Archive for the ‘Cycling’ Category

Day 198. 92km. Tianshuijian – Shuwei

Posted: November 26, 2015 in China, Cycling
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‘Mei you.’
There is a chatter of ‘weiguoren’ (foreigner). No hotel room for foreigners. Only the (4 star) official foreigner hotels are ok. After an hour of looking, I left Guazhou and off into the windy desert to camp.

The wind blowing the Chinese flag

The wind blowing the Chinese flag

It was slim pickings along the road regarding food. Not the restaurant every 10km I was used to. I left with enough water, ate some snacks on the way, and stopped at multiple melon stands to eat a melon or two. More than that was not on offer. Big town Guazhou was the first restaurant, and a multitude of hotels. Having travelled with Achun (who officially also needs to stay in foreigner hotels, being from Hong Kong) I was ready for an early evening and a long rest before the long slog into the desert. It was not to be.

The long desert road

The long desert road

After a further slog into the wind, I find myself in a dry creek bed near a little oasis village, only accessible from the road parallel to the freeway. I don’t think they get many people outside of the village here.. ☺

Day 197. 61km. Dunhuang – Tianshuijian

Posted: November 25, 2015 in China, Cycling
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I lie windbattered and a bit confused in a tin shack at a parking spot on the freeway between Dunhuang and Guazhou. I am safe, and alone inside, listening to the wind howling outside. The headwind was dramatic as Achun and I crawled forward through the sheets of sand and dust to the first sign of life since leaving Dunhuang. And then Achun said that he was leaving, and didn’t want to cycle with me.

A windy melon stand

A windy melon stand

I am at a loss, and sad that Achun has left. I don’t understand why. He was a bit distressed yesterday evening when I really couldn’t eat what I had taken at the all-you-can-eat buffet. A ‘food-wastage’ fine hung over my head, but my western stomach couldn’t eat what I had foolishly taken. Was it my irritation when fixing a flat tyre just after we were about to leave this morning? I may never know. Anyway, I’m cycling alone again..

We stayed for 2 days in Dunhuang, resting and visiting the famous sand dunes. And they are huge! They rise hundreds of metres above the town – just the right thing for me. I’ve always loved running up and down sandhills.

The vast sandy expanse

The vast sandy expanse

The top of the sandhill

The top of the sandhill

On the way up

On the way up

Day 196. 125km. Liuyuan – Dunhuang

Posted: November 24, 2015 in China, Cycling
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Before us the road was infinite, to all sides the desert was vast. Grey pebbles and sand, the odd tiny scrubby bush. Grey below the horizon, blue above, and a scorching white sun burning us from the heavens.

The dusty road

The dusty road

Huang left before us when there was no obvious sign of movement from Achun’s tent. Several hours later Achun and I departed, and made our way along this often sandy, bumpy road, plied by massive road-work trucks. Away from the road-works, the desert was all encompassing. I love this barren landscape – this piece of parched earth – void of people. Just us, the sun, the earth, and the heat.

The dusty road

The dusty road

The dusty road

The dusty road

Arrival in Dunhuang – quite high on the Chinese tourist-Mecca list, was a jolt back to reality. Crowds of people perusing over souvenirs of polished rocks, bangles and bracelets, cards and t-shirts. A whole street of touristy restaurants at inflated prices. Dusty, sweaty (and probably smelly), we joined the masses, oozing past people as we slowly crept forward. We realised that we both don’t like this.
‘Food! Food! Sit down!’
A menu was thrust in our faces.
Whisk us away. Take us to a place where the wind, the sun and the clouds are our only companions. To a place where we are part of nature – not just observing it, consuming it, with thousands of others in a protective bubble of civilization. Take us away.

Bubble tea

Bubble tea

Day 267. 106km. Thang Beng – Don Det

Posted: November 24, 2015 in Cycling, Laos
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This place is chilled. The boat took me and my bike across the wide expanse of still water and green tropical islands to a place where time flows slower – it loses meaning. The reggae beat, the cool breeze of the fan, the hammock, the heat, the river. Don Det island.

Arrival on Don Det island

Arrival on Don Det island

Fate brought me here. It wasn’t my original plan. On this trip I have learned to go with the flow, and the flow brings you to the coolest of places and experiences. This hippy, twenty-something hangout is about going with the flow. Here I can practice not sticking to strict timetables and burning kilometres. My body needs it.

From Vientiane I was going to cycle directly to Bangkok before embarking on my Bangladesh/India/Burma side trip. With unrest in Bangladesh and mandatory noisy police escorts for cyclists, I cancelled that. I rejoined with Mark who was cycling down the length of Laos and then to Siem Reap in Cambodia. Why not join him? So now I find myself in the 4000 islands in the Mekong River on the Laos/Cambodia border. Unfortunately I am now without Mark, who is still recovering from Dengue fever.

I left before sunrise this morning to avoid the heat, and enjoyed the empty road. There were few villages and few people. There was some farming, but more wooded plains. It feels I have left the populated part of Laos, on the road to the border. There is only the backpacker chill hangout left before the Mekong slides over the border into Cambodia.

Cycling in the morning light

Cycling in the morning light

Cycling in the morning light

Cycling in the morning light

The boat to Don Det

The boat to Don Det

The bridge from Don Det to Don Khon

The bridge from Don Det to Don Khon

Day 195. 99km. Xinxinxia – Liuyuan

Posted: November 23, 2015 in China, Cycling
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Bickle up people. I’ve entered Gansu with English on the signs. I’m looking forward to the statae class an xi extremely – I’m not sure if I’d recognise it if I saw it though. In the mean time, I drank a lot of ice tea in the ice zone and watched out for the traffic in the harmonious society. Chinglish at its best.

Extremely

Extremely

Welcome to Gansu

Welcome to Gansu

Smooth Communication

Smooth Communication

The Ice Zone

The Ice Zone

Harmonious Society

We set of after the other cyclist Huang today, who was waiting at the hotel reception long before we had even thought about breakfast. With his eyes set of the 220km distant Duanghuan, we thought we would not see him again.

A flat tyre broke up the everyday existence of cycling along the main road through the desert, stopping every 30km or so at the parking area shops.

Puncture

Puncture

All this cycling had brought Achun and I closer and closer to a first possible split in our paths. Dunhuang. A beautiful town, set in the desert, with massive sand dunes as a backdrop. A tourist mecca. And about 130km off our way. I was undecided on whether or not to go there. Achun was undecided. Both wanted to continue parallel to the freeway in Gansu afterwards for a few hundred more kilometres. Both also wanted to continue cycling together. I feel a real rapport with Achun.
It was approaching evening when we reached the turnoff to Dunghuan – a gravel road that stayed that way the whole 130km to Dunghuan. We were still undecided. And then Huang appeared. It became clear we had a companion no matter what our decision was. As the sun sunk lower in the sky, the three of us set off along the dirt road into the desert to set up camp in a beautiful place in the desert lunar landscape.

Sunset

Sunset

Day 266. 82km. Pakse – Thang Beng

Posted: November 23, 2015 in Cycling, Laos
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The crowds were flocking to Wat Phou in the heat– in busses, on motorbikes, in the back of shared vans. I went there too, but also to Wat Phou Ngoi – a real temple, being used, perched high above the Mekong. The still expanse of water and islands lay presented below me. Beside the monks, I was the only one there.

Wat Phou Ngoi

Wat Phou Ngoi

Wat Phou Ngoi

Wat Phou Ngoi

Wat Phou Ngoi

Wat Phou Ngoi

Wat Phou also sits above the plains with a steep staircase running to the top. At the base they were busy slicing rocks and hammering as loudly as possible.

Wat Phou

Wat Phou

The towns around Champasak along the Mekong were lovely, with beautiful views over sandy beaches on the opposite shore. My destination lay on the other side, and a bit closer to tomorrow’s destination of the 4000 islands.

Crossing the Mekong

Crossing the Mekong

Returning to Route 13

Returning to Route 13

Day 194. 107km. Middle of the desert – Xinxinxia

Posted: November 22, 2015 in China, Cycling
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Hitler got the thumbs up. My improving Chinese was used to explain the contrary. My wallet was shamelessly investigated for foreign currency. We acquired another cyclist. All on the way to Xinxinxia.

En route

En route

Why is Hitler so popular so far from Germany? Where are you from? Germany? Hitler! And then the thumbs up. I heard that in the stans, and now in China. Is that the only thing they know about Germany? I used my ever-improving Chinese to explain why I did not like Hitler. I don’t think I changed his opinion.

Our days are cycling through the endless rocky desert and stopping at the parking spots with little restaurants. We arrive and make our way to their fridge to inspect the cold drinks on offer. We sit and drink our purchases while our bikes are gazed at, the tyres are tapped, cables pulled and my carbon drive (chain replacement) is inspected. This time my wallet was also picked up from the table and checked out. My one US dollar was extremely interesting. They wouldn’t let me go until they had exchanged it for yuan.

At one of our stops we picked up another cyclist who was going in our direction. What makes people click? What makes someone like being with another? I don’t know. Something just feels right. Looking into their eyes there’s an understanding. We’re on the same wavelength.

Achun and I looked at each other – we could read each other’s thoughts. We did not have a click with our new fellow cyclist. The three of us cycled together through the desert to Xinxinxia. Our conversations were clipped. Tomorrow our paths are the same too. There is just one road.

The river bed

The river bed

Looking out over the flats

Looking out over the flats

Evening

Evening

Evening

Evening

Day 265. 121km. Tad Lo – Pakse

Posted: November 22, 2015 in Cycling, Laos
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1000m up. 1100m down. Back to where I was this time 48 hours ago. Bolevan Plateau – tick. It was nice – nice to get into cooler climes, nice to cycle through some greenery away from Highway 13. It was also hard work. I’m ready for the main road again.

The looming clouds

The looming clouds

For the first time on my trip I have saddle sores. Ouch. All this sweating climbing a kilometre into the sky has made some parts very tender. The climb was constant but never terribly steep. It was a peaceful road and very pleasant.

The morning road

The morning road

Lots of coffee, and a big waterfall.

Coffee

Coffee

The top of the waterfall

The top of the waterfall

The waterfall

The waterfall

Day 193. 97km. Hami – Middle of the desert

Posted: November 21, 2015 in China, Cycling
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The desert is vast, rocky and barren, but much has been tamed. For much of the time, the road continues through endless vineyards and agricultural land. Then, when the village and civilization ends, the desert starts abruptly. In a dry creek bed, under the stars we lie, gazing at the heavens.

The stars

The stars

Crossing the back-blocks of China takes time. The roads are good and the kilometres pass (quickly or slower depending on the wind). There are many many kilometres to pass, and I count them down. When I entered China there were over 4000km to the start of the freeway. Now there are under 3000. The road is not busy, and we have the wide emergency lane all to ourselves. We stop every 20-30km for the regular fill of ice-tea and bingjiling (ice-cream). Breakfast, lunch and dinner is the same in China, and so I eat it when we stop. I have accepted my craving for cereal in the morning will remain unfulfilled.

Today we had a picnic lunch on a tree-lined lane between the vineyards.

At our lunch spot

At our lunch spot

And dinner just before heading off into the desert to camp.

Dinner stop

Dinner stop

The desert

The desert

Evening

Evening

My humble abode

My humble abode

Day 264. 90km. Pakse – Tad Lo

Posted: November 21, 2015 in Cycling, Laos
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There is a smell. I’ve only smelled it in Laos. A sweet fragrant aroma floating through the mountains. I don’t know what it is. I’ll call it the flower of Laos, and it was in great abundance today as I cycled along to the back door of the Bolevan Plateau.

The colourful road

The colourful road

After leaving the busy dual carriageway the road became quieter. The initial climb of 300m took the edge off the heat, and I had a pleasant meander through the green, lush landscape skirting the hills rising up to the Bolevan Plateau. It was a bit up-and-down, but nothing that slowed me down too much. I saw quite a few tourists on motorbikes waving at me, and congregating at the places mentioned in the Lonely Planet. Tad Lo is a vibrant little backpacker village next to a lovely little waterfall.

Happy kids

Happy kids

Papaya

Papaya

Green

Green

Tad Lo

Tad Lo

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