The silver Nissan MPV is parked under the green trees. On the roof sits a tiny astronaut plush toy, looking extra cute in the sunlight.
The windows are covered in temporary entry permits. The doors have Malaysian and Thai flag stickers, along with some police badges.
This is Ah Du's car. He set off from Malaysia, driving through Thailand and Laos, and just entered China through Mohan Port yesterday. He likes putting little plush toys on the roof, saying it makes the journey more fun.
"Look at this little astronaut—I bought it in Bangkok," Ah Du says, pointing to the toy on the roof. "It's been with me through several countries already."
His friend teases him: "You're not driving, you're basically taking an astronaut around the world."
Ah Du laughs too. Wind blows through the leaves, making a rustling sound. Sunlight filters through the trees onto the car body, dappled and patchy.
He looks at his car, thinking about going to Dali and Lijiang next, and then Tibet—with this little astronaut along, no matter how far the road is, it never feels lonely.
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Many road trippers like putting small plush toys on their roofs. It's already become a culture. Some put bears, some put monkeys, some put astronauts—all kinds, especially fun.
"Every time I stop, people come over to take photos," Ah Du says with a laugh. "This little astronaut has become the mascot of our convoy."
Indeed, on the road there are always little joys like this that make long journeys less boring.