El Pekín Express Canino: a three-year trip through Asia made into a trilogy (PROLOGUE)
After our adventures throughout the Americas –South America, 2013-14 and North America, 2016-17– my dog Cocaí and I returned home. It was not an eternal return, but a longed-for and necessary stop to enjoy family, friends and a comfortable life. We were thirsty for more, though. And that more began to transform into the abstract outline of a continent… in the exotic eastern lands. I am one of those who prefer to be surprised by the unknown and learn along the way, but I am not completely irresponsible either. During the following months I kept informing myself and preparing papers for the great adventure that was coming.
In March 2019, my dog Cocaí and I left Madrid with a backpack, a tent and an ambitious mission: hitchhiking to China. A trip that I had baptized as "El Pekín Express Canino", meaning something like The "Canine Beijing Express", and which revolved around three questions. All three had a part of intrinsic response to adventure and personal enjoyment... and another linked to my alibi (although I prefer to call it extra motivation) to consider such madness. And those questions were:
Why Asia?
For multiple reasons, but specifically for: its immense cultural variety, reflected in its ethnic groups, religions and beliefs, languages, customs and traditions...; its historic cities, towns, ports and roads, protagonists of the Silk Road; its majestic mountains, arid deserts, wild beaches and, in general, unparalleled nature... In short, because it is the most diverse continent in the world, the best setting to learn and, at the same time, represent a hitherto unprecedented challenge for me. In addition, it could be reached by land, without having to put Cocaí on a plane. As for the “work” objectives, I wanted to observe and document the lives of dogs and their relationship with the people we met in different places. The main focus was to demonstrate that there are more dog lovers (and animal lovers in general) than we believe in countries prejudged by the West, especially Muslim ones. But I would be in for a major surprise: the great variety that exists between countries and territories in terms of dog culture in Asia.
Volunteers at a dog shelter in Pondicherry, South India
Why hitchhiking?
The short answer: because of the approach to local people and because of the budget. But let's go with the long answer. Hitchhiking isn't just my favorite way to travel, it's the trip itself. It takes you to live unique adventures and, above all, meet incredible people, which in the end is the most beautiful thing and what you remember most when you return home after a great trip around the world. And, therefore, what a traveling soul looks for most when going out on the road. It could be said that hitchhiking is a kind of filter to meet the most generous people on the planet, and in my case they are also usually animal lovers. On the other hand, given my low travel budget, it allows me to prolong the trip. Not only do I reduce transportation costs, but also often food costs… and accommodation. There are many times that the “Road Angels” invite you to their homes. Sometimes the connection is so great that the traveler ends up staying for weeks in these homes, forming a lifelong friendship.
Dila and Cemal home, South Turkey
Why with my dog?
First of all, I want to clarify that dogs are happy roaming and exploring. Especially if, like mine, they have been on the road since they were puppies. The enormous enjoyment that comes from living an adventure with your dog family is more than enough reason to answer the question. Additionally, traveling with Cocaí (and later also with Chai) helped me pursue a series of objectives that I set before leaving: to encourage other backpackers to embark on a canine journey like this. The idea was simple: if we could do it, others could too. Also informing about the places where our friends are welcome, more dog-friendly countries, etc. On the other hand, one of my most exciting missions was to try to do my bit in the fight for animal awareness and rights. My aspirations were humble, at a local level through our meetings with adults and children unaccustomed to dogs... but I would also end up collaborating with several shelters in countries such as Armenia, Pakistan or India. Also, to my surprise and delight, some of my hosts adopted street dogs after our visit.
Habib's family, Baluchistan, Iran
In short, with El Pekín Express Canino I was looking for a great adventure through Asia with my dog Cocaí and, at the same time, collaborate in certain areas related to dogs and animals. My ambitious and adventurous mind fantasized about a route through the Middle East, Hindustan and Southeast Asia to China… and another one back through Central Asia, also by land. However, the pandemic caught us when we were in India. There would be little from Beijing and Express, but it was a "bit" of Canine. In addition to traveling with my dog through Turkey, Georgia, Armenia, Iran, Pakistan and India and immersing ourselves in their exciting cultures, we added a new furry companion to the team in the Rajasthan desert: Chai.
Almost three years later we returned home with an Indian dog and a path full of learning, exciting adventures and wonderful beings. All of which I recorded in my travel diaries, which I later turned into books with photos of the aforementioned adventure.
Our journey through Asia is divided into three parts or trips in themselves, inevitably marked by the pandemic:
NUEVA DELHI EXPRESS - "NEW DELHI EXPRESS"
(March 2019 – March 2020)
The only “normal” stage, when the world still continued its course without being disturbed by any virus. We hitchhiked through Europe, Turkey, Georgia, Armenia, Iran, Pakistan and much of India, amazed by the contrast between landscapes and cultures. We lived with Turkish, Kurdish, Persian, Baloch and Pakistani families, falling in love with these stigmatized people and their hospitality; I was robbed in Georgia; we had a car accident in Armenia; I had a crush on a Taiwanese backpacker... and she would accompany us for part of the trip; We glimpsed sites of the caliber of the Caucasus, the Himalayas, Istanbul, Isfahan, Persepolis, Ephesus, Mount Ararat, the Taj Mahal... But if there is one fact that marks not this stage, but my life, it is having come across Chai. This puppy, who appeared out of nowhere while we were camping in the Thar Desert, Rajasthan, took little time to win us over. We were the family she needed. Thus, it began a three-way adventure through India.
CONFINAMIENTO EN INDIA - "LOCKDOWN IN INDIA"
(March 2020 – March 2021)
When we were moving up the map to reach Nepal, the coronavirus arrived and changed everything. Living through a pandemic year in India was one of the craziest things I have ever experienced. The beginnings with the police hitting with sticks and giving surreal punishments to anyone who left their house caught us in the torrid south, in Pondicherry. Confined with other travelers in a house, we were discriminated against like never before for being foreigners. We were there for seven months and I dedicated much of my time to stray dogs and helping local animal organizations. Plus, we made the best friends of the trip, including a guy from Hyderabad and his cat, with whom we would take an epic month-long multispecies trip to the north of the country when interstate movement restrictions were finally lifted. In this “new normal” we lived for a few months in an old ashram in Rishikesh and explored the enigmatic states of Himachal Pradesh and Punjab.
MADRID EXPRESS (April – December 2021)
Once I had assumed that it was impossible to continue towards the East, I decided to return to Spain… also by land. This odyssey, with the most varied tricks to cross each border, had Pakistan as its star country: for time (six months until we could cross to Iran), cultural learning (how many ethnic groups and traditions), friends made and events lived. The entire month of Ramadan, being adopted by a royal family in Chitral, appearing on TV and becoming true celebrities with an escort or overcoming Cocaí's ruptured spleen and her emergency surgery were some of them. In Iran we had problems with the intelligence services, who did not trust me for having spent so much time in Pakistan during the rise of the Taliban in neighboring Afghanistan and they confiscated my laptop and hard drive. We finished the trip hand in hand with my super parents, who drove across Europe to come pick us up in Turkey. With Cocaí still convalescing and after everything we had experienced, I couldn't imagine a better ending.
IMPORTANT NOTES
For reasons of length, these diaries have been divided into three books, which correspond to the recently exposed parts... except for some details. The first book, NEW DELHI EXPRESS, narrates the departure from Madrid and the journey to India, with the adventures experienced in Europe, Turkey, Georgia, Armenia and the first two months in India. The second, LOCKDOWN IN INDIA, narrates the lockdown in South India and the new normal in North India. In addition, it goes back to Iran and Pakistan. The third, MADRID EXPRESS, narrates the return by land to Spain, including the half year we spent in Pakistan.
Hilal's family, Ayun Valley, Pakistan
Likewise, I think it is important to clarify the nature of these books. They are diaries or travel chronicles... written en route. That is to say, don't expect a well-organized novel, but rather a somewhat chaotic story with parts told in the present and others in which I go back to routes from the past. Although I tried to write regularly and do so following a chronological structure and thread, it could not always be that way. Due to the way we travel, hitchhiking and letting ourselves be loved by the hospitable people, it was not easy for me to find the moments for it. Especially in certain countries, whose inhabitants won't leave you alone even to go to the bathroom! Take as an example our first foray through Iran and Pakistan, where we spent a total of three months and I was barely able to open the notebook once. Once! Paradoxically, confinement helped me update the diaries.
ABOUT MY TRAVELING SELF AND THE PROJECT
I am a biologist and graduate in psychology, but my great passion is traveling and writing about peoples, religions and cultures, where dogs and their relationship with humans also come into play. My interest in this topic began in 2013, when on a trip to South America I found Cocaí, a dying puppy. Together we traveled through much of the American continent, sharing unforgettable moments, overcoming adversity and learning a lot. The project "Viajeros Perrunos", meaning something like "Dog Travelers", was born along the way, with the idea of showing that you can take great trips with a dog, even without your own vehicle and on a low budget, describing under our eyes the life of dogs in different countries and territories and try to raise awareness and help in animal matters. As a result of these trips I have written several books and thematic postcards (micro-stories), which is how I have humbly financed myself over the years. They can be found in my shop: www.viajerosperrunos.com/shop
MY BOOKS
Diario de viajes por Sudamérica y cómo convertí a una perra callejera en mochilera. "Travel diary through South America and how I turned a street dog into a backpacker". Based on my travel notebooks (South America 2013 – 2014). ONLY IN SPANISH.
Diario de viajes por Norteamérica: una aventura a dedo con mi perra por México, USA y Canadá. Travel diary through North America: a hitchhiking adventure with my dog through Mexico, USA and Canada. Based on my travel notebooks (North America 2016 – 2017). ONLY IN SPANISH.
La Reina Leona (Spanish)- Queen Leona (English). A tale based on a true story that i met during the pandemic in India and with whom I formed a very special bond. BOTH IN SPANISH AND ENGLISH.
El Pekín Express Canino. Nueva Delhi Express (parte I), Confinamiento en India (parte II), Madrid Express (parte III). Crónicas de un viaje a dedo con mis perras por Asia. Based on my travel notebooks (Asia 2019 – 2021).
…
Well, this is the prologue of the trilogy "El Pekín Express Canino". You can buy them now in my shop (actually since April 2023) by clicking on this link. Available in print and eBook.
Furthermore, with this post the Asia section on the blog is inaugurated. Over the next few months I will be sharing articles about Turkey, Georgia, Armenia, Iran, Pakistan and India, mainly itineraries, general advice and when traveling with a dog, hitchhiking... All posts will be accessible from the drop-down menu “Destinations - Asia” and also by clicking on each country on the interactive map of “Destinations”.
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