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English Version 16
Thursday 17.04.08
Pingyao, Yamen Hostel 8.15 o’clock
A little sad to have to move on. A nice town. Wonderful people here at
the hostel. And their English is useable.
This morning I lay on my bed thinking what had passed in the room during
the ages.
Once the whole complex was owned by a rich family. Later perhaps 20
families? And during the cultural revolution? Which tragedies and
suffering have it witnessed?
Treated myself to a Swiss breakfast, for which I’m waiting after having
had two kinds of “buns”. One of the steamed kind. I don’t remember their
name.
The days trip should end in Huozhou. A little more than 100 km, but if
the road’s still fine it should be no problem.
I forgot to tell why I call the manager Xiao Lu. Lu of course, is his
name, while xiao means small. As being the eldest I address him with
xiao, while he on the other hand if he knew my name would address me lao
Steen.
But I don’t think they use it so much anymore, I don’t think I hear it
anywhere.
When I’m ready to leave they’re all there. The prettiest of the girls
snatch my crash helmet and walks around with it, so I have to take a
picture. And afterwards Lu wants to try out my bike, dressed in helmet
and all. I reflect on how it’s going to go, but decide that the bike
will not be harmed even if he turns over. It’s not that easy to go with
that much weight on the front wheel if you’re not used to it. It turns
out all right even it’s close. I get a picture of him too and can’t he
have it transferred to his computer right away, cause he actually has a
laptop?
So when it comes to all it’s later than I’d hoped. So I do not but
bananas and bread because there are no salesmen at the north gate, from
which I embark. I can buy it during the day, I think, and strolls on, on
this excellent road. All is well for the first 40 km. Then at last a
village street appears where a shop is to be seen. They have some kind
of buns. They will do until I find a place to eat later.
When I leave it’s obvious that the front wheel has a puncture. I drag
the bike across the main road and get ready for a repair. Some men are
looking interested. They seem surprised that I carry a pump. I soon
locate the hole. I remember all too well the repair that now has given
in. The tube ought to have been replaced. There are 3 patches glued
together. So I change the tube. One the men has fetched a wash basin
with water to help finding the hole. Nice of him, but I’m already
putting the new tube on. The water seems yellowish, I wonder what it is,
urine?
When I’m finished I’m rather dirty, so I end up accepting the offer of
having my hands washed in the yellow water. A little later I use some of
my precious drinking water to wash again.
And now the film breaks or literally the road. The surface is gone. I
don’t remember how or when it changed. The rest of the day from now on,
12 o’clock, isn’t quite clear to me. But I think it all started in a
village where the road turned all muddy. And when the mud was gone it
was dust for the rest – of the day! I loose my Chinese map, which I
usually put under the backpack, whose weight will keep it there. Only
the road is too bumpy for that today. Well, I’ll soon have to leave this
province and enter the next and by the way just follow G108.
The next severe thing to happen is that we have to cross the river. The
road has entered the riverbed, because they’re building a new road. And
down the riverbed there’s no bridge, only some sort of wade with a lot
of current.
I can’t go through. My front panniers are low riders and will get under
water. I’ve tried it before. In Bolivia, but then there were not
hundreds of trucks around me, here there are!
When I goes near to inspect the wade there’s a loud bang and a cascade
of water goes up the air and drifts by the wind over me. The back wheel
of a truck is exploded, there must have been something sharp under the
water?
I pull off the front panniers and my boots and socks and take them
across. It sounds easy, but it’s not. I have to fight for room with the
lorries. After having crossed it’s back again to drag the bike across. I
succeed once more and I feel the triumph. A motorcyclist has succeeded
too and is now returning with his girlfriend on his back. We
congratulate each other by thumbs up.
 |
 |
| The river must be crossed | Again and again and.... |
Being relieved after the crossing I little new of what was to come. I
only found out that I had lost my sunglasses. They must have fallen into
the water or somebody took them while I was crossing without the bike. I
think it must be the first.
Twice more I had to do the same crossing trick. Those were even wider.
The only good thing was that a private car (that had passed me very
close - the only time I was annoyed until now though I didn`t shout at
him) lost its power in the middle of the water. So for the next long
time no one passed me from behind.
Then came something I can only describe as a big lake where a long line
of lorries were stuck. All traffic had come to a stop as only one car
could pass at a time at the wade where the private car had come to a
stop.
The water didn`t look that deep - but it was. So the front panniers were
partly under water some of the time. I wonder how they`ve managed -
havn`t looked yet.
From time to time kind people told me that I was black in the face and
shouldn`t I wash it in the river?
As if I didn`t know! And it would be black again after a short time!
But after a little pavement after 95 k`s I thought I had come through
and went to some houses and a garage where people were standing. Asked
by gestures if I could have some water (shui) to wash my face. They were
so kind.
Had the bad road come to an end?
No.
First after 101 k things were getting a little better. It was almost
dark when I began entering the city of Huozhou.
A glittering neon-sign and something that could be a hotel lobby made me
stop.
It was.
When I looked in the mirror I saw the face of a coalmine worker after a
long shift. The white in my eyes glistening on the black background.
Totally worn out.
Even after 20 min`s under the shower black stuff kept on emerging from
eyes, ears and nose. And after rubbing my eyes the best I could the
towel had long black stripes when I dried my eyes. I`m happy I don`t
wear make up usually.
They`d told me to come downstairs after my shower and I thought there
might be a swimmingpool. That would be nice.
There wasn`t, no it`s not exactly the truth there was something like a
spa. But that was the only thing I shouldn`t try.
First I was stripped naked, then under one more shower, then a sauna -
how nice!
Then I had a massage. For something that seems like ages two men are
rubbing, scrubbing, pounding me. I’m rubbed into fragrant oils and in
the end send for another shower. Even my ears were cleaned. And tooth
brushing was a part of the show too, only I had to do that by myself.
During the show I wonder how much this extravagance will be, because
this can’t be part of the stay. If I’d asked beforehand it would have
been cancelled, but is there anything my body needs now it’s probably
this. It’s like participating in the Tour de France.
56 RMB, around 60 d.kr. For being thrashed soundly for half an hour,
isn’t that cheap?
I`ve never had a massage before in my entire life. But now I have - and
Chinese!
I only felt like sleeping when I was through but unfortunately I hadn`t
had anything to eat yet, so I had to sit in an ugly room beside the
hotel while everyone was watching me. They must have considered my
chopstick technic too bad, because they came with a spoon. I refused.
Wrote my diary - in Danish - until 11 pm and went to bed. I haven`t
heard the trains horns all night, but I`m sure they’ve been blowing - as
they are now.
112.72 km
14.41 km/t
7:49:00 tim
28.5 km/t