predictions came true. In 2014 I had looked into visiting Kazakhstan as a friend from the Bahai World Centre and his wife lived there. In 2014 I didn’t have time to go there so for 2026 I will. I have been fascinated with Mongolia and we have a friend from the BWC who is from there and Missy’s cousin Ezzey lived there so I’m curious. Chatting through the itinerary with Sam, the name I have given my ChatGPT voice, I learned that there was going to be the World Nomad Games in Krygyzstan during the time period I would in in Asia, It looked cool so I changed my plans and itinerary.

The plan now is to start in Shanghai, a city I have long wanted to visit, go to the Nomad Games, spend time in Kyrgyzstan, go to Almaty Kazakhstan, then to Xinjiang, then Mongolia, then by train go to Beijing where the trip will end. That’s the itinerary but will I follow it, I don’t know.