China Cycling Travelogues
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Copyright © Linda Fraikin, 2006
Visit Linda's website here for more photos and additional information:
http://www.bangkok-beijingbybike.org
Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving. Albert Einstein May | June | July | August | September | October
Bangkok to Beijing by Bike - July
Rules are good. Break them!
July 6, 2006 on 4:21
“Rules are good. Break them”, Tibor Kalman once said. I could not have put it better myself. This means: there is a change of plan. Due to the incident at the PSB (Public Security Bureau) today (story will follow, seems I have bad karma when it comes to authorative figures…), I will make my way to Chengdu (by bus). I need to extend my visa before coming Tuesday…
New pictures!
July 6, 2006 on 4:22
Three girls.
Change of “Change of plans”
July 9, 2006 on 19:00
Being lured by the line: “Reputedly one of the speedies in China for visa extensions (same day extensions are not uncommon)“, in the LP - and of course the tallest buddha (71m) in the world - I decided to go to Leshan instead of Chengdu. From Leshan I will make my way north and pass through Chengdu anyway.
My extension will be ready today at 16.00. That means I will make my way to Jiajiang tomorrow. There I will visit the Thousand Buddha Cliffs, Guess I have been sooooooooooo impressed by this one, that I would like to see more.
Note:Â Watching the news on CCTV International (CCTV-9) the English-language 24-hour news channel, I am very happy I have left Chongqing Municipality (not a province!). The bad weather has now hit there as well. Torrential rains have left about 60mm of water. Seems like I am still slightly ahead of the bad weather…
Buddha by bus
July 9, 2006 on 19:37
Due to time restraints (visa extension) I made my way to Leshan, Sichuan Province by bus. This would also give me the pleasant opportunity, whilst waiting for the processing of the visa, to visit Leshan’s Giant Buddha (Da Fo).
At 71 metres high; the largest Buddha in the world. It is carved into the cliffs overlooking the Dadu He (river) and Min He (river). Building of the Buddha was initiated by a monk called Haitong, who organised funds and workers. Work started in 713 AD and was completed in 803 AD, taking 90 years in all.
Note: A popular activity of (Chinese) tourists is to have their photo taken “touching” the nose or “sticking their finger” in the ear of the Buddha, for good luck (iehhhhhhhhhhh).
Buddha has got a hold on me, or so it may seem…
July 11, 2006 on 5:15
Leshan > Jiajiang Today, IÂ woke up early to depart early. Only a short trip is scheduled for today, but I had special plans for the afternoon. Buddha has really gotten a hold on me, or so it may seem…
It was a cool morning and the terrain was very, very flat (for a change, yippy!). The trip was fairly uneventfull with no particularly interesting scenery. The most remarkable event was probably the military colonne (not sure what the English word is…), that passed. Truck after truck appeared, there must have been at least 30 or 40. Many of them with drivers that honked their horn. I am not sure as to if that is proper military etiquette…
When I arrived in Jiajiang, I searched for a cheap bin guan, which unfortunately took longer than expected. But the good thing was that this bin guan had great staff, which, yet again, it is almost a given, turned out to be very, very helpful.
When I did not understand their “one bus” attempt to draw a map and the accompanying explanation (ok, but where, etc.) one of the girls was sent out to accompany me to the no.1 bus (there were various busses, but in the guide book, it said that I would have to take a pedicab or a taxi). So in the process I also managed to save two times 10/15 Yuan, another bonus!
So the bus conductor, told me exactly where to go, the final stop, and than just walk straight ahead, through a dusty village. And so I did, this brought me to my final destination of today; the Thousand Buddha Cliffs; a well kept secret!
One of the most famous historical sites in Sichuan Province. The 300m high cliffs have 162 niches with 2470 images of Buddha. The engraving of the rocks were made from the Sui and Tang Dynasty to the Ming and Qing Dynasty. Next to the cliffs is the Jiajiang Post road and next to that the Qingyi river. Which passed wildly in this case, the water level was extremely high and the brownish water was moving very, very rapidly.
Great thing about the whole site was that the post road is still in use and gave me the opportunity to watch people carry their bikes, from one end to another (the road mainly consists of steps). Also a great place to do some writing, reading and contemplating.
But not before I visited all the key spots on the scene. I went to the hand paper making museum, and various other builings. When I got to a temple on top of the mountain, a man beckoned me to come in and explained in chinese (it is the thought that counts) who the statues depicted. He also urged me to say a prayer; kneeling and shaking his folded hands in front of him…
Well, I am neither a Buddhist nor a hypocrite, so I decided agains it; no offence (I hope). I tried to explain, but am fairly sure he did not get it. But we parted with smiles, so all must be fine.
One of the things that struck me most about this site was the lack of tourist (foreign and Chinese), what a great place!
Note: I am still baffled by the fact that on so many occassions (most of them actually), people, stop whatever they are doing, to bring me to wherever I need to be. The people are extremely friendly & helpfull (unless they wear a uniform that is…).
Is everything ‘big’ in China?
July 13, 2006 on 22:55
From the Giant Buddha to the Giant Panda seems but a little step, but is in reality quite a long ride. Haveing aquired a taste for big things, I eagerly pedalled to Chengdu. I was going to see the giant pandas, the sole reason for visiting Chengdu.
It was indeed a long day, but the road was very good; very flat and smooth, and also very boring. I arrived in Chengdu around 18.00 and tried to check into a guesthouse that also organises panda trips. FULL (yes indeed, in English). This was the 1st time I received this reply. Full? Oh. But there is a dorm bed left in a hostel about 10 minutes (by bike) from here.
Since I was tired and it was late, I jumped on my bike and made it to the hostel advised. A real nice place actually. The dorm was very pleasant as well. Two adjoining rooms, sharing a bathroom. With airconditioning! I am not a great fan (no pun intended)Â of airconditioning, because they usually make me sick, but here in Sichuan Province, they seem to be a necessity. It is very, very hot (but not as hot as in Chongqing).
I paid for the room (unlike Vietnam, you pay here in advance) and the panda trip and got myself comfy in the room. I was sharing with two Irish ladies. I quickly showered and went out to get some food. When I came back the ladies were installing a dvd player to watch the DaVinci Code. One of the was recovering from a cold or something. Grrrr. no luck and it is all in Chinese as well! They decided to stop our attempts, it was already late and we had to get up early, the next day to go see the pandas. I guess we were all too tired to realise that you can set the language with a DVD…
6.00. Where is breakfast? I treated myself to a western breakfast; yoghurt, muesli and fruit and was ready to go. A van picked us up at 6.50 and about 15 of us were on our way (after picking up some more people at two other stops).
The Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding was only a short ride away. A modern facility with most importantly; Giant Pandas. When we arrived, some of the pandas were already out and about. Ready for their task: eating for the next 18 hours and trying to waste/use as little energy as possible. What a life! Any takers?
We looked at various areas with various groups of pandas. They are beautiful animals, very agile and playfull (when they move that is) and believe it or not the urge to desperately cuddle one, does occur (what do you mean wild animals).
Interesting were the carved quotes all over the base. I recall one, not exactly, but it stated something like: when you love pandas, you cuddle them, when you adore them, you let them be. Very interesting, but in stark contrast with the “Get you picture taken (for only 1250 Yuan) with a panda” booth.
There also were red pandas, beautifully coloured, red-ish of course, smaller than the giant panda, with a long tail, resembling racoons. We also visited the museum and watched a very entertaining movie about pandas. Make sure to check out some of the videos on the research base’s website!
Here you can see us do, what we do best!
Note: Magdalena, there also is a panda called; MingMing!
Note2: Giant pandas are really not THAT big!
Henceforth you shall be known as: Tom
July 14, 2006 on 22:15
Chengdu > Mianyang. After about 140km, on a smooth and fairly flat road, I finally make it to Mianyang. There I am welcomed by a young man. He is riding a folding bike and tells me he loves to ride it.
Unlike many other chinese youngsters, he has moved away from his parents, left school and is living on his own. When I meet him he is on his way to apply for a job in a hotel, but he cannot find the hotel.
When I ask him a about a hostel, he offers to bring me to one, about 20 minutes away, downtown. So there we are, both happy as pie, he can practise his English and I am being guided to a hostel.
His English is indeed very good (he told me that when he was still in school, his English was much better than most of his fellow class mates’s). Unlike many Chinese people, he seems to get the intonation right (usually the give away as being a non-native).
After a while we get to a hostel. There briefly is some confusion about the discount, for a room without airconditioning but with fan and one with a shared or private bathroom. Finally someone comes to the resque and I get a nice room, with privat bath/shower and the airconditioning is thrown in.
The young man tells me that he used to live here, when he first arrived in town. When I ask about a super market, he offers to bring me there as well. After stocking up and getting him a coke and some nibbles, we go beck to the hostel and chat some more. When I suggest he should be going back home (I know he now lives on the other side of town) he does not hesitate and jumps on his bike.
When I inquire about his name, he gives me his Chinese name, which I can barely pronounce, let alone remember and write. So I ask him if he has an English name (if they have a foreign English teacher, they usually have an English nickname). He has not, but suggests that I name him. Err… Who do you admire? Britney Spears. Which man? Tom Cruise. Well, henceforth you shall be known as: Tom.
New Pictures!
July 17, 2006 on 22:40
The pictures are: OK!
…wish I could say the same about his teeth…
Trivia / Food for thought II
July 22, 2006 on 1:04
Thoughts that have crossed my mind whilst sitting in the saddle…
- I am amazed that the sleeping beauty did not suffer from culture shock when she woke up.
- Living = filling the gap between yesterday and tomorrow.
- A dream fullfilled, is a dream lost.
- It usually is more fun chasing a dangling carrot than eating it!
- Chinese restauration methods worry me, they just give it a new layer of paint…
- According to the sign at a parking lot in Mianxian you have to leave your car at the Parting (makes sense I guess, parting with your car…).
- Did you know that Pamela Anderson and Sylvester Stallone speak perfect Putongua? (Well, they do on Chinese TV). We have a little joke in the Netherlands about the Germans having all their foreign programmes dubbed instead of subtitled (which they do in the Netherlands). Why? Because the cannot read!
“You can stay at my place for 10 Yuan”
July 24, 2006 on 22:29
6.30, I wake up just in time to switch off my alarm. It rains… I decide to get ready anyway and hope that it will stop soon. After about an hour the situation has not changed, so I decide to go anyway. I am not made of neither sugar nor salt, so a little rain will not hurt (just will affect my mood).
I pass through a little village and decide to have a drink/snack stop. This gives me the opportunity to stay out of the rain for a little while. The rain continues and so do I. After about 40km, I reach Chenggu. I check out a grotty (as it turns ou) bin guan but really do not want to stay there. So what next? I inquire about the distance to Yangxian and it turns out that it is not as far as I thought it was (read: as the map indicated…).
When I get to Yangxian, I get into my (almost) daily routine. Find a place to sleep. The rain has turnedinto a drizle and I find a bin guan but am not happy; a. with the rate, b. the fact that there are no shower/wash facilities (but a plastic bowl for water). On to the next.
I ask a couple and they take it on them to find me a suitable place to sleep. She is an English teacher, so I now have myself a great translator. They bring me to a fancy hotel, err… guess not. A girl (passing by?) asks if she can help. I explain the situation and the four of us are continuing the mission.
When we pass the first bin guan I checked out, I explain that I had difficulties with the language, maybe we could try again and ask for a discount. When we make another tour through the bin guan, we end up at the front door without result. I thank them, but tell them I will find something myself. The coupled leaves but Liu Pei stays.
When we are discussing on what to do next, a man passes by. He inquires about what is going on and Liu Pei explains. He says: “for 10 Yuan you can stay at my place, just a couple of floors up” (joke?). Before I can make up my mind Liu Pei takes charge and I find myself in the basement of the building leaving my bike behind lock and key. When the bike is save, we make our way to the 4th floor of the building.
On the 4th floor is a very spacious apartment and a young men looking very bewildered. My son; Jiao Yibo. My bags are deposited in the guestroom (with lock) and Liu Pei asks me if I am hungry. I am shoved into the shower and Liu Pei and Jiao Yibo’s father go shopping. After asking what I like to eat. Rice?! With vegetables. Meat? That would be nice. Pork? Yes.
Then we embark on the very popular photo session and end up in the photoshop. After a while Jiao Yibo’s father comes to check out what take us soo long. Lunch is ready. Hmmmmmm. Beans with pork, star anis, cardamon and of course loads of chilli. Vegetable soup with egg and rice (if I have a choice I prefer rice, because the whole table will end up in a mess if I try to eat noodles with chopsticks).
After lunch I am taken on a little sightseeing tour by motorbike, to an artificial lake and a ibis (bird) conservation centre. When they try to charge an extra 100 Yuan on top of the 10 Yuan ticket price, because I am a foreigner, the mission is quickly aborted. That is theft (somehow I do not see those 100 Yuan ending up at the right place…).
For dinner I go to the restaurant where Liu Pei works and am introduced to one of her friends. He wants a photo too… After dinner I go back to the apartment and talk to Jiao Yibo for a while. Eventhough he is (only) 14, his English is very good. He is a very dedicated student and is, even in (t)his holiday, studying.
After a while his father returns with a friend. She is an English teacher as well. Talking is easy for a change. Again I am prompted to have dinner (but, I just…) noodles. I have some but am stuffed, luckily Jiao Yibo is happy to finish my bowl. That was a loooong but great day. Thanks All!!!
Encounters
July 24, 2006 on 23:00
Encounters I: Group. When I sit down to have a drink or eat something, or have to repair my bike, very quickly a group will gather around me. Lao wai (= foreigner) news travels fast. I ask some easy opening questions (how far is the next village) in Putongua and show them my little card, explaining about my trip (bi-langual). Before you know it you have a lifely conversation going on, be it with hands, feet and phrase book or sometimes in English. But the result is always loads of fun & giggles (not to mention helpful suggestions and sometimes helping hands).
Encounters II: Individual. This person will hover around me for a while. Let me pass and than pass me again. Or they pass me and further down the road they will be waiting, beckoning me to stop. Some stay next to me for a while eventhough we cannot communicate (much) and some are so determined that they have me speak to their friends (who speak English)Â by phone.
Encounters III: Uniforms. An encounter with a ‘uniform’ usually follows a strict scenario. I make my wishes known. Initially what I ask is not possible. When I say I have been otherwise informed, they change their tune and say that it is indeed possible, but… than they make a ridiculous offer (say: “If you pay 100 yuan per day, it can be taken care” of or “It will be ok if you buy 2 tickets”). When you say that that is unreasonable they loose all ability to speak English… time to get creative.
Toll tunnel
July 27, 2006 on 1:17
Foping > Tao Liping Another early rise, because the map is really leaving me in doubt. I do not exactly know how far Banfangze is (about 70km, I have been told, but who knows?). I only know that, according to the map(s), on this particular stretch there are NO other villages between Foping and Banfangze.
The type of terrain was also not quite clear. Will it be over mountaintop(s) or through a valley. Locals had warned me that there are big cliffs and it is very dangerous (do not know what to think of that…).
Initially the road is fairly flat (not sure what the fuss was about), than it starts to go up, more and more… Almost at the top, there is a toll gate and behind it lies a tunnel (similar to the one two days ago). The tunnel is very long (estimate: also about 2km) and goes down slightly. After the tunnel a bright sun is welcoming me and the road goes doooooooooooooooooooooooown. yippie!!!!!!! It is amazing how quickly the wind sweeps away any thoughts of hardship whilst climbing the mountain, when you are ‘flying’ down.
The scenery is very, very beautiful, it is a national park and there are still some wild pandas around. And loads of flies (guess I should have washed better). It is very green (with trees). When I have a rest and a drink, at a shop, which was specially opened for me, the man working there tells me that the road will go up for a while and than down (how predictable). And he was right, but the best thing was, and I could hardly believe this, that the road was going down and down and down, forever (easy enough to cover 70km, or more this way).
I ’rolled’ down so fast that I passed Banfangze. I did not think that those three houses would be marked on the map, and let alone, be called a village. And there was more confusion. When I went in search for the next village (about 15-20km away) I could not find it either… when I showed my map and inquired, the people were confused… there is no village with a name like that around here…
… I continued. The road was still going down (really unbelievable) but the scenery changed drastically, the lovely little river turned in a huge, wide, foaming one and the gentle, green mountains were replaced by white and grey, rocky mountains (this must be what or where the locals warned me about).
Riding through the mountains I noticed that the sky was changing colour as well. Or was it just dust in the distance? All of a sudden the dramatic view was gone. It went all white-ish. Mist? Clouds? I decided it was best to get off the road as soon as possible. But where to? I stopped asking for the the nearest bin guan (new tactic). It is amazing how there are always people out and about, I guess it is really very densly populated.
I quickly covered the 10km (with some up hill bits, darn). Eventhough the mist/clouds covered most of the scenery, I could see that the river & rocky mountains had now changed into a more fjordlike scene. A real pitty I could not see much of it… It was if it was coverd with a veil.
It is only about 15:30 when I arrive at the bin guan, in Tao Liping (which is not marked on the map) but I am happy to be off the road. The view from here must be stunning… I assume the mist/clouds will have disappearded tomorrow…
108 Sichuan-Shanxi Highway: Highly recommended
July 27, 2006 on 1:31
To my opinion THE most beautiful road sofar. And not only that, it very conveniently passes by some great sights. And I mean literally passes by, all you have to do is put your bike at the entrance and: GO!
Giant Buddha in Leshan, 1000 Buddhas carvings in Mianjiang, Pandas just outside of Changdu, Qiqushan Mountain with its numerous temples and ancient plankroad, more carved buddhas, Jianmen Pass, etc.
The scenery along the road is also fantastic and very varied. Big ancient cypresses, that seem to have grown out of there square stone walls, mountains, valleys, etc.
Although Qiqushan itself was very impressive, a temple complex at the top of a mountain, with beautiful architecture, my personal favourite is the temple at the bottom of Qiqushan Mountain. Why? Because it was such great fun to see al those weird statues. I imagine the people who created them having loads of fun. The strangest personalities can be found in the weirdest positions. Funny faces everywhere, it goes on and on, row after row (see pictures). If I remember correctly, they statues are “avtars” or incarnations to save the world from destruction.
They also had a chamber of horrors like building, with statues depicting the equivalent of hell (that would be my guess…). Not as much fun, but an interesting sight. Never seen anything like it before, in a context like this that is.
Lunch in Xi’An
July 28, 2006 on 4:22
Hu’Xian > Xi’An. It was further than imagined, but I made it to the Big Goose Pagoda easily. From the pagoda, I had directions to Nancy her place, but I got a little lost because the directions were from the trainstation, past the BGP…
But I could finally make use of my mobile phone and sent Nancy a text message (well more than one…). The result was that I received a warm welcom at Nancy’s (and arrived in one piece & good health).
At her place, I also met Eelco, a cyclist from my home country (the Dutch and bicycles…), on his way back to Bali.
Time for lunch!
One warrior, two warriors, three warriors…
July 29, 2006 on 4:50
We are all fast asleep. No one heard the alarm at 6.00. At 6.30 my mobile phone alarm beeps. Panic, rush, rush.
Just before 7.00 Alan our guide for the day (and one of Nancy her students) knocks on the door (Chinese time keeping is similar to the Dutch one).
We take a taxi to the train/bus station and get on the bus. After about an hour we arrive at a very modern (read: touristic) site.
I buy my ticket, Alan does not need one because he has passed his English test(s) and there for has received a Guide Pass, which gives him free entrance to all tourist sites in the area and a great opportunity to practise his guiding & English skills. but Eelco has difficulties, they are not willing to accept his International Student Card.
We (he) eventually end(s) up cheating; Alan buys a student ticket and Eelco takes it through the gates. The man at the gates looks puzzled but does not take any action. WE ARE IN!
The Terracotta Warriors. I have been looking forward to see this, for a long, long time.
Note: The terracotta warriors are about 1.8 meters in height on average. Each of them has an individualized appearance, characterized mainly by its facial features, such as the mouth, hairstyle and facial expression. Experts believe they are modeled on real soldiers.
Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving. Albert Einstein May | June | July | August | September | October
Visit Linda's website here for more photos and additional information:
http://www.bangkok-beijingbybike.org
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