June 3rd.
A huge cal trod over stones on the desolate expanse of the Gobi, its back ridden by a young man clad in khaki exploration gear, who gently tugged at the reins to direct the cal's course.
The scene wasn't particularly odd and didn't differ much from most cal herders; only the young man's appearance was distinctly out of place. Logically, he should have been a tourist, yet he could freely ride alone on the cal, which was quite strange.
But a closer look revealed even stranger peculiarities. The equipnt on the cal was very "primitive"—not in function or design, but in material, most of which were even made from woven bark.
Even the poorest cal herder's ho would have at least a few carved wooden saddles, draped in leather, ornate with intricate patterns, unlike these unfashionably stark and shabby saddles.
"Getting off a regular cal is rather easy: pull on the reins to halt, slide down from the neck, or dismount from the back."
"A tad cal can also be climbed onto from the neck. A cal's back is stiff, making it less comfortable to ride than a horse, but it's cozier and warm. In winter, riding atop a cal, with the humps blocking the wind and the body all fuzzy, you won't feel cold at all. Their speed isn't worse than that of horses and they don't need to be well-fed."
"It does get rather hot during the day, so it's best to have a bamboo mat or sothing as a barrier."
Bi Fang spoke while dismounting from the cal's neck, sliding down smoothly, with the whole process being impressively slick.
After two more days of training, Bi Fang had beco adept at riding the recently dosticated cal.
[666, doesn't need to be well-fed (dog's head)]
[Cal: Just had a few good als and this is starting?]
[Just two days ago you called it sweetheart, and today it's Mrs. Cow, oh n]
[That escalated quickly, really too fast]
"You can't just say anything you like."
Bi Fang, leading the cal, went directly to a lon field.
"Our land here is technically still soil, so the vegetation is fairly abundant with plenty of shrubs, and you can even find a couple of trees to check for any fruit. Once we truly enter the desert areas, I won't know what I'll be able to eat."
"So, before that, we need to stock up on as much supplies as possible. Speaking of which, we've almost completely harvested this lon field."
With nearly a week of cal training concluded, the ti had co to comnce the journey across the Sahara.
Bi Fang searched the ground and found that there weren't many Desert Gourds left.
The plants didn't grow in abundance to begin with, and with Bi Fang and the cal arriving, the rate of consumption accelerated, taking a few every day. But Bi Fang only picked the fruits; he didn't uproot the plants, ensuring a fresh, succulent batch of sweet lons by the next day.
After picking the last few lons, he loaded them onto the cal's back.
Having done this, Bi Fang looked up at the sun, gently squeezed the cal's belly, turned around, and set off towards the north, leaving behind a slowly setting sun casting a golden glow over the land.
"Humans often perceive maladjustnt to external environnts as adversity, likening it to a struggle."
"In the past, I also thought so, but after experiencing so much, my thoughts began to change. This is not a good way to survive dangerous situations—with nature as the adversary, only you can lose."
"Indeed, new environnts do contain inherent dangers, and one must take preventative asures in advance, but nature is impartial to all."
"Learn to adapt to every climate, learn to utilize what nature bestows upon you. Climate depends not solely on latitude; location and elevation are equally important factors."
"Most desert areas were once fertile lands; so organisms survived there and adapted to the new environnt."
"Just like them, survivors must learn to use any shade that can protect them from the scorching sun, in order to minimize the loss of body fluids and limit daily activities. Continuously draw survival experience from travelers crossing the desert."
[Survival of the fittest!]
[If you can't change nature, then learn to change yourself]
[Mutation, begin!]
Bi Fang closed his eyes, as if recalling so past mory.
A mont later, he continued to speak.
"In so deserts, such as the Sahara Desert, the Middle East deserts, the Peruvian and northern Chilean deserts as well as the Gobi Desert region of Mongolia, the temperature difference between day and night is very large. The condensation of vapor in the air at night can yield precious water."
"In Namibia's desert in South Africa, the moisture brought by the sea fog also provides the water necessary for life."
"Whereas in regions like Western Australia, northern xico, and the southwestern part of Ugly Country in the Mojave Desert, the temperature difference between day and night are relatively small, with very little condensation of water vapor, making animal and plant life extrely scarce and survival even more difficult."
"Sotis, like in the Kalahari Desert, you'll find sparse grasses and thorny shrubs growing. Even in the most barren environnts, so life still manages to survive, but you must know how to discover it."
"In the desert, you'll encounter sandstorms with visibility falling almost to zero, necessitating tight protection to prevent sand from getting into your mouth, eyes, ears, and nose. You'll also find dust devils, a type of desert whirlwind similar to a tornado, quite common."
"Even if you co across rain—which may only happen once in several years in so regions—you mustn't be too pleased too soon. The rain can pour down heavily and quickly form massive floods, which are just as swiftly absorbed by the parched ground."
"It may sound dangerous, but during these tis, so plants will bloom briefly, and rapidly reproducing animals take this opportunity to complete their life cycles, like the spadefoot toad found in Arizona."
[Another day shocked by knowledge]
[Old Fang knows too much!! (Frantic waving of glow sticks)]
[The first master of wilderness survival is online now, animals, tremble!!]
Facing the audience's cheers, Bi Fang smiled and shook the reins gently, urging the cal to quicken its pace a bit.
Feeling the wind coursing through the air, Bi Fang reached for a felt hat hanging from a backpack alongside the cal.
[Hiss, Old Fang has pulled out sothing strange again]
[Where did that co from?]
[Grass, have I entered a 'Raiders of the Lost Ark' movie set?]
"I've said so much, only to make you understand the true essence of survival. Don't bla heaven and others; you need to be resourceful, for that is our humans' most precious wealth. Then go out and discover and adapt to those lifelines in extre environnts."
"Now, we have only one goal in front of us, and that is the Sahara, the most hostile, most famous, and the largest death desert in the world."
"The Sahara was once an oasis, with many people thriving. But as the environnt worsened, the region gradually beca covered by desert, turning into one of the harshest natural conditions on Earth and one of the most inhospitable regions for life."
"Our goal is to cross it within a limited ti."
Bi Fang put on the felt hat with a backhand flick, shielding his eyes from the glaring sunlight.
His forefinger tapped the brim of the hat, casting a sharp shadow downwards, hiding his expression.
"In 'Around the World in Eighty Days', Mr. Fogg managed to travel around the world and return to London in eighty days. So I believe, we can cross the entire Sahara in seventy-seven days."
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