An 80-year-old has visited 24 countries over the past decade – his age cannot stop his desire to see the world

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On October 8th, on Xinzheng Street in Muyun New Village, 83-year-old Yi Jiufan used a pen to mark on a globe the places he had visited during his world travels. Over the past 9 years, since 2008, he has traveled across five continents and to 24 different countries; he has seen penguins in Cape Town, South Africa, and taken gondola rides in Venice… What is astonishing is that such a world tour was accomplished by an elderly man in his eighties. On October 8, the reporter met the protagonist of this global journey – 83-year-old Yi Jiufan, who had just returned to Changsha from his trip to Russia, which was his 24th country he had visited. In 2008, he went abroad for the first time to Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand. “November 21, 2015, Sun City, South Africa”; “September 16, 2017, streets of Moscow.” On the three walls of the main room in Yi Jiufan’s home are photos of his travels around the world. Each photo is labeled with the date and location; some photos also feature humorous poems written by him. In the center of the main room, there was also a world map and a map of China, on which every place he had visited and the distances he had flown were marked. Yi Lao recalled that his first trip was in 1965 to Shaoshan, and from then on he fell in love with traveling. On his 60th birthday, he went to Beijing for the first time and made a plan for his travels: to visit every part of the country and all five continents. Since then, he has spent an average of 10,000 yuan per year on traveling. “My first trip abroad was in 2008, to Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand as part of a tour group. ”Yi Lao said that from then on he became passionate about traveling around the world, and he began his own journey of exploration. In 2015, Yi climbed the Potala Palace, completing his plan to visit all parts of China; thereafter, he went to South Africa, fulfilling his dream of visiting all five continents. Everyone thought that Yi Lao wouldn’t travel again, but in September of this year, he signed up for a tour to Russia for an 8-day trip. “Although I have traveled across five continents and around the world, I still want to go and see Russia at its northernmost tip. ”Yi Lao said. Age cannot stop one’s desire to see the world. In earlier years, Yi Lao would travel abroad with his spouse, but as his spouse’s health declined, he was forced to go on trips in groups with friends. “My wife still supports me now, but my son isn’t very supportive because I’m getting old. ”Yi Lao said that fortunately his health was still good, so sometimes he would go out without telling his son, and only reveal it to him when he returned. While traveling around different places, Mr. Yi enjoys taking photos; in addition to capturing images of the scenic spots, he also likes to take pictures with locals. “I don’t speak English, so I use gestures, and the locals are also happy to take photos with me. ”Talking about the interesting moments related to group photos, Mr. Yi showed a photo taken in Russia this time. “These people insisted on taking a photo with me, and who would have thought that they would even ask me for money after taking the photo.” ” Today, out of the seven continents in the world, only Antarctica and South America remain unexplored by Yi Lao. However, it is no longer as easy for him to go there as it used to be; he not only has to get permission from his family but also from the travel agency. “Last year, I had planned to go to Brazil, but the people at the travel agency, knowing that I was in my 80s, were unwilling to book a trip for me. ”Yi Lao said that later his partner also fell ill, so he gave up on going to Brazil. After each trip, Yi Lao would compile the photos taken during the journey along with his thoughts into a CD. Over the past 20-plus years, Mr. Yi has visited more and more places; the total number of CDs and records he has now amounts to over a hundred, and his travel equipment has evolved from digital cameras and voice recorders to smartphones. “A smartphone can handle taking photos and videos. ”To this end, he even specifically learned *how to use WeChat and how to use mobile apps to edit pictures; ‘If you don’t understand something, just ask – one must keep learning throughout life.’ ” “Elderly people can also have their own pursuits and dreams; it’s never too late to set out. ”Yi Lao said that age couldn’t stop his desire to see the world; he still wants to go to Brazil, \"I still want to go if I get the chance.\" ”