TRAVELLER: Min Che Su (a.k.a. Ninja), Taipei, Taiwan

[Editor’s Note]: I met Min Che Su in late September 2013 in the town of Kashgar, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in western China. I just returned from exploring Central Asia, while he just arrived in the region and was about to cross the border into Kyrgyzstan. I was sitting alone when a terribly sick Min Che asked if he could sit with me at the guesthouse restaurant. We shared travel stories and I then also swapped my Kyrgyzstani som (money) for his Chinese yuan. While he was waiting a week for the China border to re-open, we travelled together by train to Hotan, far south into the desert. Dubbed “Ninja” by our fellow traveller, Frenchman Jeremy, Ninja will likely travel to many far away places as long as he does not again drop his passport in a taxi!

This interview was conducted via email in November 2014: 

Globerovers (GR): How many countries have you been to?

Min Che Su (MCS): Only 18 countries so far, but my list is growing!

GR: What are your top 5 most preferred countries for leisure travel?

MCS:  For leisure travel I will choose the Baltic states (Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania), Japan, Italy, Scotland, Thailand, and China.

GR: Which is your most preferred country for travel and why?

MCS: Kyrgyzstan, I just love it. Most of Kyrgyzstan is covered by mountains with amazing and mystical natural beauty. For me it is definitely not enough to adventure there merely once or trice or even more. Besides, people there are generally hospitable, straight and easy-going. It’s comfortable to travel there at my own pace.

GR: Where do you wish you were right now?

MCS:  No specific place right now but any sunny places are perfect for me. It is raining raining raining always raining in Taipei.

GR: Among those countries you have not yet visited, which ones are at the top of your “must do” list?

MCS:  Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, and Nepal

GR: If you could spend the rest of your life somewhere other than your current home country, which country would that be?

MCS:  Hokkaido, Japan is a great place to be another home. I think the Taiwanese and Japanese have similar cultures, similar diet customs and similar life philosophy so for me it’s easy to fit into their life style. Hokkaido is also very beautiful, remote, and quiet yet not too inconvenient.

GR: In about 50 words, please tell us about the most incredible and memorable experience you have ever had while traveling?

MCS:  I met some lovers of trekking and went hiking with them around the area south of Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. We arrived at no famous point (I don’t really know exactly where that was) but an empty no-name lake and another iced-over no-name lake after three days of trekking. Standing in front of the small crystal blue lake and hearing the sounds of ice crunching, my friend said we could name it whatever we like. A really unforgettable moment for me.

GR: Based on your travel experiences, if you were to recommend the one most amazing destination for intrepid travellers, which place would that be, and why?

MCS:  As a beginner, I can only share how I find off-the-beaten places. When arriving at an unfamiliar city, I sometimes take a random bus and then just start wandering at the final stop with no specific destination in mind. I believe all amazing things happen when you don’t know what will come at you and for me this is the best way to discover the true appearance of a place and then to build my own insight.

GR: Which people by nationality or subgroup e.g. Greeks or the Tartars, would you say have been the most hospitable during your travels and why do you say so?

MCS:  The people of Uzbekistan, especially those living in the Fergana Valley. Although they are having some issues with Kyrgyzstan, I still had good experiences there. I could feel their deep curiosity about travellers (you have to identify this from money issues) and they tend to be open to strangers. I suppose this is because of their history and geographic location (an important connecting point on the old Silk Road). I was kept very busy by the locals while walking the streets, receiving smiles and greetings and tasting food and fruit they shared with me. It was like I was not coming for the sight-seeing but rather being a moving attraction to them.

GR: How do you think traveling around the world for independent travellers has changed over the past 20 years?

MCS:  New tools like mobile devices and clothing (e.g. light jackets and boots) make life so much easier for independent travellers on their journeys. Travelling has become less demanding, both physical and psychological. On the positive side, more beginners can join the “world discovering game”. However, at the negative end I sometimes find the increase in the number of travellers may change the original appearance of destinations. I would say tourism is not always as bad as some backpackers think, but tourism with only business issues (earning as much as I can) is definitely a disaster for both travellers and locals.

GR: Lets get a bit more personal. Do you have any “must take” items which you travel with that you think most travellers don’t have?

MCS:  Five-finger socks. I believe it’s not strange and I don’t need to be embarrsed for wearing them! Or, uh…should I be? Washing socks everyday is quite difficult in some places, so trust me, a pair of good five-finger socks avoids bad smells and discomfort. Try them, you will love them. [Editor: hmmmm never though about this! Should really try it as bad smelling socks are not sexy, especially on crowded sleeping trains and hostel rooms!  But, do I really want to embarrass myself that much!! :)]

GR: What is your favourite travel resource on the internet?

MCS:  Nothing specific.  I normally use Google to find the resources I need.

GR: Lets talk about food. Which one country that you visited has the best food in the world?

MCS:  Poland. With reasonable prices, most dishes in Poland are delicious and fit Asian palates (with a bit exotic taste but not too much). I love the zurek, pierogi, barszcz, bigos, and roasted duck with apple.

GR: Where was the best meal you have ever had during your travels? 

MCS:  After sixty hours of train travel with only two packets of instant noodles, a big piece of naan bread, and a couple of apples, I arrived in Volgograd, Russia, where it was a chilly zero degrees Celsius. I immediately tried a local food called Chicken Kiev (written as “Котлета по-киевски”). It’s a fried bread filled with chicken in the middle, and rolled with melted butter, herb and garlic. Really unbeatably delicious, especially when you are hungry!

GR: And where was the worst food during your travels?

MCS. Shoro (written as “Шоро”), is the national drink in Kyrgyzstan. It is a fermented drink based on wheat and animal fat. I still can’t forget the horrible taste….  My Kyrgyz friends enjoyed looking at my face when I drank this horrible stuff! Yikes!

GR: What is the strangest or weirdest place you have ever spent a night?

MCS:  Except for trekking and sleeping in the mountains, I always find a proper bed for sleeping. I have been quiet lucky so far.

GR: Based on all your travel experiences, what is the best tip you can offer to new travellers?

MCS. Be free, totally free. Be in no hurry to get to any specific places. Take good photos and reach some standards of so-called “good travellers”. Yes you can have some goals in mind for yourself but remember there are no rules or principles for your journey. Enjoy it and be who you really are.

GR: What is the single best lesson you have learned about the world during your travels around the world?

MCS:  Nothing is completely right or wrong. Decide you own pace, take it, enjoy the good things and also be ready to suffer the bad things. I am happy to have my own experiences and comments of the places I’ve visited, no matter if they are right or wrong.

GR: Do you have any strange, weird, or even bizarre travel rituals which you can share with us?

MCS:   I always put one of my clothing on my pillow before I sleep on it even if the pillow looks clean.

GR: What is the main focus of your travels?

MCS:   To discover our wonderful world and meet the colorful people living in it.