Posts from — November 2008

daily distance: 79km
total distance: 13,324km
riding time: 7-8h

What do you mean, Markus? Surely that can’t be right. Under 100km??? What’s wrong with you?

Where to begin? Here …

I had a terrible night, the wind yet again changed direction and came at me under the bridge … sans the sand this time around. But still, there wasn’t as much sleep as I would have liked to have. Plus, the soup I had last night caused my stomach to go haywire. It was not pretty and the feeling I had all morning was something else. In the morning I didn’t feel like moving and only slowly peeled myself out of the sleeping bag to get going. Once on the road things didn’t get any better either. For the first 2 or 3 hours I kept stopping fighting off a cramped up stomach to the point where you sitting down, lying on the asphalt, hanging over the railings of bridges and the like. Good thing there was no one else to see it. This is what things looked like most of the morning …

Then, if that wasn’t enough a spoke broke on the inside of the rear wheel meaning taking the rear wheel apart in one of those desolate streteches of desert that I am in right now. No fun at all. And then I realized what must have happened in Sary Tash … or at least part of it. Chainsuck. Three or four more spokes are bent quite a bit and I hope those stay where they are. But basically the idiot that rode it somehow caused the chain to get between the spokes and the cogs thereby bending the spokes. Not good.

After fixing things up and hurting my hand in the process, I moved on into higher altitude. The desert gave way to a rocky and narrow valley.

And the song entitled Amber Calling and which goes like “there’s no place that I’d rather be than right here right now” didn’t really reflect my mood at that point. I would have loved to be somewhere else to be honest. But that wasn’t happening, so I moved on. The cramps subsiding things moved along or rather crept and crawled along. I felt spent yet didn’t want to stop where I was. So I moved further and further. It became cold. I was hoping that the something on my map would turn out to be something. It didn’t seem that way for a long time until I finally, after turning a corner, saw a house. Great! Until I was sent away and chased off by two dogs.

More uphill battle with legs that just felt like cement. Then another light when I was almost going to pitch in the dark. And the cement factory thingy was a blessing. There were only three people there but they greeted me so warmly it was moving me immensely. And as if getting me inside wasn’t enough Feng, Lee and Luo just did this as I warmed up a bit … it was some of the best food that I have had on the trip.

And it came at the right time and in the right place and with the right people. 

We passed the time in great company. Feng is a policeman with a great heart, Lee and Luo guarding the place for the company. And they are great cooks let me tell you. I imagine what you’re thinking. How can you eat when you have cramps like this? First, I was hungry, second I had to wager between not having enough energy and having at least some and I opted for the second. 

When I turned in, Feng brought in hot water and a blanket (he had 7 or so) and made sure that I wouldn’t be cold. Thanks so much - this was so needed.

daily distance: 127km
total distance: 13,245km
riding time: 6h

I slept so well in the place I was in … nothing to disturb me and only the birds outside. It was hard to get up. But up and go I must. Or so it seems. Always driven. Always on the move. Getting tired of it a bit.

I went back to the center, buying what I would need for the next 3 days or so, found an internet cafe as well and then - didn’t find the road that I was looking for. I was on the right track for sure at first, but there simply was no road that branched off of it. It was only 50km later that a road came in from the road. But at this point I had made the decision to stay with what I had and move on. It was a bigger road and that was most likely for a reason.

Today was one of the most desolate stretches that I ever encountered. There was nothing there at all except for one town on the left hand side and then again, nothing. There was virgin asphalt after this part and many bridges that were not yet ready, but you could carry the bike across the dividers.

I slept under a bridge again, there was nothing else really. Tenting in open terrain is too much of a hassle, too visible and the like.

daily distance: 141km
total distance: 13,118km
riding time: 7-8h

It was an early morning … I opened my tent and heard absolutely nothing. I lay there and just enjoyed the silence.

Once that phase was over I got going on another long day with not much happening.

It was melonland however. In the middle of the desert you have these green strips where they grow loads and loads of the yummy fruit.

More desert was to follow in the afternoon. As a matter of fact, there was nothing but desert.

But the mountains became clearer - and then I saw Ruoqian. As I had made good progress, I thought I would jump into a hotel and do all the things you can do in civilization. But none of them allowed me in … all of them turned me away. It was a bit hard to believe, but that’s what happened. I was fed up and left and had given up all hope of finding something and as it was dark, it was hard to find a camp spot too. I was then invited by a family to stay at their place. Dinner was superb soup and entertainment was guaranteed.

daily distance: 142km
total distance: 12,977km
riding time: 8-9h

I have made a decision, I will not be pulling all the mileage to the Yellow Sea. It is maybe possible, but I am thinking that it is better not to try and instead bus / truck a part of the way. That gives me a bit more time and alleviates some of the problems with the visa extension as I will be in better territory to get an extension. The idea right now is to head over the mountains lying ahead and then see what I can get to get me to Xinin or somewhere around there.

The day started with a bit of a scare. I left my bag in a store, but recovered it thanks to the owner. After breakfast …

… I got under way, covering the first 45km quickly - which were in inhabited / wooded areas. Then, it was all desert after that. Sand dunes, boring desert and more desert. There were some animals towards the end of the day and some great lighting. Mountains were slightly coming out of the mist on the Southern side of things, but nothing that could have been pinned on pictures.

As for the mysterious km markers … I got a question about that: they are counting down to Xinin - which is still some more 2000km or so away from the Yellow Sea. But hey, it’s something to hold on to.

There isn’t much to report. I tried to get my visa extended, which I was almost certain would not be possible here and it wasn’t. Then I just explored town for a while, ate, slept, got a haircut and worked on the blog and did some other internet related issues.

Qiemo is a much more “Chinese” place than the others I have been to so far. By this I mean that the number of Han Chinese here is much greater than before where I had the impression that the Uyghurs had the clear majority (although I do realize that my pictures belie this statement).