China Cycling Travelogues

Actually the routine of my stay here has been about the best I could hope for under the circumstances. I am staying the men's dormitory, a large room with about a dozen comfortable beds. I have my bike locked to the radiator, and my belongings under the bed. I watch the parade of travelers come through, stay a few days, and then leave. My social life here isn't so bad as there is always someone to talk to.

At dinner Roland and I were joined by a Cossack, one of the minority group in far northwest China who are more Russian than Chinese. They generally live a nomadic life, living in tents and tending cattle. He said he was Christian. He bought a bottle of strong grain alcohol and insisted on Roland drinking some. At first he refused, but then he accepted. After two cups, Roland had enough. Then the Cossack tried to get me to drink some. However, because I was feeling sick, I refused. He set the cup in front of me, but it wouldn't touch it. Unfortunately, we had no way of telling him why I wouldn’t drink his alcohol. He then got very angry and took the bottle, which was 2/3 full and threw it in the bushes. He seemed to be saying that he would rather not drink than to drink alone. Roland said he will probably never try to have contact with a foreigner again.

I have been thinking of Claudia today and last night. I got out the Tarot cards she gave me and asked what I was to do now. I turned up a knight on horseback riding solo into the mountains. It is a significant and meaningful answer. I suspected as much, that even though I would like to be touring with Roland, "It wasn't in the cards". And I recall from Behram's Chinese parable, "Good luck, bad luck, who knows." There is a reason for this.

Then, as it looked like I was going to have the whole dorm to myself, an American guy, Hugh showed up and then the usual Japanese and Hong Kong crowd, plus three Germans who are sporting some heavy duty climbing gear. Talking with Hugh has been good for me. He has offered to try and forward my mail to me via someone headed on a bus back to Urumqi. So I'm thinking of going to Turpan for a few days, then maybe up to Heavenly Lake. I have been lamenting my being here and not "seeing the sights".

Turfan
The four-hour bus ride here was harder on me than I expected. For one thing I woke up two hours earlier than I had to because of someone else's alarm went off and I thought it was mine. The ride was very bumpy, but I had the company of a 26-year old Chinese woman from Guiyang who was on vacation. We had a short English lesson and a little chat.

Turfan is pretty hot, but not unbearable, yet. I got angry with the hotel clerk, a nasty lying slovenly guy. I really felt my emotions going over the deep end in a very bad way. It is scary how some people can do that to me.

I t was a day of walking around and eating grapes. I bought 3 kilograms (6+ lbs.) today and I am almost starting to get tired of them. I have been thinking about writing an article about the nasty Chinese that the tourists have to put up with.

A full day of tour-bus sightseeing. I have had my fill for the next year. I am going back to Urumqi and then up into the mountains.

The bus ride up here was three hours long, and then we walked for another 2 hours. We made a smashing good dinner of a soupy noodle vegetable dish with a bit of bread.

I am grateful to Russell and Linda for inviting me to go with them. The three-hour bus ride and the two-hour hike had finished me off for the day. We setup camp and cooked a wonderful meal. It was really nice sleeping outside again. I missed doing that. I hope I get more opportunities after I get on the bike again. The next day we started walking up the valley beginning with a river crossing in which I screwed up. I was being too cocky and slipped and fell in the frigid water up to my chest. It was a literally a breath-taking experience. The river is glacial melt-water and the temperature seemed to be just above freezing. I was strapped into my backpack and wearing flip-flops, not exactly ideal footwear for mountain climbing, but the Nepalese seem to do fine, so I figured, why not? Nothing was waterproofed; the sleeping bag in my daypack was just floating on the water. It was a shocking experience. Fortunately, the only major loss was my shoe. Russell and Linda thought that would be the end of the day, just as we got moving. I told them I could walk barefoot for a while. Shortly later we passed yurt and I found a discarded sole of an old shoe. Fortunately, it was for the left foot, which was the one I needed. I decided to try and make it work. Using a small piece of rope I made a type of sandal that worked fairly well. I liked it so much, I think I'll try and make a pair.

Getting the bike shipped was easier than I expected; I just had to ask several people how to fill out the form. It is a humbling experience to be illiterate and have to rely on others to help you.

When I got back to the hotel, I found Michael Carlton, from Chicago who I had met 4 years ago in Grindlewald, Switzerland while hiking up to out of the glaciers. He saw my note I left in the lobby looking to trade books. We have been talking like mad ever since.

Now that I am feeling better, tomorrow, I'm out of here!

I had a chance to weigh myself with all my luggage. It came to 94 kg minus 62 for me makes 32 plus 16 for the bike. I am carrying 48 kg including the bike (about 110 lbs.). Holy cow! I am going to have to reduce that soon. It is a ridiculous amount, and I don't even have a tent.

The twilight recedes as the horizon turns blood red on the high desert horizon. Small hills are silhouetted against the dawn of a new day. Red turns to orange fading into yellow. The midnight-blue sky with the bright morning star hanging delicately above. Light increases and forms become discernable. Orange, yellow, blue, the colors fading as sunrise approaches as we slide along these tracks through the Gobi glimpsing a sight so common, yet so special. The desert provides a stage of immense portions and the light assumes a clarity that is impossible to describe.

So ends the end of my first night in hard seat. It was a night of interrupted snatches of sleep, and a stiff neck from trying to find a way to lay my head down. I got a brief break as my seatmate moved to an empty seat and I am able to get horizontal for a while with my leg cross against the window. Far from ideal, however it provides a bit of relief to my spine. Sunrise pierces my eyelids as me pass through a sliver of sunshine along the jagged terrain. To the west is a snow-covered mountain range and we have entered the grasslands. It is stunning to see and I regret not cycling here.