The rewarding us with punishment tour

[ChinaV]

Day 3

We all tried to get going early in the morning. As Dan and I sort out our bikes, Felix is off snapping pictures of this bizarre little water park that sits behind our hotel. The grey weather adds a touch of eeriness to the dull surroundings.



As we set off out of town, the little mechanic from the night before calls me and asks if we're going to the motorcycle shop to fix the bike. I tell him we already repaired it and not to worry. Not much of a mechanic, but at least his heart was in the right place.

It's more of the usual as we continue along. The rain is holding off and we're looking forward to an alternate route I picked that will keep us well north of Nanning and out of the city traffic. Dan passes by me on another concrete chunk of G324.



We finally hit our first real stretch of rural riding and everyone starts to smile. It's nice to trade diesel fumes for cow and pig fumes and we manage to catch a nice photo op as the sun breaks through the clouds.



It finally feels like the trip has started and everyones starting to enjoy the roads.



A little rain here and there, but somehow it just doesn't bother us.



Felix grabs a picture of some of the locals, they're probably laughing at his mustache.



Our usual stop for noodles... yum!



After filling up our bellies, we get suited up in our rain gear for a long day of wet riding. This really slows us down, but the low clouds, karst landscape, and rich farming offer some nice views.



We're back on a major road, G323, but its condition is much worse than many of the others we've travelled. Felix's bike is running like crap again and darkness is creeping in. We need to find a town and this is the only place showing on the maps and GPS for the next 50 kilometers. There is a tiny binguan (hotel) and the owner agrees to let us keep the bikes in the lobby. We are home for the night.



Felix's bike is running with the choke open, but close the choke, and it just won't take throttle. Obviously we need to pull the carb and I'm just hoping the problem is a clogged main jet or something else that won't require parts. I have to mention at this point.... I hate his motorcycle. I've never had a bike draw so much blood sweat and tears from me. Despite my best efforts, and replacing almost every part, she still manages to bring pain. I lovingly refer to her as the **** (rhymes with hunt). Fortunately, there's a tiny motorcycle shop directly across the street from the binguan. Felix and I quickly pull things apart and the shop has exactly what I need, air compressor and carb cleaner. I pull the main jet and see a nasty chunk of spooge blocking it. A few strategic squirts and everything looks good. Get her back together, fire her up and all appears well again. Thank goodness! We're late for beer o'clock and our stomachs are rumbling. I joke with Felix that the only thing we haven't replaced is the horn... hope that doesn't break, as riding in China without a horn is suicide.

We ask some kids where the best restaurant is and they take us up the street. There are only two places to eat in the whole town, we take their word that this is the best. We chow down and share a beer with the drunkest lady I've ever seen in China. It's all good, another great day.

Distance 438 Kilometers - Time 11:00 Hours - Average Moving Speed 63 kph

Cheers!
ChinaV