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English Version 11
Saturday 12.04.08
Somewhere at G208. (Zou Dian Zao I think it sounds, but I think they
speak some dialect here)
00.55 p.m.
Another day at the office. More pancake landscape. The road disappears
in the horizon and only occasionally a side road stretches down towards
a distant village. In this case you have to set up goals during the day.
I’ve decided to go 100 km today, if I succeed will show. First goal is
G208, which I have to follow until I reach my old companion G108, which
I maybe will follow all the way to Chengdu. It’s 40 km, so first goal is
halfway. There’s a light headwind, but I’m advancing anyway and before
long I’ve gone the first 20 km.
A couple of birds I havn’t seen before. One of them looks a little like
a woodpecker, but has feathers bristling from the neck, so the head
happens to look like a hammer. Later I remember having seen such one in
south of France.
At one spot I think they’re piling. Some high mobile towers in the open
land. Coming closer it looks more like long pipes having a cylindrical
thing on top: oh, it’s turning – they’re drilling! If it’s for oil or
water or something else, I don’t know, but there are 5 more drilling
pipes on the other side of the road.
One of the partly goals is the expressway, which I’ll have to cross
several times. It has little traffic. I can see a sign telling about a
gas station and parking and below I catch a glimpse of: next station 57
km. Not too bad even after European conditions. The future is not far
and the Chinese are ready: just let it come. The few cars are because
it’s toll road, but that’s only a matter of time before people are able
to pay.
When I get to the crossing with G108 I stop to make sure that it IS the
right one. One of the girls quickly takes a picture of me with her
camera phone. Now she has something to tell at home and to her friends.
The road is worse in the beginning but turns perfect later. The
mountains which has been seen faintly all day have come closer. I look
at them incredulous. There’s snow on top? Can it be true? It’s the same
ridge I passed the other day to the east. The explanation must be that
the nightly rain that has been falling the last days, has fallen as snow
in the mountains. The wind was too really cold when I was on my way down
the mountain.
I ask for fried rice with vegetables from the phrasebook. They don’t
seem to have that, but fried rice with eggs seems to be better. Now I’ve
written all this I haven’t seen anything yet. So I drink another glass
of tea.
After a huge portion of fried rice – with a little egg and a tiny bit of
green I on my way again.
 |
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| One end of the main street in Dai Xian | And the other |
Dai Xian
6.00 p.m.
I’ve done it, friends! I’ve gone a 100 km and have crossed the mountains,
and what’s more: I’ve passed through the wall. The Great Wall. I haven’t
just seen it again but passed right through it. But it’s all coming too
fast – how was it?
The road is doing an even climb and I already see the highway aim at the
mountains. It has to be slow and it’s going to pass far to the right
maybe through a tunnel? While G208, and I, are aiming more directly at
the ridge.
I haven’t expected a steep climb, and it isn’t. But at the beginning,
just after I passed under the highway, I suddenly see something that’s
got to be a watchtower up on the mountain to the right. I can see light
through the dark lump and such formations are rarely seen on
mountaintops.
And when I eagerly look around and go a little further, I see it all. On
the left is a slightly damaged watchtower. So close that I can go and
touch it and there’s a wall to the next and the next and father away up
more watchtowers and a crossing wall. And to the right the wall goes on
behind some houses and up the mountain. It’s not intact like at Simatai,
it must be hard to walk on it, but it’s THERE.
Exited about this I continue and at a moderate speed I climb, 10 and 9
on my scale. When I reach 1430 m I think that that was that, but I’m
wrong. Again something at the opposite mountainside looks a little like
a road, but it can’t be.
Yes, it could. At a 1500 m marker I adjust the altimeter. It only goes
on until 1680 m, but long before I’ve seen how the sky is getting darker
behind me, and is there something I wouldn’t like here, it’s snow or
hail or even rain in this cold. On top I put my Helly Hansen fleece
jacket underneath in a hurry and down I go. From 71 km to 84 km all I
have to do is steer and brake, when nescessary. But it’s cold. I keep
the same position on the bike for too long, so when the bike comes to a
halt at last my right knee has stiffened, and has to have a gentle start
all over. I am now in 1080 m, which corresponds to 5% which isn’t much
without luggage, but with… And 6-7% is probably what heavy loaded
Chinese trucks can manage, so it’s promising for the continuation.
But it’s obvious, that the rain is coming. I reach a crossing where I
have to decide if I’m going to Dai Xian (10 km) or to another smaller
town only 4 km away. I choose the bigger one and hammer along. And I
must be descending still and the wind must be in my back cause I’m doing
up to 34 km/h for a long distance, all the way till I reach G108 and
“just” need 6 km to the left. The last part the traffic becomes more
intense – heavy traffic, and now it gets even worse. The first heavy
drops fall and all is an inferno of broken concrete surface, tooting
trucks, dust and a still thickening rain.
I move through one of the usual awful parts with industry, garages,
roadhouses where cars go in and out – before the real city starts. I
almost pass it, when suddenly I recognize a main street going down left.
Go 50 m. Ask a young man for lüguan. There! he points – I’m right in
front of it. I utilize the opportunity to ask for wang ba. There! He
points down the opposite street. That’s really good. Well, the room is
in the cellar and the bathroom on 2. floor, but you can’t have it all –
every time.
When I want to go to eat, the landlord shows me where himself it’s 20 m
down the street. He made me aware of it when I arrived, so he probably
gets a bonus.
It’s a tiny room and very cosy even all is plastic and bad taste. People
comes rushing in and out. It’s amazing how fast many Chinese eat –
they’ve practiced the chopstick thing for a long time for sure but… My
technic is primitive but efficient and I reject the spoon I’m offered.
You have to learn?
Another day at the office is done.
99.06 km
15.80km/t
6:16:07 tim
35.7 km/t