Going astray - again


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1. Beijing 02.04.08

2. Beijing 03.04.08

3. Beijing 04.04.08

4. Beijing 05.04.08

MAP 1 Beijing-Yingxian

5. Beijing-LouCun 06.04.08

6. Lou Cun-YudouCun 07.04.08

7. YudouCun-Laiyuan 08.04.08

8. Laiyuan-Wangzhuang 09.04.08

9. Wangzhuang-Hunyuan 10.04.08

MAP 2 Yingxian-Taiyuan

10. Hunyuan-Dai Xian 11.04.08

11. Dai Xian-Xinzhou 12.04.08

12. Xinzhou-Taiyuan 13.04.08

MAP 3 Taiyuan-Linfen

13. Taiyuan-Pingyao 14.04.08

14. Pingyao 15.04.08

15. PingyaoHuozhou 16.04.08

16. Houzhou-Xiangfen 17.04.08

17. Xiangfen-Hejin 18.04.08

MAP 4 Linfen-Weinan

18. Hejin-Heyang 19.04.08

19. Heyang-Dali 20.04.08 Heyang-Dali

20. Dali-Xi'an 21.04.08

21. Xi'an 22.04.08

22. Xi'an 23.04.08

23. Xi'an 24.04.08

24. Xi'an 25.04.08

MAP 5 Weinan-Hanzhong

25. Xi'an-Mazhao 26.04.08

26. Mazhao-Yangxian 27.04.08

27. Yangxian-Mian Xian 28.04.08

28. Mian Xian-Ningqiang 29.04.08

29. Ningqiang-Guangyuan 30.04.08

MAP 6 Hanzhong-Mianyang

30. Guangyuan-Jianmen Pass 01.05.08

31. Jianmen Pass-Zitong 02.05.08

32. Zitong-Loujiang 03.05.08

33. Luojiang-Chengdu 04.05.08

34. Chengdu 05.05.08

35. Chengdu 06.05.08

36. Chengdu 07.05.08

37. Chengdu 08.05.08

38. Chengdu 09.05.08

MAP 7 Mianyang-Maoxian

39. Chengdu-Dujiangyan 10.05.08

40. Dujiangyan-Miansi 11.05.08

41. Miansi-Maoxian 12.05.08

42. Maoxian 13.05.08

43. Maoxian 14.05.08

44. Maoxian 15.05.08

45. Maoxian 16.05.08

46. Maoxian 17.05.08

47. Maoxian 18.05.08

48. Maoxian-Chengdu 19.05.08

49. Chengdu-Chongqing 20.05.08

50. Chongqing-Wanzhou 21.05.08

51. Yangtze River 22.05.08

52. Yangtze River-Wuhan 23.05.08

53. Wuhan 24.05.08

54. Beijing 25.05.08

55. Beijing 26.05.08

56. Beijing 27.05.08

57. Beijing 28.05.08

58. Beijing 29.05.08

59. Beijing 30.05.08

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English Version 31

Friday 02.05.08
Jianmen Pass

Today I’ve got many new friends.
The day didn’t turn out as planned, but that’s often the charm of it.
It was a hot and damp night, but I slept from 24 till 4 and later till past 7.
The road out of town is worse than ever. It takes me two and a half hours to go the 25 km to Baolun, then the road cross the river and gets OK. It’s still very damp and gets more and more hot, but it’s lovely here along the river, where there’s quite a current.
I come to place where the road divides and there are two policemen, their motorbike, a parasol and a big bowl of water. To Chengdu? No, you’re totally wrong. I have to go back to Baolun. Damned, how could it go wrong? But I havn’t seen the markers of G108 for a while, it’s not the first time, but this time it matters.
The policemen speak the local dialect, but also a few English words, so we get along all right. I have to sit for a while in the shadow and drink some of their water? Yes why not, now everything’s gone wrong.

 


Two friendly policemen And two more friends

 

We also do a photo session, which is just about over when a younger couple arrives on bikes on their way to Baolun. She speaks English and he does too. I can accompany them? Yes, thank you. I’m not used to English speaking company, so instead of a bad necessary piece of road, it becomes a nice trip, which quickly (10 km) is over. And can they offer me a cup of tea, where they live, in a fine lüguan. They are lovers and she lives in Chengdu and he some place in a power plant up the river, and now when they have 3 days off because of the first of may, she’s up here.
One hour has soon passed, where we talk about all that, we didn’t have time to while cycling: Danish social conditions, politics and government, the cultural revolution and my classic questions about that and a lot more.
I shall call her when I’ve arrived at Chengdu, so we can meet again, and we exchange e-mail addresses. A couple of pictures are taken and THEN it’s time to move on.
I’ve already revised the plan of reaching Liugou, but I don’t get far before there’s a BANG from the rear wheel tells me that also this old tyre is finished. This I find out after a short investigation of the tyre. Luckily it’s in a village, so I have my hands washed after having repaired the tube and changed the tyre.
It’s always interesting to watch me take off the wheel and repair it, I can tell.
The plan is revised once more. It’s 17.30 so how far can I get?
I met some more Chinese cyclists and talked to one of them, and Jianmen Pass, which is on the map as a scenic spot must be the goal.
But how high I have to go, and how steep it will get, I don’t know. Only that I still have 15 km left at 18.15. If I have to go with 7 km/h it will take me 2 hours!
It’s a wonderful gorge I go up through. Steep parts change with small descents until I get to a plateau, through which the road entwines dressed in woods. In front vertical multicoloured 500 m’s high cliffs are seen with woods underneath. A house and a radio tower are seen.
Then comes the final climb. The steepest I experienced until now. I draw myself up in the smallest gear with 5 km/h.
Up the pass there’s a temple and restaurants and the road has been fine all the way up. This is a new Chinese tourist spot. Then comes a flat piece and I’m waved in. I’ve turned others down on the way up, but now? Stay for the night? It’s 19 o’clock. It’s a restaurant but a little back there is a lüguan.
They want 100 RMB for a double room. It’s got all, but is looks awful. I decide that 80 is the limit – and get it.
A quick shower, the water cannot, havn’t got time to get hot.
Before coming this far I was addressed in German, by a Chinese that has worked seven years in Cologne. Lives in Chengdu now. I speak German! As good as he does I think, but it takes a little to get the rhythm. It’s good to know other languages!
Back in the restaurant where I had promised to be at 20, for once I get it as I want it. They can’t do chicken but fried rice with vegetables and beef is fine. There are two girl from secondary school, who speaks a bit English. They are very shy and one of them brings a schoolbook to ask: do you mind waiting another 30 min’s?
I have to look in the book to understand. They are nice people all of them. The father reminds me of the Danish actor Thomas Bo Larsen. I don’t think a foreigner ever has stopped here before. It’s as if I fill the whole restaurant, everything else seems less important.
The food is brought just after, so the question was more an English exercise I think.
The landlord brings a guitar. Do I want to play? When the first guitar can’t be tuned, he brings another one, where only the d-string has lost the screw. I tune in after the d-string and sing and play Donovans Donna, Donna with plim, plim before the chorus and all. When I’m half through the first verse the applaude breaks through. I’ve saved the day. This they won’t forget for a long time. At once comes free tofu dishes and cucumber and eggplant dishes on the table.
I shall eat breakfast there at 8.30.
The girls have got my e-mail address and shall write me, when they are back in school.
 
80.69 km
13.96 km/t
5:46:40 tim
34.6 km/t

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