Kunming -> Chengdu -> Kunming [2010]

Day 1

Just got the bike a month before that, and was looking forward to a serious trip. Dragon boat festival coming up, so I thought I'd go up to Chendgu, take part in this. Right, the day has come. A quick look at gmaps said the trip would be ~1000 km if I stick to the back roads. Map? I tried, just couldn't find anything big enough in pinyin. Ok, so I can use my phone. After alot of searching, I found this one application that lets me create my own maps for offline use in the wild, OruxMaps. On June 8th I plot my route, downloaded the maps, and copied them onto the phone. I've never been on any such trip before, so not sure what I should prepare. After much fumbling and confusion, I thought I will never be ready, so I might as well get moving. Started the bike at 2.30, fingers crossed.

First stop, passed by computer street in Kunming, made a charger for my phone.
http://IMGur.com/5S4hB.jpg

Best to start with a tasty dinner.
http://IMGur.com/jWWLX.jpg

Can you see the small girl hiding behind her mom?
http://IMGur.com/LOxwZ.jpg

A brand new sleeping bag that I just bought from Kunming the day before. And a brand new sleeping bag a friend of mine had her parents carry all the way from their hometown in Czech. As I said before, this is the first time I do this, so my ingenious packing strategy was to use bungee cords. And this is the last place I saw of my sleeping bag!
http://IMGur.com/XSWVC.jpg

This guy looks like my dog milo. I stopped to say hello but he was too busy meditating, didn't budge.
http://IMGur.com/qHQbg.jpg

Here I notice that somewhere on the cobble stone I was bouncing on for the last 20 km, lies my brand new Czech sleeping bag. So much for trusty bungees.. went back to look for it, but instead only found my sandals!
http://IMGur.com/Q1yHM.jpg

http://IMGur.com/8xdyg.jpg

Was trying to find a place to sleep, but you can only go up this binguan by stairs.. I don't want to leave the bike out, so I decide to give it a shot sleeping without a sleeping bag. I'm tired, and it doesn't look like it will rain.
http://IMGur.com/sayJo.jpg

Found this place after getting lost for 20 minutes ~8.30. After fumbling in the dark by the headlights for 30 minutes, I somehow managed to pitch the tent. Last time I camped I was 12, in boy scouts, and my part of pitching the huge shared tent then was digging one pike in. This photo is from next morning. Don't be fooled, I didn't get up early, I just didn't sleep at all.

http://IMGur.com/AgHqp.jpg


http://imgur.com/ArkjW.jpg

Looks good so far Slabo. Are you posting this from the road or have you already arrived home safely? If the former, hoping you get some sunshine for the remainder of the ride :).
3rd from the bottom pic, the bike is dry but the ground is wet, or you're parked on a mirror.

Slabo! Better late than never. (I've got two ride reports yet to file, maybe three!)

So what is Imgur and what (if anything) does it cost to use? Their site looks a lot like smugmug, but simpler.

Keep it coming!

cheers

Day 2

No sleeping bag, I didn't get any sleep. Not used to being homeless yet. I get up early and find these guys poking around my tent. Friendly confused bunch ...
http://i.imgur.com/L2CD9.jpg

There's something about misty mountains, maybe Jeff can find the right words.. But for me it was scary riding through with the wimpy stock headlight I had. More on that later.
http://i.imgur.com/osGdV.jpg



http://i.imgur.com/6y1Nn.jpg



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I quickly found out the maps I had on my phone were pretty useless. I didn't download maps detail enough, and got lost even before I got out of Kunming, but somehow I found a highway going to where I want to go (the G85 highway). I was on the highway all through Yunnan. But all the time I was going on and off the highway.
http://i.imgur.com/nZjW0.jpg


Feels like I'm going much slower than I what the speedo reads. A very sad moment when I checek out the GPS to find out how fast I'm really going max 65km/h! How can I make it in time to the festival? I have to keep riding 16 hours a day?
http://i.imgur.com/GUzGZ.jpg



http://i.imgur.com/YfyYt.jpg



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This used to be a river? I don't think July is the dry season.
http://i.imgur.com/vWO1n.jpg


How many dams are being built in Yunnan alone?
http://i.imgur.com/bAI0L.jpg


Something else I saw on my trip. Construction everywhre. New highways, new bridges, new tunnels, everywhere.
http://i.imgur.com/Pq4sJ.jpg



http://i.imgur.com/FtmQh.jpg



http://i.imgur.com/penY5.jpg



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Even the dogs are lazy here. He just doesn't want to move.
http://i.imgur.com/RlhqT.jpg


Where did you come from?
http://i.imgur.com/giR1a.jpg


Can you still see the white spot?
http://i.imgur.com/APQI4.jpg



http://i.imgur.com/56LDr.jpg


I tried to offer her some cookies, she gave me a look of "I don't need your charity". She's out here collecting plastic bottles in exchange for a few rmb per day, depending on how much she finds, so the more you litter on the highway, the more money she can make in a day. Maybe it's time you cleaned out your car?
http://i.imgur.com/aNQzk.jpg


A broken clutch lever? Someone pushed their bike home from here.
http://i.imgur.com/uUowA.jpg


She seems to be collecting wild herbs or something.
http://i.imgur.com/ifxcH.jpg


After loosing the sleeping bag, I've become very paranoid. Every few km, I put my hand on the bags and feel around for anything missing, check the bungee cords..
http://i.imgur.com/IM5ro.jpg


Coming up to Zhaotong.
http://i.imgur.com/vbW83.jpg


Rice fields everywhere I look. The plan was to camp as much as possible, but I just can't find a dry spot.
http://i.imgur.com/1MHbH.jpg


In a book I read about China(Wild Swans), the author kept using the term "walks bent double". Now I see what she means. This is hard work, and mostly done manual, very little agriculture machinery used, or none at all.

http://i.imgur.com/zSoq6.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/ulzlU.jpg

This is what I see when I first enter Zhaotong. Nothing much to see here, a dusty town where everyone is rushing, pushing and pulling... I was told there are temples and other sites to see, but after riding around town for a bit I decide sleep is time better spent

http://i.imgur.com/ruADg.jpg

Found this under the hotel I was staying in..This was a Shineray dealer, and there were others on the same street, many bike dealers and non of them have a lightbulb!

http://i.imgur.com/azJ06.jpg

http://imgur.com/ is free. There are a couple of upload tools if you click tools that you can use even without registering. I found it's best to upload a batch of 30 at a time. There is no limit to what you can upload, even with a free account. But keeping track of this is a pain in the ass, using some voodoo excel magic to match comment to image to url... Main benifit for registered users (still free) is that the last 255 images are associated with your account, and you can make an album out of them. Pro account, 24$/year, no limit to what's associated with your account.

Sounds like $24/year might be worth it. I'm paying $40/year for Smugmug, which is super easy to manage.

Every time I see something that's "free" I get tempted. Flickr most recently, and now imgur. Alas, once you are embedded with one, and have other sites piggybacking off your selected server, it's hard to turn back. Think about that if you are not happy with Imgur.

cheers

Aye and something else I didn't know and couldn't find on the sites, is that photobucket and I think it was smugmug, both dump your account if you do not regularly add stuff. So worth a paid account if you take lots of photos.

I lost a whole bunch of pics like that once when a backup on the computer went wrong and a thumb drive failed coincidentally at the same bloody time ... so I relied on my photobucket backup and found it had disappeared. No one there warned me or later answered my several queries about it.

Thank you very much of the report, was interesting to watch pictures. MCM is my window to China, thanks to you and other people posting reports.

Slabo, thanks for adding captions! Just went through again and it all makes a bit more sense. Subtitle for this post should be "the steep learning curve ride".:naughty:

The biggest reason why I didn't post this report before is I find it difficult to write. I should have kept daily notes, makes writing much easier. But now it's still very clear in my memory, at least the parts worth writing about are still crystal clear. Indeed it is a steep learning curve. I'll be writing about more mishaps later.

Just going through the pictures can jog your memory. I dread writing my reports for the same reason. But if you finish I'll start!

cheers

Great to see all the photos! I still remember sitting down with you and being enthralled by this story. Cool report.

Hi Slabo, thanks a lot for putting this report together to share with us! I have such good memories from riding in that part of the world world last year, it looks like you do too!

Day 3

Start an early day… Oh, a jeep with an ass!

http://imgur.com/wSN4t.jpg

So far it's been relatively easy riding. I don't want to be late, so I'm sticking to the highway at least on the way up to Chengdu.

http://imgur.com/9O9jE.jpg

http://imgur.com/Wnocp.jpg

On the road alone. Ride, eat, sleep.. A cleansing cycle. The road is really easy so I have to keep my head busy or .. something. I play games in my head, talk to people, talk to myself, note to self… must write so so .. Must do this, and that, must not forget .. and so on..

http://imgur.com/24mPZ.jpg

First and only problem during the trip! Rear brake locked up..

http://imgur.com/IHk4J.jpg

It’s not cold, not chilly, untill I enter a tunnel.. Many long and dark tunnels, and I have a pathetic little bulb I call my headlight.

http://imgur.com/k6CU0.jpg

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The landscape is starting to change. A lot more green, the air also feels misty.

http://imgur.com/uJCUD.jpg

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http://imgur.com/layig.jpg

I'm tired, lunch time! Let's see what's happening in the town ahead.

http://imgur.com/8nk2E.jpg

Can someone tell me what this sign is about? "Live and let live" ???

http://imgur.com/51NHs.jpg

Here's a closeup

http://imgur.com/VKaeL.jpg

What are the doing here? Probably bottleling the spring water?

http://imgur.com/zM3dP.jpg

The local billiards club.

http://imgur.com/qxAzA.jpg

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Lunch! Noodles please, no meat.

http://imgur.com/UNFZI.jpg

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The local bus.

http://imgur.com/sXIEo.jpg

Wonder what they do in there…

http://imgur.com/H345w.jpg

Here's a closeup

http://imgur.com/p8SBf.jpg

Again, the story behind this, anyone? I only recognize the emblem but how come I never see this in the cities?

http://imgur.com/CXu8u.jpg

Too bad I didn't ride over that.

http://imgur.com/rHwas.jpg

http://imgur.com/2mliu.jpg

There's water everywhere.

http://imgur.com/w2Dlo.jpg

http://imgur.com/WJIij.jpg

And I'm not supposed to be here?

http://imgur.com/4Ay7A.jpg

I stayed on or near the G80 highway throughout Yunnan, exiting and entering as I please. No one really bothered to stop me.

http://imgur.com/J7PU3.jpg

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This is beginning to feel too easy.

http://imgur.com/nYc3X.jpg

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Yunnan border! This is the first time police approach me. I think they're trying to tell me I'm not supposed to be here, but really there's no other place to go, so they wave me on. Other than police, people also changed a lot. Anyone who spent anytime in Yunnan knows the Yunnanese laid back, I don't give a f%^k attitude. I really noticed a big difference as soon as I crossed the border, or a bit before. At a gas station, I asked the cashier where I could wash. She closed the cash register, came out from behind the counter, and walked me to a the water tap, then she actually took the time to hold the hose while I wash my face... Shocking to anyone who spent anytime in Yunnan where the standard answer to any question is "ahh?" if any answer at all...

http://imgur.com/wyS4l.jpg

Hmm, border patrol police make a good living!

http://imgur.com/CQwaC.jpg

Chengdu, 310 km to go! It's 6.45 now, I'm sure I can make it tomorrow. Ehem….

http://imgur.com/HEAG5.jpg

I took the next exit to Yibin. This time, the mechanical arm at the toll gate hits my helmet! Never thought I'd use my helmet like this. This is an early warning about Sichuan police.

http://imgur.com/SlLlF.jpg

Yibin university.

http://imgur.com/sOXnV.jpg

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Before coming to this restaraunt, I found a small hotel, payed for a room, and parked the bike in their hallway, all ready for a good night's rest.

I ate so much. 2 plates + 1 bowl of rice. Should have cost about 20rmb, but they just wouldn't take any money.

http://imgur.com/ENnTv.jpg

After I came back, the manager, or hotel owner is saying I can't stay here, this hotel can't admit forigners. I argue with him, and everytime he turns to his wife to a yay or nay.. for about half an hour, but finally she shakes here head.. no no .. The man explained that it's not upto them, the police on the phone kept saying no, I can't stay here. They lead me to a 5star looking hotel 10 minutes away. No, I want to save as much money as possible for the Chengdu bike market. Another reason for this trip is I could spend sometime and money on farklings. I thought, if the police are saying I can't stay in any hotel I chose, they'd better come here and tell me why.

"No, I'm staying right there.." In protest, I took out my matress, spread it out on the sidewalk right near the entrance of the hotel, and lay down like a hobo.. 10 minutes later, the lady from behind the counter comes out with blankets, seeing I don't have a sleeping bag.
AAhhhh... humbled and ashamed, I got up and started looking for another place to stay. Walking in the rain, two and a half hours later I found a place that didn't mind taking in foreigners. Strange, didn't look any different than the others. It's 12.30 am, but at least I can take a hot shower and sleep in a clean bed.

Later I heard this is a common law through out China, but I'm just getting to know how serious Sichuan police are compared to Yunnan.


A no smoking sign near the ashtray. Hmm. Not as dangerous as the previous hotel, there was an electric socked right under the shower head on the wall.

http://imgur.com/t5rNF.jpg

Aw come on, lets see you smile! Such pretty girls, I would be.

Thank you very much of the very good pictures. Very amusing to see how people live in China. This site is a great window to China, thanks to you all.

Day 4
Rain, little did I know this will be a long long day. 9 am, a marching band of drummers. I ride for 10 minutes in the rain, and quickly decide my I need some more protection. I bought the common overcoat everyone else buys, for double the price ofcourse. They quickly prove to be useless, at least against Chengdu rain and on a motorbike. At least my boots are holding up so far, and I don't feel too cold yet. I manage to sneak past toll gate... and back on the highway. I'm running late, and I really don't want to miss that boat.

http://imgur.com/WLV8D.jpg

More coming up .. gota sleep now..

Hopefully you keep the report going. Has been an excellent report and pics.

yeah keep it coming! i just read through day 3 again, very entertaining!

Keep it coming Slabo, a lot of good stuff in this report.

Plenty of these micro hydro plants all over Guangdong, don't know how much power they make, but much nicer than coal.

http://imgur.com/zM3dP.jpg

Cheers!
ChinaV

Really a great report - thanks!

Waiting for the next installment

:popcorn:

Thanks for all the kind words, nice to know someone is reading this. Very fond memories for me.

Day4 is writeup due tomorrow. :popcorn:

Inspirational ride report Slabo... Eagerly anticpating Day 4. :thumbsup:

Euphonius, did you mention once that you did Shanghai to Beijing? I would LOVE to see that written up.

Day 4

Rain, little did I know this will be a long long day. 9 am, a marching band of drummers. I rode for 10 minutes in the rain, and quickly decided I need some more protection. I bought the common overcoat everyone everyone on electric scooters buys, for double the price of course. It quickly find out it's useless, at least against Chengdu rain and on a motorbike. At least my boots are holding up so far, and I don't feel too cold yet. I manage to sneak past the toll gate hidden behind a truck... and now back on the highway. I'm running late, and I really don't want to miss that boat.

http://imgur.com/WLV8D.jpg

The road was terrible. The other side was being repaired, so the road going north had traffic in both directions, one lane each. The potholes had their own potholes. I had the best vehicle for such a road, really I didn't mind, bike took it all easily. That didn't last long. Highway patrol caught up to me, they were calling for me to stop, but I played dumb and let them chase me for another 2km. Road opened up soon, two lanes, so they caught up with me and I was forced to politely pull over.

I tried the "I don't speak Chinese" scheme for a bit, but then as I was getting off the bike to show my papers... I splashed the officer with the most stars with all the water in my "pouch" hehe... Bad reflex, I said "bu hao yissa, diuboxi" .. in a very convincing tone. They all jumped around .. "you speak chinese!!!"

They escorted me off the highway, and found a translator to speak to me over the phone. "You must go back to Yibin, leave the bike there, and take the bus to Chengdu.. you can't ride here, it's dangerous!!" me: "No" This dialog was repeated and went back and forth for sometime, while I tried to dry my boots and the villagers were gathering around to look at the monkey, (me).... All the time I was thinking.. I really don't have time for this... I have to make it to Chengdu tonight.


http://imgur.com/uwEkv.jpg

An hour later, they understand that I'm not taking the bus. They found someone to show me the way to Zigong...Adventure begins here… All the time I was wishing I had tires with better road profile. Soon, I will start to really like my bike the way it is. I wish I had a helmet cam for this section. A local villager rode with me for about 2 km to show me the way, and so far it looks just gorgeous, I can't imagine a better road.




http://imgur.com/MrBMt.jpg

That didn't last long. For the next ~40km, the road was unpaved, and muddy as muddy can be. Here, I'm very thankful I have knobbies. Workers were prepping to lay asphalt. The narrow road was split into two lanes, one smooth and packed with soft gravel, the other still rough with rocks and what not. There's a sign that I think is said I'm not supposed to be on the side with packed gravel. But now I'm really angry at everyone and everything for wasting a very important 2 hours from my day, everyone else's fault but mine of course, so I thought I can make it up by riding on the better side of the road.


Workers wave me down motioning for me to go to the other lane, I ignore them and continue riding, switching lanes if I need to pass anything, and really pushing the bike. A policeman comes riding in the opposite direction on a motorcycle with an umbrella. He's trying to wave his right hand motioning for me to stop, but his front looses grip, crashes into the mud. Ah, they can't follow me, i thought, and I will not stop anymore.. Now I'm really pushing my luck.


I come up to a van and a truck going in opposite directions trying to pass each other... ahh, too slow, i see a gap between the two and make a run for it. Last moment, the small van turns to my side, hits me with his door and I bounce off to the other lane. Just my pride, mirror, and horn mount broken. I stuff the bits into the bag and ride on.


A few Km later I come to a police checkpoint. A few minutes later I look behind me to find the same policeman that crashed earlier… He's been following me all the way! And seems they have radios, hehe.. He shouts something and turned back, didn't approach me. Another policeman at the checkpoint snatches my key and steps back. ARRRGHHH


I have no idea what they're saying in their ugly Sichuan accent, but I answer something anyway. There were two policemen, one has my keys, and the other is friendly and trying to talk to me. I start pointing to the Speedo and repeating 800, 800… Wo hen lei.. hen lei... and to the guy with my keys I shout "give me my f** keys"... This goes on for 10 minutes when finally the guy with my keys steps closer. I snatch my keys and start off, slowly because that's how the Shineray likes to go... but so far no one is calling me... phew...

Not proud of any of this, but really the only thing on my mind was getting to Chengdu ASAP


Lunch. By now I'm totally soaked. I'm swimming in my boots. But the mud in my boots is kind of soothing, like a sensual massage. Or I'm just really tired.

http://imgur.com/5KYng.jpg

I had noodles with something, and a steamed bun (mentou). I saw what looks like a cockroach's leg in my mentaou, but I just ate around it anyway. So tired I don't really care. I was sitting with about 20 kids an old man. The old man was trying to say something in English..

http://imgur.com/iAzLG.jpg

Like I said before, the my gps turned out to be be useless from even before I left Kunming. I stopped by a wangbar(internet café) and checked the route between Yibin and Chengdu. I wrote down the names of the towns I should pass through, and that's my map. I got lost of course. Here I tried to stop this police car, the lady was driving. She wouldn't stop first, then I blocked the car, she looked and suddenly said ahh.. wigou ren!!

http://imgur.com/gRoWQ.jpg

She showed me the way to the next town..

http://imgur.com/3r7AR.jpg

It's 7.30, and I'm still more than 200km away from Chengdu. By now I can't hold the bike straight anymore. I usually try to stay away from trucks, but now I saw them as a blessing. I rode as close as possible in their light. In my head, I called them big brother.

http://imgur.com/OqXfR.jpg

Soon, even the trucks left me. And it started raining again. I give up, no way, I can't make it to Chendgu tonight. I'll have to find a place to sleep. But the last town I passed through was 3 hours ago, and no hotels since.

http://imgur.com/0bln6.jpg

At 9pm, I see what looks like a small guesthouse. I saw three lit rooms upstairs and what could be a big dinning hall on the ground floor. I think : ok, at least I should get something to eat and drink, then maybe I can push on another 100km. I pull over, and walk in. I see a man sitting alone watching TV.
Ni hao.
Ni hao.
Chengdu dou shao daole? Gonli, Gonmi.. dou shao? (in broken Chinese I'm trying to ask how far is Chengdu.)
I don't know what he said, but I just catch the number 100
Aha... Long pause.
Then I literally said: wo yao che dongshi.
Ok.
A minute later, a lady in robe comes down and starts to cook. Strange, I think to myself, no menu, they didn't ask me what I want.. i don't care.. Then they give me some tea, and fruit. Still, it's all very confusing to me... but I sit there and wait. A young girl comes down and starts helping the lady in the robe. Strange..
Then the girl starts talking, and I notice she speaks perfect english! She works for the Ritz hotel chain training staff to communicate in English. She was home for the holiday.

http://imgur.com/CxlqV.jpg

When I got my senses back, I ask for a room. The girl tells its their home!!! Shit! Imagine someone walks into your home while you're watching TV, and says I want to eat something. I look like an old street cat, but these people gave me food and drink, a bowl of hot watch to dip my feet in, and slippers!

http://imgur.com/A0axh.jpg

They let me sleep on one of the benches. They gave me thick heavy blankets and after a small photoshoot, bid me goodnight. I brushed myteeth and washed my face and jump into 'bed'. It's 10.45 now, but I just can't sleep.
12.30: the door is open and two ladies walk in. The go in a I didn't see before just where I'm sleeping. Sounds like they're chopping carrots. They're cooking. I can hear the gas burning and the wok banging against the stove. 1.15, some 20 people come in. Sit down, and start eating. I still can't sleep. After they finish eating, a man sees my eyes are open, brings up a chair and sits near me, he light's up a cigarette, and while puffing in my face, offers me one. Ahhhhhh... this will be a long night. But maybe it's better than being hungry in a tent. I don't smoke, never did, probably never will, but the questioning and smoking went on. Eventhough I don't understand anything they're saying, and really wasn't making any effort to answer them, still they probably found it entertaining watching a laowai trying to sleep. This went on untill 3 am, then everyone left. I probably fell asleep at 4.

http://imgur.com/rJTvK.jpg

Next morning I woke up at 7.30. They told me they rent the hall and the kitchen in the back to the factory workers next door to use as a canteen. So the night before, I met the night shift. Maybe that's why it looked like a guest house first?

http://imgur.com/Wqx3H.jpg

I will never forget these people. I probably owe them my life. Anyone planning on passing through Rongshen? A town 100km south of Chengdu. I promised I will send them the pictures we took together someday.

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by dewsnap

Inspirational ride report Slabo... Eagerly anticpating Day 4. :thumbsup:

Euphonius, did you mention once that you did Shanghai to Beijing? I would LOVE to see that written up.

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Ditto :thumbsup: But I know he's done trip(s) longer than that. And I know what Euphonius does for a living. Journalist/photographer and he's been in China since forever. Euphonis, your perspective on China from the road would be invaluable. If you start, maybe you would end up writing a book!

Slabo - your Day 4 report is excellent! :clap:

I was laughing my head off as you described your venture to the "Inn" for a night's lodging. :lol8:

But it is so true, and in line with my experiences in China - people are overwhelmingly friendly, helpful and welcoming. But perhaps this family didn't know they were harboring a fugitive, running from the police checkpoints ... a genuine "outlaw biker" looking for a hideout to lay low for a while!

Great report!

PS: I've gotta remember your line "the potholes had their own potholes" ... classic

Thanks again, a great report.

That is a hilarious story man. It's amazing how things work out in the end, isn't it! Riding in the rain is definitely not fun, either. Stay warm and safe.

Excellent report! All that stuff happened in one day?!? Badass.

Day 5
Not much happened this day. Woke up, packed my stuff and got on the bike. Found some ducks on the way.

http://i.imgur.com/fNv1R.jpg

In Chengdu I met a friend. He took a photo of my completely soaked under a bridge, a photo of the "i did it moment". Somehow I lost it. After lunch and two coffees, I was starting to dry up. He showed me to his apartment where I was to leave the bike for two days. After that, I headed to the Sichuan Provincial Gymnasium to meet the group. I was half and hour early. Suddenly I sensed a foul smell of rotten fish ... oh, that must be me. I headed into one of the outdoor shops and bought a new shirt, washed my face a bit... Ahh, better. On the bus I still wreaked of stinking fish but the AC was on..

http://www.gochengdoo.com/images/blog/1974.jpg

That day we practiced rowing, how to hold the oar, how to stay in synch with the team... Next day we were racing against some 10 other well trained Chinese teams and another team of laowais from some Chengdu university. We beat the other laowais by ~3 minutes(15 minutes race for us, but this was probably just a warmup for the Chinese, just to get us out of the way.)
I packed up, all my stuff still wet, and we got on the bus back to Chengdu. Now I have a chance to think and reflect on the trip.

It was painful. For two days I was wet and cold. All the time I was trying to out my mind elsewhere. As marathon runners say: Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional. Later I called the trip Experiments in Pain. I didn't expect this. I rarely carry an umbrella, even when it's raining, I don't usually mind getting wet. I used to ride a bicycle everyday in London. I actually enjoyed the mud and rain at times. But this was different. I didn't have a chance to stop for photos or talk to locals as much as wanted. Three days, three nights and two half days, and I barely had time for anything but being in the saddle, I didn't think it would be that way. But really all of this is avoidable. I have more than enough money to buy all the proper gear I need in Chengdu(I read there are plenty of shops well stocked with motorcycle gear here). I have two days, I will figure out navigating with the GPS on my phone, and buy whatever I need to stay dry. Also I should change the rear gear to something smaller, to get a bit more top end at lower rpm. No problems, everything will be ok.