A couple days in...

This would be a long day. I did 80 km, and only the second day. The day before I did 60km. I surprised myself considering the road was full of hills. This day there would come a 30 km climb. I thought I would die. But with a climb comes the downhill.
About 20 km. Reached speeds of up to 48km. Incredible fun. Almost worth all the hard work. I also met a fellow biker this day, a chinese guy that had been on the road for 3 months. Cool guy, we had a fun ride the rest of the way. Eventually he kept going and I could not keep up and lost him. Tried to find him in Lijiang but with no luck.

Another one of my rooms. This is the standard Truck Stop motel. They are located all throughout the land, near the smaller villages and towns. They are usually 3 bucks. This one had a tv, sometimes they do and sometimes they dont. Sometimes I have to walk far to the W.C. and sometimes I dont. This day I only had to walk downs stairs across the dirt road, near the animals...and wala, the w.c.
One of my basic meals. Potatoes and a vegie and rice, of course. Rice usually comes free when u order food. Except in Yunnan, particulary Kunming, i have had to pay 1 quai for rice. 14 cents. sucks!



Some of the vistas and views along the way. The pics just dont do justice to the landscape.
To my disbelief I saw a cycler early in the morning ahead of me and caught up to him.

The Start

So after 12 hours on a bus to my destination point, with chain smoking drivers, motion sickness people next to me, no stops for bathrooms, traveling over dirt and cobblestone roads for the majority of the trip...I Made It!

But the bus drivers were great. There usually are a couple, plus a helper person.
The drivers switch half way, and one sat next to me and kept calling me Lao Wei (foreigner, in a polite sense), and slapping my leg with his hand, and sometimes letting it sit there. An unnerving feeling, but nonetheless I knew he was just being a very friendly host. All in all, it was quite fun, with snow and cars and trucks jammed up at the mountain pass, due to everyone putting on chains at the last moment i guess...at let me assure you, there is no where to pull over on these roads to put on chains. Lots of guys on motos with chains being the opportunistic salesperson for those that forgot their chains.

My self portait.

Panzihua

One of my many rooms. This was a dorm room with three beds, but no one was in the room. quite nice, i think i paid 2 bucks for this one.
My bus companions on the long way there.
The now covered pass.

The time is at hand

Two months...Sichuan and Yunnan Province...me and my ride!
Leaving X-Mas Day.

• my chinese bike... around $300 with accessories.
• camping equipment and clothing... around $100.
• little chinese flag-Free, (given to me by the Police, compelled to take it).
• getting lost and/or arrested in China...PRICELESS

yeah, i know, a corny rip-off, but hey, its MY BLOG.

Only in rural China

Only in China...
Beer and cigarettes, while riding through some village, running into a wedding during the middle of the week, and getting invited to eat and drink and be merry. Oh, and a gift too!

The Groom smoking me out.

Bride and Groom

"To Long Life"

More beer (it was very good!)

Last toast,
now having to ride home drunk.

Our Holiday

So, I had to make a pit stop one day while riding my bike. I was at a small village house restaurant (my term for someone that has a house, and on the first floor outside, they have a small kitchen and dining area) , walked through their first floor to the back of their home and found the bathroom...with their pet pig watching me go...(the bathroom is on the right, pic is a bit dark).


Thanksgiving!
We did have thanksgiving, my favorite holiday.
Lots of food. No whole turkey, but turkey legs and duck and chicken...all the other goodies as well.






Even homemade pumpkin pie.










My interview. Reporter and interpreter. Yes, its that small and slow town, that they wanted to interview the foreigner, and put it in the local paper.
P.S. I didn't read the interview.