Diary of a man, a camera and a camel

Driving from Lake Turkana in northwestern Kenya on the afternoon of Sept 14, 2021, 37-year-old Qi Lin and his assistant, 25-year-old Martin, reached their destination:Lake Kisima, a seasonal soda lake that often experiences periods of dryness. After nibbling on some corn, they decided to check the meat they had brought, only to find an army of white maggots wriggling on the surface of the mutton they bought two hours earlier.

Failing to get rid of the maggots by knocking the meat on a stone, they cooked the mutton with some cabbage and ate it.

In his newly released book The Camel Diaries, Qi recorded this impressive excerpt from his 701-kilometer journey on foot north along the eastern side of the East African Rift.

"Maggot is protein, good stuff," he says very seriously.

"Some people might wonder how I can eat it, but my perspective might be completely different. When you're on a journey with nothing good to eat, and suddenly you find some animal protein, having a bit of meat or fat, even if it's not the freshest, is a joy," he says.

"You have to be grateful. Today, you have something to eat, even if it's maggots."

The Camel Diaries records the journey that began in September 2021 and ended in November of the same year. Qi, Martin, and their 3-year-old camel, Kipesh, crossed the equator and highlands, navigating diverse landscapes such as elephant forests and savannas until they reached Lake Turkana, known as the "Cradle of Humankind". From the lake, they circled Mount Kulal and ventured into the harsh desert wilderness.

It's a hard journey not only for humans but also for camels. Usually, to travel such a long distance, one person needs four camels to take turns carrying 50 kilograms of water, food, cooking equipment, tents, and more.

"My budget was very limited, so I only got one camel. For such a long-distance travel in the desert, a camel's carrying limit is 70 kg," he explains.

When they reached Lake Turkana, Qi had lost 10 kg. The camel weighed 100 kg and was in a dangerous condition.

Qi learned that when a camel dies, it often shows no warning signs. It might just tilt its head and collapse, or it might not get up after sitting down to rest. Therefore, he let the camel rest for over 20 days because the upcoming journey into the Chalbi Desert would be even more challenging, with less food and water.

As expected, the Chalbi Desert became the hardest part of the whole journey, more dangerous than the place where they were surrounded by armed local people in tribal conflicts, or later, when the camel was robbed. It is a desert where Qi gained a direct understanding of the impacts of climate change. In the remote nomadic desert town of Maikona on the northern edge of the Chalbi Desert, a 4-year-old girl had never seen rain.

Traveling on foot, with a camel carrying all the necessities, the desert was still very challenging to traverse. Though Qi only mentioned it briefly in the book, he says, "I was probably on the verge of heatstroke (several times). My mouth felt numb, there was a metallic taste, and I started hallucinating."

At the end of each day, after walking 30 to 40 km and overcoming many difficulties, Qi finally set up his tent, often with low blood sugar, and wrote in his diary on his cell phone, which had a broken screen, then posted it on WeChat.

"My diaries are kept in a simple manner, without many thoughts running through my mind," Qi says, explaining his writing style.

"What mattered to me at that moment was survival. It might sound a bit exaggerated, but when I say I survived, I don't mean I was on the brink of death every day. It's more about having worked so hard and traveled such a long path, I finally have a place where I can catch my breath," he says.

Through this ascetic journey, Qi emerged not only from the dangerous deserts of northern Kenya but also from the lowest point of his life.

Qi's family has a tradition of working abroad. His grandfather was a doctor on the first Chinese medical team sent to Somalia. His mother, also a doctor, was sent to Nepal to work for three years. In 2011, inspired by his grandfather, he went to Africa and worked there until 2015, when he decided to quit a Chinese company and become a full-time husband.

In 2015, he and his wife, a UN employee, relocated to New York. Having spent four years in Africa, the full-time househusband felt lost in this cosmopolis known for its financial industry and high-rises. To pass the days and sleep well at night, he sometimes joined two other househusbands for long, aimless walks, covering about 20 km per day.