Oh dear, the light after 15:30.

I'm walking this street for the last time. Looking around, I don’t spot a single Western face. I feel out of place, and it feels so comforting.

It’s my only night out in Beijing. This city has been one of early alarms, rather than nights and drinks.

5:45 wake up for the Great Wall.

5:30 wake up, it's National Day.

8:30 meet Marius, a fellow photographer I’ve been spending these Beijing days with, at the elder gym. It’s his favorite spot.

7:20 catch better light at the elder gym.

Every evening, back at the guesthouse, I had nothing left.

But tonight, here I am. Scouting through windows the few bars along the dark alley leading to my guesthouse, where my luggage is waiting to be teleported (I wish) to the airport in a few hours.

Madvillain, Nas, J Dilla. These are the records I spot behind a DJ playing something I cannot hear from outside.

Few people. Easy lights. This is the place.

I sit. I order a drink from a rather creative cocktail list. The waiter feels the need to confirm that I ordered a green-colored drink with mint. God knows why.

I take a moment to savor this whole trip. 16,726 km, says Polarsteps. Five countries, including Taiwan (the voice of my Shanghai food tour guide emerges in my head: “places please, Taiwan is not a country”).

While writing this, a video I saw this afternoon comes to my mind: the Taiwanese coast guard hitting a Chinese boat with a water cannon after it ignored orders to turn back. I wonder how this tension will evolve.

At least Taiwanese people are forthcoming and open to talking about it. Yesterday, here in Beijing, a guide just walked us through Tiananmen Square without a single mention of what happened in 1989. I came so close to asking if the street where we were walking was the one in the Tank Man photo. But then a voice in my head knocked: Mattia, do we want trouble? Not today.

So, five countries, depending on who you ask: Taiwan, South Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, and China. Five countries that intertwined through centuries of conquests, wars and diasporas. And I did feel it. In people’s behavior, in their celebrations, their religions and in how they (don't) speak about other countries.

Now I can confirm the sensation I had at the beginning of the trip: Taiwanese culture is the perfect blend of the Chinese and Japanese ones. Clean, civil, but also a bit looser, more open. If I had to pick, I’d pick Taiwan.

The glass is empty. Another DJ takes the decks and drops some pretty good boom bap. I want to stay, but it's time to say goodbye. I wrap up my thoughts, grab my bags and jump in the taxi. By the time I hit send, I’ll already be in Barcelona.

A few things you could do before we part ways for a while:

As for the Missives: the next one will land whenever I leave home again.

It was a pleasure to have you with me during these two and an half months.

Till the next edition,

— M

PS. Even though everything had been in my notes for weeks, it took me quite a while to hit send on this last Missive From East Asia. Probably because it was the last thread tying me to the trip and I didn’t really want to let it go.