Greetings from Chengdo, China. Things are going really well, albeit very busy with long days. Today we have a free day so the bikes are in for another service and we are trying to catch up with urgent computer work which is a challenge with limited internet access.
To be real honest China, with the exception of a couple of tourist sites, was never high on my list of countries to travel, however after spending two weeks and riding about 6000km’s in China so far, this country has become one of the greatest places through which I have ever travelled. The people, the cultures, the landscapes everything is so intriguing.
The first night in China is a big jump from the previous night in the Gers which, being in the middle of the desert were quiet, rustic and dimly lit. Erenhot, the first city we stay in China is bustling, light, bright and noisy but a really nice city as its not over populated and dinner is going to be a really good Chinese experience! :)
Riding in China takes some getting used to as there are vehicles everywhere going in every direction irrespective of the side of the road that they are on. There are literally thousands upon thousands of electric scooters on the roads, side walks and intersections. Drivers and riders in China do not check over their shoulders before entering the road, they just go and the traffic behind them stops. Car hooters go off all the time, some times for no apparent reason. Cars drive up the roads on the wrong side, trucks pull out in front of us, busses do whatever they want and people over take even if the road is not wide enough to do so or in front of oncoming traffic or on the left side. Its pure mayhem, but the system works! As one person said, the traffic is like water, if there is a gap, it will get filled. With all of that said, it does not take long to get used to the way people drive and you soon learn to ride accordingly. Traffic speed is a lot slower, some of the days we are only able to average 40 – 50km’s per hour and it was after about a week of riding in China before we could cruise at 120km’s/hour for a few miles. As Janis said, you have to slow down and read the road all the time, locals are not used to bikes doing high speeds. Its not hard to get used to and whilst initially it feels dangerous, its not really. You tend to not worry about whats going on behind you, but concentrate on whats going on in front of you. If you think that truck or bus or scooter is going to pull out in front of you, the chances are they probably will so you prepare yourself accordingly. Motorcycles are not allowed on any of the freeways (With the exception of the freeway leaving Beijing, but once you exit that freeway, that’s it, bikes cannot get back on and you are not allowed to ride two up on the freeway.) Motorcycles are allowed through the toll ways without paying. The really interesting thing with all local drivers and riders is that despite the mayhem and people cutting each other off all the time and the constant sounds of car horns, one never ever sees any form of road rage or aggression anywhere! Its just part of life here and you have to fit in with it.
The first few days are a bit of a haul as we ride through several large cities. The traffic is really heavy, everything is busy, its noisy, there is a lot of pollution and there are people absolutely everywhere and we just cannot avoid entering some of the large cities so it takes a while. The great thing is that the pay off later on in the trip is well worth the initial hustle and bustle. We had to add two days into the China section of the tour as some of them were simply too long. Even with just two of us riding, we struggled to get 400km’s done per day due to the traffic and general slow riding speeds, but the days are interesting, there is always something to keep one amused on and off the bike.
Just before entering Beijing we went to see the Great Wall, what a spectacular site and experience! The first view point from which we see the wall is really amazing, however we were able to find more places throughout the trip where we could ride the bikes right next to a much older part of the wall with not another person in site!
Entering Beijing was not too bad. We chose a hotel between the 3rd and 4th ring road which is still a 20 minute drive (Depending on traffic) to the city centre but bikes are not allowed in the city centre nor are vehicles that are not registered in Beijing. So with the current hotel choice we can ride the bikes and support vehicle to the hotel (Which is also fairly close to BMW) and we will arrange a van to take the group into the city centre to see the Forbidden City. (We did not make it there due to having the bikes serviced and trying to catch up on work).
We spent a day riding around the Guoliang Tunnel (This is probably the most famous tunnel that runs along the cliff side). Its a spectacular road and offers some breathtaking scenery however Janis and I were able to find more tunnel roads that are longer, higher, more beautiful and almost no traffic. On one of the tunnel roads we only saw 2 vehicles for about 15km’s. We also found some absolutely spectacular roads running along a plateau that offers truly breathtaking views of the spectacular cliff faces. This was an amazing day. The accommodation for the night that we stay in near the tunnels is very very basic and border line acceptable however its well located and the best one that we could find out of the 8 or 9 that we looked at in the general vicinity.
Xi’ an is a huge city that is a bit challenging to get to due to new roads being built, lots of traffic and lots of intersections, but once inside the walled city you understand why it was worth the effort. Lanzhou is the same, but the road conditions proved a lot worse as they seem to be rebuilding all the main highways in and out of the city. The riding to Lanzhou is absolutely spectacular as we get off the national road and take a small road running through the mountains that offers stunning views of the mountains, valleys, farm lands as well as mile upon mile of terraced mountain side. We also made several waypoints for picture opportunities of the abandoned cave dwellings, many of which you can actually walk into. Really neat. We also saw the Terra Cotta Warriors on the way into the city.
Getting out of Lanzhou took us about 4 hours to do 9km’s due to the really narrow roads, some of them in bad shape and of course a whole cities worth of traffic trying to get through these narrow roads. One of the roads looked like a main road on the GPS but turned out to be a single track, busy muddy back road. Both Janis and I took forever to get through it, but then suddenly it opens up to this brand new four lane highway. We have absolutely no idea what the road planners were thinking as the highway cannot be extended nor can the single road be made any bigger as it runs along the banks of the Yellow river, there is physically nowhere for this new highway to go to. We eventually managed to work out a good route in and out of the city that won’t take nearly as much time with the group.
After Lanzhou China starts to shine! The roads are quieter, the cities are smaller and the further west we went the more we were mesmerized with spectacular scenery. Parts of the great wall next to the road where we could stop and take pictures, small farming villages, fresh vegetables being picked, chilli’s drying in the sun things just got better and better. The sand dunes in Duanguang are beautiful, the hotel (two night stop) is stunning and there is a free day to go and see the nearby Mogao Caves. Really nice part of the world and a fun ride getting there.
From Duangang we spent several days riding hundreds upon hundreds of miles of spectacular twisty mountain roads offering great riding and amazing views of the breathtaking scenery. On the first day one huffs and puffs a bit as we climbed up to 3700meters and stayed between 3000 – 3700meters for several days. Its easy to get acclimated. Chinghai Lake, which is a salt lake is really nice (Janis went skinny dipping much to our amusement) but the riding is out of this world! Kanbula National Park is another spectacular ride way up high in the mountains, very little traffic and incredible views of lakes, cliffs and the surrounding mountain ranges. This day alone was worth the ride from Riga for me. We have met and ridden with several local riders in various parts of China, each day has been an incredible experience.
The bikes have done well, we are now in Chengdo getting them serviced as well as replacing the chain and sprockets. Both bikes were in desperate need of a good clean and service. BMW parts are very difficult to get and also very expensive so for the tour we would suggest that each rider brings their own service parts (Oil/air filter/brake pads, chain sprockets etc) The BMW dealer in Chengdo is really nice, very small but clean, tidy and the workshop guys did a good job and were very efficient. I doubt that any of the BMW dealers including the larger ones in Russia would be able to service all of the bikes at once so we will have to stagger the bike servicing between Krasnarasnyark, Beijing and Chengdo. The bikes cause an immense amount of curiosity and interest , people are always coming up to us and asking all sorts of questions, none of which we can answer as almost nobody speaks English. In some of the smaller towns further west, gassing up is an entertaining challenge. In China all motorcycles are parked to one side of the gas station (Nowhere near a fuel pump) there is a small sign with a metal tea pot. What you have to do is give the pump attendant money, they fill up the tea pot, you go back and fill up the bike from the tea pot. Now considering our bikes take about 15 litters each and the tea pot only takes about 2 liters, this could be a lengthy process. So far we have been really lucky as our guide explains to the fuel attendant that the bikes will take 15 litres each (Which they don’t believe) and that it would take forever to fill them up with the tea pot. The two of them have this huge discussion, which to us sounds like WW3 is about to break out, then there is silence, the pump attendant gasses up the bikes from the pump, we pay and every one smiles. Janis and I have got to the stage where we pull up at the pump, open the tanks, wait for the inevitable discussion whilst sitting on the bikes smiling and waiting. Of course there has to be one attendant that did not want to do this, so Janis ended up gassing his bike up from the tea pot. It took a while as the locals seem to have a neat system or understanding as to who gets the tea pot next, its certainly not a ‘first come first serve basis’ Janis was like piggy in the middle’ with the tea pot going from one scooter to the next, but never close to his bike. I thought this was highly amusing. Alas, our trusty guide came along and saved the day. As with Russia in the smaller towns we will have to use one pump to gas up the bikes. I think the best thing to do will be to have a ‘fuel kitty’ to which each rider can contribute and let the tour leader pay for the gas for the whole group.
China is so culturally diverse and different from what any European or Westerner is used to and some of their ‘ways’ do take a lot of getting used to. Smoking is a really big thing in China, everybody smokes everywhere! That includes taxis (and the drivers) hotel lobbies, restaurants, elevators, public washrooms… everywhere! The Chinese government is trying to clamp down on smoking laws and there are non smoking signs in certain areas but they do not have any form of penalty system, so people ignore the signs and light up. Two other local habits that I am not used to is spitting, especially in public. A lot of locals spit (males and females) of course this is only done outside or in trash cans but they make it sound as though its coming up from their toes. Its pretty gross and does take some getting used to but eventually one no longer notices. The other habit is that a lot of Chinese people don’t touch their food while eating, so if they are eating fish and end up with a fish bone in their mouth its sort of spit out quietly onto a side plate or napkin rather than remove it with ones fingers.
People have been super friendly, absolutely everywhere all the time. There has not been a split second of unfriendliness on this trip from any of the local people. They are all highly amused to see these two foreigners on big bikes traveling through China. Every time we stop some one will take our photograph! Some times people will walk past and quickly snap a cell phone picture without missing a step, other times we will be asked if we mind our picture being taken. Of course if we offer to stand with the bikes and have the person stand between us while another takes a picture it becomes a big event and hundreds of pictures are taken. We have had people on the bikes taking pictures, us on local bikes having our picture taken. Often if we are standing in a line up we will hear people laughing and giggling behind us while they try to take a sneaky picture, its just been amazing! The other day while riding along the road a car pulled up next to me, the passenger rolled down their window, snapped a picture and took off… Letting kids jump on to the bike is always a big hit, the kids love it, the parents love it and we have a great time.
Food in China has been incredible, all of it! Our chop stick skills have improved dramatically! At first neither of us could pick up much worth eating, now we can pick up roasted peanuts! (Roasted peanuts are a challenge as they are slightly slippery from the oil…) We have only seen a knife and fork twice on this trip, once for a western dinner that we had and the other out of sympathy from a waiter) All lunches and dinners are done ‘family style’ so our guide (Or the guys we were riding with) order a variety of dishes that are placed on to a lazy Susan in the middle of the table, each person gets their own bowl of rice or noodles and then its help your self. Closer to Chengdo and Chongching the food has been spicy (Non spicy dishes are available) but all of them are incredibly tasty. Yes, one can order plates of things that one would not normally eat, the Chinese eat absolutely anything and everything. Being an adventurous eater I have opted for everything that most non-Chinese would not considering eating at all. Janis figures his life is full of enough adventure that he does not need to eat anything abnormal, all the restaurants have been great and we have both eaten really really well! Good coffee, which is essential to both our well being is difficult to get. I am sure that it will be available in the nicer tour hotels that we will be using, but its not freely available in the smaller towns or restaurants. Our fearless local tour guide found some instant coffee and has kept our caffeine needs under control. Breakfast in China is a bit more of a challenge, again in some of the nice tour hotels it won’t be, but in some of the smaller towns and smaller hotels the breakfasts take a lot of getting used to. Fried rice, boiled eggs, fried vegetables and steamed dumplings are the most popular breakfast options. Some of the days the only breakfast option was a large bowl of beef noodles which would make a great lunch as they are really tasty but at 7am I find it a bit of challenge.
Janis and I have really enjoyed working with the local guides that we hope to have on the tour. Small things like trying to order lunch is a challenge due to the language barriers but the guides have been doing an amazing job. Although occasionally we have ended up on our own for lunch (Our own choice) and tried to order food. It always ends up as a good laugh, we have no idea what the menu or the waiter says, but we point at pictures, have this long discussion with nobody knowing what the waiter is saying but a few minutes later we always get some great food. So many of the places have given us way more than we ordered/expected and its free, they are just so happy to have a foreigner in their restaurant. We have had our pics taken at so many restaurants as inevitably we are the first foreigners to have eaten there, its always a good time. Our driver is as skinny as a tooth pick but has this amazing ability to search out some great places for lunch and he eats like a race horse, lunch is not expensive. Janis and I stopped in this tiny little town in the middle of nowhere, pointed at a picture on the menu and walked away absolutely stuffed for about $4 for the two of us. One really neat thing about eating in China is that the service is quick and the food only takes a few minutes to prepare. Cleanliness is not quite to the level we are used to, so one has to turn a blind eye to the floor and sometimes the table but the food is always really really good.
Hotels throughout the trip are all good to excellent. With the exception of one or two very basic places (Due to location) they are all higher end, 5 star Chinese is not 5 Star European but they are really nice and very comfortable. In the bigger cities its easy to find a high end hotel, in the smaller cities we have chosen the best available and most comfortable. Several of the choices are due to the uniqueness and local feeling from the hotel. We do have to check all the bathrooms in the hotels to make sure that they have Western Style toilets. Not all hotels are allowed to host tourists, so in some of the smaller cities the choices are limited but we have managed to find some great places that the group will really enjoy. There are several highlight places along the way. The hotel in Duanguang is really nice as it overlooks the sand dunes, is just outside of town so its nice and quiet, has two restaurants (One Chinese, one western as do several other hotels on the tour) staff are super friendly and the hotel design is stunning. Janis and I blew the budget and spent a night here, can’t wait to get back! :)
Cell phone coverage has been available throughout this entire trip, even in some of the small remote towns. We both got local sim cards which were cheap and have worked really well. Roaming charges in China are high, so a local card is by far a cheaper option. The prepaid cards do have a data service but its much slower than 3G, so smaller emails are not a problem. Wifi will be available at almost all of the hotels that we will use for the tour but its extremely slow and very limited. Ironically the best wifi we have had so far was in the desert…. Hotmail, Gmail, Dropbox, Google, YouTube, Facebook etc are all restricted. My Gmail account has been blocked due to suspicious activity, I guess that’s because my phone has been trying to connect to it. Downloading email is gerenally ok, but trying to send email is a real challenge. I will do some more research when I get back home but it seems that the best options are to use a Virtual Private Network (VPN) or a third party Proxy. Janis is able to get on to his Facebook but I have not. FaceTime and Skype have worked in some of the hotels, again the nice hotels should be a little better but I have been warned that it can still be a slow service.
Tomorrow we leave Chengdo with clean clothes, clean and serviced bikes towards Hong Kong. I hope the time passes by really slowly allowing us more time in this amazing part of the world.
John
The
John Jesson
Managing Director
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