Written during a difficult period for me
I walked out at just after midnight.
I went into a grocery store and bought 1.5 L water. Then I reached Iflytek park, and I never knew there was this place, where Iflytek operates. Of course, it was around just after 2 am, and still under construction. I only saw two buildings.
Everywhere along the 10 km I could see tall and beautiful residential buildings rise up. I was surprised how I never explored the places so close to my home. I just walked along WangJiang road.
In some areas there were no pedestrian roads, but we get by easily, choosing other roads.
I kept walking even at 3:30. It was dark, and the road became more and more isolated. There was no light, just half built buildings, no cars, no people, and I reached the end of the road, in front of me was a highway.
And for the first time in a year I began to panic and long for being home.
4 am, 0 degree Celsius, and I was far from any people in the end of this dark road, only occasionally trucks storm by.
Then it became more survival focused. I realized that it is self destructive behavior. Recent days seem to pass, and they seem not somehow. I don't know why I wandered for 15 km here our at night, I just, don't feel like doing anything else and can't forgive myself.
I called for taxi on my phone, and there was no answer for 10 minutes. I walked around 1 km back, there was just some isolated stores along the road with still no people, only on the bigger roads were some trucks occasionally going by. I couldn't help but notice just how isolated the road is. I called for taxi on my phone again, and waited 10 minutes, still no answer.
I walked another 4 km back, and my feet began hurting a little, my back began to hurt a little. It was getting colder. I thought like wandered straight into darkness alone, like, how for much of the entire journey there is nothing but isolation. How did I walk so much? I don't know, I don't understand. There was still no presence of people, except one guard I passed on the road. I heard a distant howl of someone. I think I still don't have much hope for taxi here. It was 5 am.
Then I saw the Iflytek park again. It seemed like this is the first time I needed to walk the majority of the way back(every other time I lost myself in the city, go to the nearest subway or call for a taxi which usually answers in seconds). I walked over 20 km total.
I called taxi at just around Iflytek park, and got an answer in seconds. It was 5:20 am. Oh, what a night.
Крыши домов дрожат под тяжестью дней
Небесный пастух пасёт облака
Город стреляет в ночь дробью огней
Но ночь сильней, её власть велика
(Спокойная ночь, Кино)
After over a year
I cycled there yesterday at night again, it wasn't that dark or scary anymore. Most of construction were finished and the lights were on, except just the final one or two blocks. But there were noticably more people and traffic in that area, and somehow that made it worse. It took away some isolation I think. The paradox in Hefei is that I am either feeling annoyed around people or running away from them.
Back to that time again
I woke up at 3 or 4 pm, and I found myself going out again just after dark. I couldn't resist.
I walked 7 km into isolation again and felt nothing, like it was just so quick.
There was this huge bridge. I walked passed it, admiring the beauty. But after the bridge there was nothing, simply nothing. There was a road on the map but it was pitch dark. I tried to go around down the bridge, there were dog barks and no roads. There was only 2 construction worker down there.
I called a taxi again and couldn't get answer, it was 7 pm. I was very thirsty. I had to walk back 2 km again. I called a taxi and they answered. The taxi driver kept questioning my behavior of wandering, like "why did you go so far?"
I went to school for dinner. It was well past 8 pm and there was only fast food, so I ate some fast food. I felt guilty for putting on weight but I was hungry.
Now I am a little scared of just walking out of my house, it feels like the wild is calling and I want to wander off indefinitely into the wild at late night, without water and unprepared.
I don't think this is very normal? And I don't think anyone else would like to go with me? I thought about the book "Along for the Ride" and how when I was reading it in middle school I was literally confused why people would not sleep at night, like at midnight or 1 am is late enough, now I am a night owl and I fully get this feeling.
West of USTC's high-tech campus, around 5 km down Xiyou Road, is the campus of the Ifytek company. It's called "Iflytek village". They are constructing a lot in that part west of the high-tech district, and high-rise apartments, tech parks are rising everywhere. However, it looks quite utilitarian. I have cycled many times down the road.
North of USTC is Shuxihu park with a lake and a shopping mall. Somehow it's pretty boring there as well.
Then you go northwest and you arrive at Nangang. There is this mysterious British-style International high school.
The village contrasts heavily with the high-rises behind it.
Further north from Nangang is a huge car manufacturing company. Then the city roads end and you go on country roads surrounded by trees and grasses. There is a Hui church and some villages up there. However, the road is only pleasant to cycle on if there aren't many cars roaming by.
West of Nangang is Xiaoshu Mountain. However, it is heavily guarded. There is a graveyard around. There is only one road up Xiaoshu Mountain near a highway as far as I know and it looks wild. You can only go up a few dozen meters so much as to reach a military control zone and go up no more.
If you cross Pai River to the southwest of USTC's high-tech campus, that is Shaomaigang and Ziyun Lake, the terminal stations of the newly constructed subway lines.
A giant bridge over Pai River with blue lights
I was thirsty and went into a pharmacy. I asked if they had water to buy. The woman said no, but she immediately offered me free water in a cup. After I drank the water quickly, she offered me another cup, asking, "Is one cup enough?" so I had another cup. I couldn't stop saying thank you. She said it was nothing, and I am so grateful!
Most of this area seems highly industrial.
It's a great place to look at the stars at night.
Or look at the distant dense apartment buildings
Ziyun Lake is still under heavy construction, and there are only muddy roads now. It is a dull lake. There are a lot of construction workers building apartments near the lake, and a new campus of Anhui University under construction.
