Re: Escape from Shanxi, update 2
Wow - that traffic jam sounds wild.. four days to get out of Shanxi! That little detour road looked great. Glad to hear both rider and companion are holding up well - keep the updates coming! :popcorn:
(as an aside - the pictures look great - but it'd be great to see larger versions too... posting from the road can be hectic - but if you have time, you can upload them to imgur.com or another such site and then link back to them to get the large version.. see here.)
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Re: Escape from Shanxi, update 3
Okay so here are some belated updates on what was overall a very pleasant journey through Inner Mongolia, Ningxia, Gansu and Qinghai. I primarily want to give everyone some first hand advice on the various road conditions I encountered. My main piece of wisdom: regardless of where you think you are going or what road conditions you expect, put on the knobbiest tires you can find. There was never a day that I did not regret putting on a pair of brand new Conti off-roads on the BMW GS.
Maps in China should only be considered aspirational statements about the distant future of China's road network!
My last post ended with us at the corner of Shanxi, Shaanxi and Inner Mongolia, attempting to sweat out four days worth of coal dust.
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It was at this point that we broke free of the heaviest traffic and entered Inner Mongolia. The background shot is of Laoniuwan ("old cow bend") a quite nice stopping point about thirty km north of Pianguan in Shanxi. There are numerous cave-house style guesthouses here.
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There is a road from Wanjiazhai zhen, just south of Lao-niu-wan, not marked on google maps, that crosses the Yellow River and then proceeds north to connect with Zhun-ge-er-qi, a largish town in Inner Mongolia. The road is heavily trucked, but in decent shape.
In Zhunge'er qi, I decided to poach the G18 expressway (gaosu), since national highway 109 is in terrible shape.
I had no trouble exiting the expressway near Dongsheng (Ordos) at the infamous ghost city of Kangbashi, or getting back on again. My impression is that it is not very difficult to take your motorcycle on the expressways in Inner Mongolia. The toll booth people were in fact quite gung-ho about the whole thing. I traveled south from Kangbashi on expressway 65.
I must put in a word about the surreal non-destination of Kangbashi: it is truly a remarkable testament to what will surely be the largest housing bubble in the history of real estate. Mostly empty, full of peasants wandering around looking for work and occasional parades of posh SUVs from elsewhere. I joined the peasants, looking for both food and a good place to sleep off the mid-day heat. Apparently the only food currently available in Kangbashi are a chain of small stands specializing in BBQ duck neck. Honestly, not the best meal one can hope for, especially after a night of baijiu.
In terms of sleeping spots, the locals directed me to a partially completed museum complex. I was able to park the moto inside the building and lay down in the shade with the dog. Try as I might to doze we quickly became the museum's virgin exhibition.
While fake sleeping, I overheard the following conversation:
"Is that the laowai's dog?"
"Yeah, definitely, it must be his dog. Must be a foreign dog."
"How can you tell?"
"Look at her eyes."
"What, are they blue?"
"No! But there is just something different about them. Those aren't Chinese dog eyes."
FYI, my dog is 100% Beijing street dog.
Also I got the only bad gas of the trip in Kangbashi at an official Sinopec fill station.
Re: Escape from Shanxi, update 2
luckiest pup in the world! :) and sooo envious of your amazing tours around the northwest.. can't wait to return to my beloved 大西北! :)
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More images from southern Ningxia
The south west corner of Ningxia was a bit sketchy at points, but excellent scenery.
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Just east of Xiji, in southern Ningxia we came out on National Highway 309. This was a bit disappointing as this highway was little more than a pitted donkey track for the next 70 km, or until a little over the Gansu provincial boundary. The only thing in favor of this route to Lanzhou was that there was very, very little traffic. The road feels quite remote, with very sparse, isolated, population. The final 265 km (Xiji to Lanzhou) took two days to complete on account of the rough road.
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The road climbs quite steeply in Gansu. In contrast to Ningxia, the land was much more barren, seemed more like mid-winter than mid-August.
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Even the dog was a bit rattled up by this stretch of road. Before ascending up the Tibetan plateau, she earned herself a new custom made cushion for her crate.
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How many TVs can you strap to your motorcycle?
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I spotted this rig several times over the course of the ride from Ningxia to Lanzhou.
Re: Escape from Shanxi, update 3
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Maxo
While fake sleeping, I overheard the following conversation:
"Is that the laowai's dog?"
"Yeah, definitely, it must be his dog. Must be a foreign dog."
"How can you tell?"
"Look at her eyes."
"What, are they blue?"
"No! But there is just something different about them. Those aren't Chinese dog eyes."
And you kept a straight face on while listening to that .. haha. Who said Chinese don't have a sense of humor?
I also took my dog on short rides around town. I had special messenger bag for him that I kept on my shoulder. But eventually he learned to climb out and put his paws on the handlebar pad, as if he's steering. If you're out in an empty road, it's a good idea. Somehow they just love wind in their face.
Also, better than cushioning, the best thing you can do for your dog is this ::
http://i.imgur.com/dHC5p.jpg
The more you could cut down on the noise levels, the more comfortable she'll be.
Re: Escape from Shanxi, update 3
Good to hear you guys are still alive, what a trip! Many grateful words to you sharing, pictures like make me drool...
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Maxo
Also I got the only bad gas of the trip in Kangbashi at an official Sinopec fill station.
Is the petrol out there made of beans?