Hey guys! I arrived in Beijing safely and am busy unpacking, washing and remembering the awesome days I spent in Sichuan, Gansu and Shaanxi. But since I know that you are hanging on the edge of your seats, I don't want to keep you waiting any longer for a short primer.

Day 1: Chengdu to Wenchuan

I had arrived in CD at 2300h and checked in at a hotel strategically located right opposite the CD north train station around 100h. I did not sleep too well because I was nervous and so was up early and at the pickup point right on time when they opened their doors (I am german after all). The bike was handed over without any scratches (apart from the right mirror which I had broken on my courtyard door back in Beijing when leaving to check in the bike for shipping) They did not even ask for a storage fee even though the bike stood there for four days! Amazing service!
I knew that the bike still had some drops of gas in the tank and it was visible in the little white plastic tube between tank and carb. The next gas station was just 1km away so it should have been possible to get there without pushing. The only thing was: the bike did not start. I checked the wire to the spark plug: a spark. I kicked away: nothing. I tried jumpstart: nothing. Of course locals tried to help: nothing. So I decided to push the bike to the petrol station and hope for a miracle. Which happened when I crossed a road and by accident touched the starter: there she purred. 200m to the gas station where I filled the tank and my jerry can. I headed back to the hotel and then jumped into the metro to go to Sanfo's CD outlet to by a can of bhutan for my camping stove and a camping mat. Luckily enough, just opposite was a Starbucks for breakfast.

After I returned to the hotel, all I needed to do was put on my gear and pack the bike, which I did. But I was so excited to get going that I forgot about the lock I had put on the back brake disk. I pushed backwards, heard a loud snap and there it lay: the lock in pieces. Filipu: forget the cheapo lock the store threw in for free, it's worthless.

Mileage in CD by fahni, on Picuna


Setup when leaving CD by fahni, on Picuna


Finally, I was on the road. I had decided to first go a little bit into northeastern direction in order to avoid the major traffic axes (is that the plural of axis?) and see some more of the countryside. On my way out of the city I stopped at two bike repair shops to have the tire pressure checked, the chain lubed and to pick up a new (hopefully better) disk lock.

And then, to be honest, I got lost. But it was Nice zig-zagging through the countryside in northwesternly directions in order to get on track to Wenchuan again.

Zig-Zagging the countryside north of CD by fahni, on Picuna

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fields north of CD by fahni, on Picuna
I hit a patch of rain for 40 minutes but just when it ended I had found the right road again and was on my way north.

rain in Dujiangyan by fahni, on Picuna


I encountered only one obstacle, a road construction site where traffic was one lane only and to make things worse, a truck had collapsed. A round of cigarette diplomacy and the construction workers let the strange foreigner on the motorbike through ahead of the others. I drove along a huge reservoire, started climbing and was finally on what turned out to be the 5/12 memorial route. on my way I passed brown signs like the one for tourist destinations hinting at sights like "flooded village" or "earthquake cracked rocks".

"flooded village" on the 5.11 memorial road by fahni, on Picuna
The road was perfect blacktop and the most annoying thing were unpatient SUVs overtaking me at the most impossible spots. Finally, at 1900h I arrived at Wenchuan town which is completely rebuild but has a very artificial air to it. I stopped at a small restaurant which also offered rooms . The people were nice, the food was good but all in all not cheap. Two dishes, two beer and one bowl of rice for 90 kuai sounded like a rip-off but I was happy to have finished the first day and settled for bed.

Mileage: 220 km in 6 hours.