Reflections

Now I've had a few days to reflect on what I've been doing during the second half of this year I just wanted share with you what I've learnt because it has been a life changing experience for me. There are things that I have done during this journey that I never really dreamed of doing 2 or 3 years ago. 3 years ago I had only ever used a bicycle once previously (in 1984 when hiring a bike to travel to the Valley of the Kings in Luxor Egypt).

 

It all started really 3 1/2 years ago when I changed positions at work from one which entailed some physical work to a desk job. I quickly realised that I needed to do some extra physical activity if I wanted to maintain good health so seeing a couple of fellow Express Data employees cycling to work from near our place I decided that maybe that was a good way to get some exercise.

 

3 years ago I had doubts about my ability to cycle the 11kms to work and even did a practice run on the weekend before I tried it.  And now to think that I've cycled 400kms in 7 days in some difficult conditions I now realise that you can achieve a lot with some planning and sheer determination. I'm also fortunate that family and friends have supported me and no-one ever said "you can't do that at your age". I really think that to a certain extent, age is the mind. Even though our bodies do deteriorate as we get older and exercise can be harder, there is a lot you can do to maintain your health and an active life style can certainly help. I think I'm actually more physically active now than when I was younger.

 

I've also learnt that sometimes things that upset us or worry us or make us angry are not usually that important anyway. In the whole scheme of things I think that we are all lucky to be where we are, as there are many in the world who are a lot less fortunate than ourselves.

 

All the best and live life to the fullest

Ray

Day 25 - Bangkok - 24th December 2008

Got out at 8.15 for the final day of my trip. Decided to keep it easy today and took the skytrain to the last stop Saphan Taksan on the Chao Praya River. Then paid 150 baht for an all day tourist pass on the Chao Phraya Express Tourist Boat. This is actually expensive by Thai prices but for $7.50 I thought it was the easiest way today. This boat just stops at 9 stops which are close to the main tourist sites. I had already seen the 3 main sites yesterday but stopped at the 8th stop to then cross the river to visit Wat Arun (Temple of Dawn) then when I returned to continue the journey I met some Aussies from Newcastle and accidentally got the boat with them going in the return direction, so got off on the next stop and visited the local market before returning back to wharf, only to see the tourist boat bypass the stop. A local told me they don't always stop here so that was quite annoying as the brochure said it was a scheduled stop. Ended up catching another boat and decided to visit Khao San Road on the last stop. This road is an old road with some original wooden shophouses but is now a busy tourist street with cheap guesthouses and street stalls selling the usual pirate copies of clothing DVDs,souvenirs etc. Then time to go so had time for a quick lunch at a street stall before boarding the boat back to the skytrain station. When I arrived I realised I may not have enough money for the taxi ride to the aitport so after re-packing found an ATM and took a bit extra out. When I got in the taxi I noticed he didn't have the meter on so I told him to put the meter on and he gave me a story that he was going on the expressway and it would cost 600 baht. I told him it should only be about 200 to 250 and then he said 400 baht to which I then said to stop and I would get off. He then put the meter on and it ended up costing 210 baht plus the toll fees of 70 baht. I think the driver was feeling a bit guilty after I caught him out so he drove extra quick and got me to the airport in just 30 minutes after telling me it would take about 50 minutes.  So you do have to be on the alert if you don't want to get ripped off but the Thai government is trying to stop all this and actually have a tourist police number if you run into any trouble.   

Timing was good this time with 2 hours before take-off and check-in was easy, no queues and it turned out the plane was only aboiut 25% full so most people had at least 3 seats to themselves. Watched "Get Smart" and tried to get some sleep at 8.30pm (11.30pm Sydney time) as the plane was landing at 2.30am (6.30am Sydney time). Food was pretty good as well on the flight and landed on time Christmas Day. Declared a fw items which were no problem and re-united with Daisy who was there to pick me up. So ends this epic journey of endurance and discovery. 

Day 24 - Bangkok - 23rd December 2008

This will probably be my last entry before going home.

Woke up early and had brekky at a street store which are all over Bangkok. $1.50 for rice and chicken with a fried egg. Also bought a big bottle of water as I was expecting a hot day. Took the advice of Dave, the American guy who I think is the owner and took a canal boat from down the road and went to the last stop. These water buses are pretty neat. Had trouble finding the right direction to the river to catch the next boat but ended up just walking to The Grand Palace. Similar to the Chinese Palaces I saw but much smaller in area. It was very interesting because Thai architecture is very different to Chinese although there were some very Chinese looking sculptures around the area. Took around 2 hours to see everything then a walk to the neighbouring Reclining Buddha and I was amazed to see how huge it was. There were also some other interesting temples within the grounds. After that it was still quite early so I decided to go walking to Chinatown and it was a lot longer than I expected but also came across a couple of markets and a lot of street stalls along one of the main roads, Silom Rd and bought some very cheap T-shirts and shorts. Also tried various food from street vendors ( Chinese thingos, chicken kebabs which were yum and pineapple which was also yum) as well as Won Ton Noodle soup in Chinatown ($1.50). At 6.15 I decided to try a proper restaurant (Windmill Restaurant) and had a nice Tom Yum Gai soup and Hor Mok Seafood which was very similar to what we get back home. Afterwards wandered around a market full of the usual clothes, pirate DVDs and CDs etc. This area also had lots of bars with Thai girls in bikinis dancing around, but honestly I only saw them from the street. Then decided to try the sky rail for the rest of the journey home to shower and rest as my feet were aching. Watched a Heavyweight World Title fight between a huge Russian guy, Nikolei Valuev (?) who is Champ against Evander Holyfield. The Russian won.

Day23 - Bangkok - 22nd December 2008

Last day in Beijing so decided to visit the Olympic Park which took me about 35 minutes to cycle. Had trouble trying to work out how to get in as everybody else was on a tour group and because I got there earlier I didn't seee where they got the tickets from and I walked right around without seeing the ticket office. Turned out to be at the opposite end of where you enter in the car park so I had to walk half way around again. The Water Cube is an interesting piece of architecture and actually is made up of two layers forming the bubbles. Cost 30RMB to get in. Then to the Bird's Nest which was 50 RMB to enter. These are actually pretty expensive by Chinese standards considering that its just to go in and have a look but I guess they have to make the money back somehow. This is also an amazing building and probably on par with the Sydney Opera House as far as complexity is concerned. The Olympic mascots were doing a cute dance inside as well. I was going to try and fit in another sight before leaving but ran out of money so just rode back and hung around the Hostel and the shops until 1.45pm. I thought I would give myself plenty of tme to get to the airport and as usual, everything went smoothly so had a lot of time on my hands.

Plane was on time so landed in Bangkok at 10pm and catching a taxi was easy as they now regulate it so that there is no longer a group of drivers hanging around trying to hustle you and the taxi drivers line-up to collect a ticket which has your destination written on it in thai. This is done by a lady sitting at a desk when you get to the taxi stand. When I got dropped off I had some trouble locating the Hostel as it wasn't signposted that well but a couple of locals helped me. Hostel isn't as good as the Beijing one , very cramped room but it's only for two nights so thats fine. Bangkok is very hot so I've gone from one extreme to the other.

Day 22 - Beijing - 21st December 2008

Got out at 8.15 and hired a bike again to ride to Panjiayuan Markets which has all sorts of Chinese arts and crafts and nic-nacs, recommended by the guide books. I actually managed to bargain in Chinese and the starting prices I got were only about double what the item was worth as opposed to 10 times at the other market. Bought the Mao ceramic figurine I've been after, very kitsch and a couple of brass things. Then decide to ride to Beihai Park but happened to pass Pearl Market which I had remembered reading about and ended up buying Daisy a tea pot and 6 cups.

Beihai Park was another interesting park with another large lake and more old Chinese buildings so even though Beijing has undergone a lot of modernising it's good that so many of the major historic buildings are preserved in the parks. Because of the lake, it was freezing.

I should mention that todays temperature was forecast as a high of -7 and low of -14 and it certainly felt like it. The coldest day of my life and the wind also created a good headwind at times and practically froze my face off and I got this tingling sensation on my skin, never felt anything like it before. Also when I got back, the bottle of water I had taken had half frozen! By the time I got back to the Hostel I could hardly speak, I was so numb. After 15 minutes defrosting I ventured out again and bought a few more gifts for the family before heading back to the first restaurant I went to for another serving of Peking Duck plus a bowl of seafood and tofu soup that was actually big enough for a group of people but the whole meal still only cost me about $AUS10 and this was at a more up-market restaurant.

Day 21 - Beijing - 20th December 2008

Got out at 8.45am and hired a bike for my trip to The Temple of Heaven. Besides seeing some famous buildings that are often featured in movies the other interesting thing was all the entertainment in the park. Lots of men playing cards, mah-jong, people ball-room dancing, scarf dancing, choirs etc. The Chinese really make good use of their parks. These grounds are also very big but was able to cover everything in half a day. I then rode to Tianamen Square and took a few photos, then had a couple of hours to spare before dinner so just rode around and saw some very modern buildings before parking the bike in Wanfujing to have a look at some modern shopping centres, which are pretty much the same as home.

I then decided to try and find the Liqun Roast Duck restaurant which was featured on Getaway as they still prepare the duck in the traditional manner and in an original stone oven. We had passed it on the way to the markets the other day and I saw the walking ducks sign again on the way to the Temple of Heaven and i surprised myself by finding it again this time. It wasn't very big and nobody actually took any notice of me until I stopped a lady who looked like the boss and asked her if it was OK for one person to dine. She said it was and they immediately set up another single table and sat me down. They guessed I was there for Peking duck and I assumed I would get half a duck but the chef came out later and showed me a whole duck, but when it came out on a plate it looked like half a duck. However as I was enjoying myself, they brought out another plate with the same serving. I was then thinking that I was hungry but maybe not that hungry, when another foreigner came in on his own so I told him he could join me and asked him if he intended getting a whole duck which he didn't, so I suddenly had someone to share with so it all worked out well. Damion is a Londoner of Jamaican extraction and funny enough knew Sydney really well and wants to migrate. He is on his way home from Sydney and thought he would have a Sydney job so he could return but the economic downturn hasn't made it possible so he'll have to try again in future. The duck was really nice but cost 100RMB ($AUS22.50)each so was considerably more expensive than the one I had on the first night and really not that much better so I think I'll be returning to that first restaurant for a repeat meal.

Day 20 - Beijing - 19th December 2008

Was going to cycle to The Summer Palace today but the hostel said it would take about 2 hours so I changed my mind and decided to try the rail system. Besides it was the one form of Beijing transport I hadn't tried yet. It was actually very good, just 2RMB per trip to anywhere on the system. Had to change to a bus to the Summer Palace and had to ask a local which direction. My sense of direction has been terrible here, I think because the sun is in the south instead of the north and its a bit disorientating. Spent the whole day at the Palace as it is massive. Most of it is taken up by Kunming Lake but the grounds are still huge. A very impressive Buddhist temple overlooks the lake and the whole area is very picturesque. I also discovered another buddhist temple behind which is still in original state and the architecture was quite different. This palace was a playground for the imperial families to get away from Beijing and also includes Suzhou Street which is a reproduction of part of the water town of Suzhou, near Shanghai. Also saw the famous Marble Boat commissioned by Empress Cixi. Altogether a very impressive area. Left at about 4pm to give myself 2 and a bit hours to get back to the Hostel as I had booked a seat for the Kung Fu show and its just as well I did as I went the wrong way again when I left the last metro spot and got totally lost. I don't have a good map as it only shows the main roads and the blocks are not your standard size Aussie blocks, they're massive. Ended up asking a local who just happened to speak excellent English and I was on the right way. Also Krissy and Daisy both rang me as I was trying to find my way home so it was all pretty hectic. I ran the last 15 minutes and got home with 15 minutes to spare.

Only two others were going with me Stevie and Josh from Melbourne who happened to be the first Aussies I had met in Beijing. I turned out to be the first they had met. Then when we got to the show, there was a Chinese family next to us but they were also from Melbourne. The show was good but there wasn't really anything I hadn't seen before and I was a bit disappointed that the dialogue was dubbed and in English, with Chinese subtitles. The show in Kunming was better I thought. However, Stevie and Josh seemed to enjoy it so that was good.

The show finished at 9pm and by coincidence we met up again at Fish Nation which serves non-Chinese food like Fish and Chips and spaghetti. So thats two nights in a row I didn't have Chinese but I intend having Peking Duck tomorrow.

Day 19 - Beijing - 18th December 2008

Slept in until 8.20 and then wandered up to The Schoolhouse, where Michelle works. She was actually very busy but had arranged for the kitchen to cook us breakfast which we had back at her dorm. She then arranged for her room-mate Daniel to give me a lift to where I could catch a van to go down-town and get the bus back to Beijing. Daniel even paid for the van trip which was really nice of him even though he shouldn't have. A bit sad saying good-bye to my good friend Michelle again but here's hoping she'll make it to Australia one day.

I had trouble picking the right 915 bus as I couldn't see the Chinese characters that Michelle had written on any of the buses so I rang Michelle and she spoke to one of the locals who was waiting with me and then he told me which bus to catch. Got back to the hostel at 2pm so only had time to visit the Bell and Drum towers, caught a demo of the drums at 3pm luckily. Then tried to get to Prince Gong's mansion but got there too late to enter so just had a wander around the back lakes district which was interesting as the lake was frozen over and locals were skating and walking across etc. I then came across a section where they had made a big hole in the ice and these guys stripped to their bathers and swam in the icy waters! Then had a wander around the local shops and had an Indian meal for change after 18 days of Chinese food which was actually very good real Indian food.

Day18 - Mutianyu - 17th December 2008

Went up to Michelle's dorm at 9.30 where Michelle had cooked up some noodles and egg for brekky. We then chatted for a while before heading off for our hike to The Great Wall. Michelle had heard about a different way to the unrestored part and we would then walk back to the restored part. There was snow everywhere and our walk over a hill and across to the neighbouring village was interesting in itself. Michelle checked with a local that we were on the right track because at this point the wall looked very high up and he said it would take us around 40 minutes. After passing a sign which said that this section of the wall is closed to the public, we walked on and it actually took us about 60 minutes. As we rested at the wall one of the guys who worked with Michelle on the Olympics job walked by and said hello. It was the first time Michelle had bumped into someone from that time so it was quite a coincidence. His name was Allan and he use to be an English teacher before becoming a guide.

Michelle thought we would end up at the unrestored section but we actually ended up at the end of the restored section, but as we walked we came to the section which was marked "No admittance" and Michelle said that the last time she came to this point the wall was pretty much in ruins but now it looked like it was restored so even it seemed this section was now fixed but not opened yet to the public, so of course we decided to keep going. We walked a fair way up until we did hit a section that was impassable. The wall had actually fallen away completley except for one side and was overgrown with dirt and trees. We then decided to have something to eat and it was quite special to be sitting on a section that not too many had seen yet and with absolutely no other tourists around. As we wandered back we started to meet more people but the whole walk was very quiet and nothing like my visit to Badaling last year.

It was about 5 pm by the time we walked back to the village and Michelle decided to order some take away as her roomates had phoned her and told her that they had no power. In China you aren't billed for electricity but have to buy credit like for a pre-paid mobile phone.  So I had a lovely candle light dinner with Michelle and her room-mates that night before showing some of the photos from my cycling challenge and having a really interesting chat with everyone. Some of it was quite amusing as they told a story they had heard about Australia that we had a rabbit plague and then I told them about the Aussie TV commercial where the dad tells the son that the Great Wall was built to ward off rabbits.

Day 17 - Mutianyu - 16th December 2008

Met up with Christa and Chris again at brekky and we decided to hire some bicycles to cycle down to a flea market down south. Turned out to be quite a way away and it turned out it wasn't actually on today so was a bit of a wasted effort although we did get to see a local market where locals bought their fresh fruit and vegies. We then decided to head up to the Silk Market which also took some time as we got a bit lost. The asking prices are really ridiculous and are 10 times more than the value rather than the traditional twice. For example Chris showed some mild interest in a chess set and the initial asking was 530 RMB and when he kept on trying to leave the girl grabbed him by the arm and kept bringng the price down until it hit 70RMB, but he still didn't buy it. He did buy a watch that went from 120 to 20 and Christa bought a soft toy for 25 (down from 150). It was so ridiculous I didn't feel like buying anything. Afterwards we found a restaurant for lunch and it was time for me to say my goodbyes and head off to Mutianyu. By the time I got back to the hostel it was 4pm and using the instructions that Michelle had emailed me and some advice from the hostel I got the 107 to Dongshimen bus depot, then the 916 to Dadi but not before I had to call Michelle to check which stop to get off. She asked me to hand the phone to the person next to me and she spoke to him. Luckily it turned out he was getting off the same stop so that made it easy. I then had to get a van or car to Mutianyu and once agian Michelle spoke to the lady driver and gave her instructions. Finally after a two and a half hour trip I got dropped off at a restaurant where my good friend Michelle was waiting for me. Turned out we were the only two people in the whole restaurant so they stayed open until we left at about 9.30. We then left to walk up in the absolutley freezing conditions to the Mutianyu village where I would be staying . I walked up to Michelle's dorm and met some of her colleagues before walking back to Dr Liu's house where I would be staying for two nights. Room was basic with the usual rock hard bed and pillows and unfortunately couldn't get the hot water to work so just had a wash.

Day 16 - Beijing - 15th December 2008

Was up until 12.50am trying to fix my SD card and hard drives and woke at 6.20am to join the 10km Great Wall Walk at 6.40. Luckily, everyone in our room was going on the hike so Christa woke everyone up when it was time. When we got to the Wall at Jinshaling, it was freezing and snow was actually on the road and countryside, so quite pretty. I got my wish to see snow on the Great Wall so that was great. Some locals joined us as we started our hike but I knew what the game was so I was actually quite rude and told the guy who latched onto me that I didn't need a guide and to go away. I know I was harsh but I really just wanted to enjoy the hike without having to be hassled with buying something later which is what happened to some of the others. Although the start was freezing and I bought a "Great Wall" beanie more out of necessity than anything else, we quickly warmed up as we walked, expecially with the uphills.

This hike was sensational as its not over-run with tourists like Badaling where I went last year and much of it hasn't been restored at all so it seemed a lot more authentic. It took us about 3 and a half hours to complete with a couple of rest stops. Some of it is pretty rough but that just added to the fun. At the Simatai side there was dam and the water was actually frozen on the low side and covered with snow and we could see someone's footsteps going across.

We got back to Beijing around 5pm and we decided to go looking for a place for dinner along with two new friends, Nicola from California (but English) and Davia from Ottawa, plus myself Christa and Ivan (from Texas but originally Columbian), our other room-mate. Found a good restaurant , 47Y each.

After dinner came back to one of the tea shops and we all made a purchase. I bought some Lychee Black tea and took some photos of teapots for Daisy to choose.

Day 15 - Beijing - 14th December 2008

Was the first up this morning, but Christa followed me soon after for brekky which is free in the cafe next door. very basic but good enough, egg, sausage,toast,quarter apple and half banana (??).

We decided to go to the Forbidden City and it was about a 40 minute walk, got there about 10.15am and covered a lot of ground. Christa decided she had enough at about 3pm but I decided to stay on and go to the places we hadn't covered. I ended up staying to closing time at 5pm and can say I've now seen just about everything there. Last year two of main buildings were being restored so I was very glad to return and see it in all its glory. What a mind-blowing place this is, a must see for anyone.

At the close, it was chaotic trying to get out of the main gate to Tianamen Square and it turned out it was a parade of soldiers marching in to stand guard. They had just completed the daily lowering of the flag ceremony. Had to wait about 40 minutes and luckily Daisy called me so had a good long conversation while I was waiting. It was worth the wait because I got some great photos of the front gate with Chairman's photo and the because the sun had gone down it was all lit up as I had seen last year from the bus as we drove past.

Got slightly lost on the long walk back and met up with Christa and Chris again and we are all going on the 10km Great Wall walk from Jinshanling to Simatai. Went out to order sandwiches for lunch and I tried a small local restaurant which was pretty good. 24RMB for a beef in a tomatoe hot pot, very nice.

Home to fix my hard drives and now memory card, but will have to get to bed soon as we have an early start at 6.40am.

Day 14 - Beijing - 13th December 2008

Had my first sleep-in, woke up at 8.20 so had just 10 minutes to meet the girls for our scheduled brekky. By the time we finished I decided it was best for me to just head straight to the airport at around 10am. Turned out I was too early as it was only a 20 minute taxi ride there and check-in for my flight wasn't open until 11.30, so just stood around (no seats anywhere in check-in area) and read ny Beijing guide books. Check-in went smoothly and Flight was pleasant. Hainan Airlines hosties were very friendly and smiley and spoke very good English. At airport my pick-up driver was waiting for me as planned so it all went to plan. Hostel is very good and met Christa from Canada and Chris from England. Chris was going out somewhere so Christa joined me for dinner. We found a more up market restaurant around the corner and the food was excellent. Had my first Peking duck plus sweet & sour pork plus snow peas and rice. Cost us 145 RMB ($32）so expensive for China but still cheap for the quality of food.

Having trouble with my portable hard drives as they have picked up a virus somewhere, so taking a lot of time cleaning them up without losing my photos. Its lucky I did have them backed-up onto two different hard drives because the photos were lost on one of them.

Day 13 - Kunming - 12th December 2008

The remaining four of us met up with Kim for breakfast and said our farewells and then we met our mini-bus to the Stone Forest at 9am. A two hour drive (120 kms) there and we had four hours to wander around and have some lunch. The whole park is beautifully set out and the rocks are truly magnificent, certainly worthwhile making the day trip out there. Typically there were lots of souvenir stalls etc but once you got into the park it was actually quite peaceful especially when all the Chinese tour groups went to have lunch. We ended up having lunch late just an hour or so before we were due to leave but it ended up being a good strategy. Also caught a cultural show as well.

On our return, Mel and Angela went to a yoga place and Sue & I decided to walk to the theatre where the Yunnan show was on and then look for a place to eat. Right next door was an interesting building called the Stonehouse which was European in style and was the home of a famous Chinese general. It had a restaurant serving Chinese and Italian food. We opted for Chinese and whilst a little more expensive than some of our previous meals it was quite good.

The show was absolutely fantastic and melded traditional music and dance into a contemporary style. I thought the first scene was worth the price of admission alone (140 Y). It consisted of ensemble drumming and blew me away, using different drums from the different ethnic minority groups. Screens to the left and right of the stage explained what was being represented in both Chinese and English. Unusually for a Chinese show, there wasn't any DVD available because I would have bought one. Definitely one of the most spectacular shows I've seen.

Day 12 - Kunming - 11th December 2008

Flights for those other than myself have been changed now about 4 times due to the problems Thai Airlines have had with Bangkok Airport. It looked like everyone was going back another day later but suddenly we are told that the group will now fly back today. Three of the group, Sue, Melissa and Angela decided to stay on in Kunming anyway until Sunday so I will have some company when I go to the Stone Forest tomorrow. It did mean we lost some money on the cancelled bus we had arranged and now we have to pay for our accommodation for the extra 2 or 3 nights.

Set off at 7.30 and reached Kunming airport at 12.40 where the four of us remaining bade farewell to our fellow adventurers. Took a long time waiting for Kim to clear the group through check out so didn't get back to the Camellia Hotel until 2.30pm. We then went to the Camellia Travel agent and arranged our trip to The Stone Forest and Sue and I got tickets for a Yunnan cultural show for tomorrow night.

After arriving at the hotel and freshening up I met up with Kim and the others for dinner which cost us just 40 yuan, but then we decided to get some coffee and ended up at this ultra expensive coffee lounge which actually made a proper cappacinno but it cost 20 yuan ($AUS5) half the cost of out whole meal just 4 doors away! Kim had picked up her bike nearby as she is going to cycle around Bangladesh and India from tomorrow and rode back to the Camellia, whilst the rest of us decided to walk back. Got home around 10.30pm.

Day 11 - Dali - 10th December 2008

Adam and I had plans to wake up early and use the hot spa again but it didn't happen. The alarm woke me up at 7.00 but Adam didn't stir until 7.20 so had 10 minutes to get ready for our scheduled 7.30 breakfast. We set off at 8.15 for our final day's ride, it was hard to believe that our epic journey was about to end. It was suppose to be an easy last days ride and I tried to ride as hard as I could but after our first stop at a local market I set off and immediately had a flat tyre, so had to stop while our friend Lay repaired my tyre for the second time on this trip. Sandy had waited for me further down as she was worried I had been hit by a car because I was taking so long to catch up. Sue was also waiting for us further along. I guess its the mother instinct in them, but very nice of them to be concerned. After our morning tea break we set off for the final leg into Dali, all wearing our white Oxfam Australia cycling jerseys and coloured stripey socks that Barbara had issued everybody. Just about 3 to 4 kms from Dali we hit a bad traffic jam caused by roadworks and had to do some more unscheduled off road cycling when lo and behold I got my second puncture of the day just 1 km from our meeting point at Dali's Three Pagodas park. Lay did another quick repair job and we had some group photos in front of the Three Pagodas Park before heading into Dali in single file. It was all high fives as we completed our 400kms cycling around Yunnan.

After lunch at the MCA Hostel I decided to walk back to the three Pagodas and it was massive, every time I thought I had reached the last temple I would discover another one behind it and tricycle taxi back to Dali Old Town and looked around the shops until dinner, where we bade farewell to our support team and made a few speeches etc., then a few of us went back into the old town for celebratory drinks. Then I came back onto the free internet and got kicked out at 12.40am.

Day 10 - Er Yuan - 9th December 2008

Started off at 8.30am, easy 8km start before the last challenging climb of our trip, a 12km climb which actually seemed harder than the one we did yesterday. Melissa had bad stomach cramps and struggled up the climb like a trooper with assistance from Cathy who has been literally pushing anyone needing help up the hills. She has been a mountain of strength on this challenge, that's for sure. Unfortunately for Mel she couldn't continue for the remainder of the day and had to travel in the support vehicle. She was very disappointed but could take take consolation that she had completed all the difficult sections of the ride so far and going up that last hill while unwell would have been a very difficult thing to do. Man, it was hard enough to do when fully fit.

After morning tea at the top of the hill we had a rewarding downhill ride then an undulating ride past farmland and then a short climb past a dam and some more pretty countryside before reaching our destination of Er Yuan which is only a tiny town but boasts hot springs. Needless to say, we wasted no time in making use of the hot spring pool and spent about 2 hours in it drinking and eating. Adam challenged two of our support team Cathy and Jiao to swimming races which was very entertaining. A very relaxing time for all of us after that last hard climb.

Day 9 - Jian Chuan - 8th December 2008

Set off at 9 am for a 60 km ride. First 11 kms were back the way we came so the downhill ride into town that we enjoyed became an 11 km uphill climb instead. We gathered for a quick rest at the junction before starting a 5 km climb which Kim said was the steepest of our trip. It turned out not as bad as we expected, I think because we are now at a lower altitude than the first two days plus we are now aclimatised to the altitude so it was hard but not as exhausting as Day 6. The rest of the journey was a very pleasant ride through rural Yunnan passing small villages, vegetable gardens, terraced fields and local markets. We stopped at a lunch spot which Kim saw as she was riding past which once again looked like someone's house.

Todays's ride was almost like cycling through the past as I imagined that none of these scenes we witnessed today has really changed much at all over the years. We arrived in Jian Chuan early at 2.30pm which gave us a chance to have a look around at the local market which was mainly food such as spices, dried food and all sorts of things I didn't even recognise. After dinner I returned to the internet cafe to back up my photos and catch up on the blog.

Day 8 - Shigu - 7th December 2008

Started off at 8.30 for a relatively easy day. 70kms but no major uphill climbs, just undulating. Start of the ride was pretty as we rode alongside the river and then downhill on rough terrain out of the Gorge. We then crossed to the other side at the river and rode along a major highway before crossing a different section of the river for our lunch break.

After lunch it was undulating ride passing small villages and terraced paddy fields before stopping at the first bend of the Yangtze where it makes a dramatic horse-shoe bend turning north. This is also the place where Mao's Red Army crossed during the Long March. It was then a downhill ride into the township of Shigu which has an impressive memorial to the Red Army crossing and a pretty old bridge which we explored after arrival. Other than that, there isn't a lot to do, so after dinner in our hotel, Adam decided to teach our support crew some card games and they had a great time with Cathy having to translate the rules for the other two. 

Day 7 - Tiger Leaping Gorge - 6th December 2008

Because of the early night I awoke early at 6.30am and wandered out at 7am but not a soul was stirring until an English couple we had met the night before came out for brekkie, so I joined them. They had been travelling for about 4 months overland and were headed for WA to meet up with the guy's sister. Eventually everyone from the group emerged . Kim described the different walks available but some of us decided it was easier and safer to follow our fearless leader on her walk (which she hadn't done before) which was a hike down to the river then half way back up and further along to an area controlled by local people who had built the trail along with bridges, steps and ladders. It was 10 Yuan to enter the area and we discovered, another 10 Yuan to exit the area unless you wanted to go all the way back to the start which wasn't really an option. We also got charged another 10 Yuan on an optional crossing to a large rock that was in the middle of the river but for what amounted to about $AUS8 it was well worth it for the experience. We actually walked down and back up from the riverside two times so we covered a lot of ground. 

On the way back out of the gorge we came across a section which offered two alternative routes up. There was a "dangerous ladder" or "safe steps". We all agreed to take the ladder until we actually saw the ladder and then half of us decided to take the safe steps which didn't really look that safe either. Of course I decided to take the dangerous ladder which was a bit scary but actually a lot faster than the safe steps. The ladder was made of steel concrete reinforcing rods which were fixed into the cliff face and welded together but it was straight up, no slope so you needed to have a firm grip on it. The whole hike was very exhausting and we all had aching legs afterwards, so I wouldn't say our rest day was really restful, but none of us would have wanted to miss it, certainly the most interesting hike I've ever done. Even Kim said it was now her favourite hike in the Gorge.

After walking the 2kms back along the road to out Guest House we ordered a late lunch and sat around talking. Six of us (myself, Adam, Barbara, Sue, Phil and Rowena) decided to try the Tibet Guesthouse for dinner and we played Yahtzee and shared 7 delicious dishes plus apple and honey pancakes for dessert which came to a total of just 160 Yuan ($AUS36). It was then an early night again to rest for our final 4 days cycling.

Day 6 - Tiger Leaping Gorge - 5th December 2008

This day was the most physically demanding of my life. We boarded the vans and set off from Lijiang at 8.15 to Bai Shui He where we had left our bikes. The ride started with a gruelling 22km uphill climb with the first 11km being on cobblestones to add to the challenge. As we went up we got some light rain which turned out to be snow , so we had everything on this ascent. We stopped for a short rest after the cobblestone section at Miao Nu Ping (which looks like an old temple) before our final ascent on sealed road for our morning tea stop at the highest point of our journey at 3,260 metres above sea level and yes the oxygen was thin and we were all panting as we approached the top. I'll quote Melissa who said that it was harder than giving childbirth. Interestingly, I felt like I was going to die but my heart rate was still well under 80% of my maximum heart rate, so all the training I had done in Oz paid off I guess. Needless to say I did much of the final ascent in the very lowest gear.

The next part was an exciting 35km downhill cycle but no ordinary downhill because this was also on cobblestones for the whole way down. The scenery was quite stunning and I stopped a few times for photos. Those use to mountain biking got down very quickly whilst others took it cautiously. I managed to get confidence early on and picked up quite a speed but just 3kms from the bottom I got a puncture and had to wait for our support vehicle while everyone went past me. The puncture was caused by a 2" nail bent in a U shape. Jiao showed me and then threw it away. Cathy and I decided I should keep it for a souvenir so we were all looking for it while Lay repaired the tyre, but to no avail.

We had lunch at a local restaurant which looked more like someone's home. Although some of us felt like having a sleep, it was then time for our hike. Jiao and the support vehicle could not cross here so he left us to return to Lijiang overnight. He would then drive the other way around and meet us at our next destination, Tiger Leaping Gorge the next day. Consequently we had to pack what we needed for the next two days in another pack and had to carry this with us on our hike which consisted of a steep downhill descent to the boat for crossing the Yangtze. At least we didn't have to carry our bikes across. Some locals were waiting for us and worked as porters by carrying the bikes down, onto the boat and then carrying them up the other side. This is a way for them to make some extra cash. On the way down, the ground was a bit loose and Melissa had slippery shoes so I stayed back a bit to give her a hand. The crossing was quick but not the hike up. A hard 2km hike up the other side to our next support vehicle, which was quite exhausting as it was steep and the sun was out and quite hot.

It was then another 18km ride to our final destination over undulating sealed and unsealed road into the gorge. This part wasn't really that hard but after everything else we had done today it was still hard going. We were grateful that hot showers awaited us at Sean's Guesthouse when we arrived. After another nice meal we had an early night as we looked forward to our rest day.

Day 5 - Ba Shui He - 4th December 2008

Started off this morning at 8.30, through the city and like yesterday we were suddenly in rural China riding past the village of Su He and stopping for a shopping stop at Baisha where quite a few purchases were made. Usually bought at less than half the original asking price. Then a short ride out to our morning tea stop at a temple but none of us felt inclined to go in as we only had 15 minutes. Then the serious riding began. A 5km climb which got the heart racing, a rest stop (thank God) and then an enjoyable downhill before hitting the plains where we were challenged with our first real off-road biking, actually it was more like a dried creek bed, I'm sure it was. Having never done this type of riding before I wasn't confident about staying on after yesterdays mishaps, but some good tips from Kim helped a lot and I managed to complete the ride unscathed.

Then lunch before our longest ascent for the day, 9kms along a good sealed road with some spectacular valley views but it wasn't easy. The top of this climb was actually the second highest point that we will reach on this journey at 3,200 metres above sea level. So we rose 700 metres in altitude today. The high altitude had me quite short of breathe and most us have to do the type of breathing that women do when delivering a baby, well at least that's what it reminded of. Surprisingly my heart rate was OK and only got to a maximum of about 140 but it felt like it was a lot faster than that so maybe the HRM is a bit wonky. Even though it felt like really hard going at the time, I still felt OK after a short rest so that is at least encouraging because we have even harder challenges ahead tomorrow.

The day finished with an exhilarating downhill ride into the valley of Ba Shui He with a unique terraced waterfall down the bottom with Yaks and crystal clear blue water. As no-one is allowed now to stay in the park we had to then transfer back to Lijiang, but will be driven back to Ba Shui He to continue our journey to Tiger Leaping Gorge in the morming.

Day 4 - Lijiang 3rd December 2008

First day of riding started at 7.30 this morning for breakfast. We then received our bikes and about an hour was spent fixing various accessories that people had brought along. I only brought along my pedals and cleated shoes so didn't take long. I also have attached my camera bag to the front handle bar using the shoulder strap and bungee cords but it worked well. Joining our party are Cathy, our Chinese Tour guide, Jiao, our driver and Lay, our bike nechanic. 

After a short ride out of the city we were suddenly riding through small villages with markets and then more small villages along dirt roads. It was amazing to think that rural China was so close to the town centre. We stopped a couple of times for photos but honestly, we could have stopped about 20 times for photos but we wouldn't get anywhere. We certainly attracted attention from the locals and after greeting them with either Ni Hao or hello we were treated to smiles , waves and return greetings so it was a lovely experience.

First test was a short uphill climb on dirt which seemed easy as far as effort but by the time we reached the top I was so short of breath I couldn't even drink. Took me about 90 seconds to catch my breath. This was my first experience of the effects of the high altitude. In Lijiang we are at 2,400 metres above sea level. Our highest point in a couple of days will be at 3,360 metres I believe so certainly more challenging things are ahead of us.

We reached our destination around 11.30, a Buddhist monastary which was fantastic. Quite a few of the monks were walking around and one group which consisted of an older man and some young monks who ranged in age between about 8 & 20 had a great time with us using sign language. They asked me if I could speak Chinese and I actually understood them and said no and explained in my broken Chinese that I was Australian but my parents were Chinese, and they actually understood me so that made my day. Adam was a great source of amusement for them as they all compared their heights to his and then they played a game with him, seeing how high up a tree they could touch by jumping.

After visiting the monastary, we gathered for some yummy sandwiches with Chinese mushrooms, chicken schnitzel, goats cheese and salad. It then off for our return journey where I had the distinction of being the first to come off his/her bike. I was so busy admiring the scenery and thinking of a photo that I didn't notice a big pile of gravel in the middle of the road and down I went. Ended up with some bad gravel cuts which took a while to stop bleeding but at least there are no sprains. To top it off I went down for a second time at an intersection when we suddenly stopped and couldn't get my cleats out quick enough, but no lasting injuries from that either. Hopefully I've now done my share of spills, but there are no guarantees as I know we have much more challenging rides ahead. Part of the problem I think is that my bike is a bit too big for me so it makes it more difficult for me to stop suddenly. I may see if I can get it changed.

On arrival back we were able to have a hot shower as this morning we could only get cold ones so that was nice. As Adam and I left the hotel we ran into our new Chinese helpers who walked with us to the old town. Cathy also helped me buy a SIM card (120 RMB). I then asked them if they could take us to a good restaurant and they joined us for a great meal at a Sichuan Restaurant which significantly was out of the old town. The bill came to a grand total of 140 RMB ($AUS32 ) for 9 people, needless to say, the six of us on the challenge insisted on paying and we had the tradtional Chinese situation of arguing over who was to pay but we won out this time.

The 6 of us were planning to then head over to the Naxi Ancient music concert but Adam decided against it when Cathy said it was very boring. The two youngest members, Phillippa and Rowena came with me, Barbara and Sue to the concert which ran for one and a half hours. The two young girls left after an hour but the older members all stayed on. It was actually quite enjoyable and interesting. The members of the orchestra were dressed in tradtional costumes and played original instruments that were used when the music was composed. There was an introduction of each piece in Mandarin and English which was very interesting. There were also a few solo performances, one man sang a very amusing opera piece and another man played a banjo type instrument and the song sounded like old Mississippi blues music (Chinese blues?)

After the concert we decided to walk up the hill in town to have a hot drink and have a look at the night view of the town which was very beautiful. So a pleasant ending to an eventful day.

Day 3 - Lijiang 2nd December 2008

Left the Camellia Hotel this morning right on time after being berated by our tour leader Kim for being tardy the day before. We're all good children now. Our flight to Lijiang was delayed slightly but I was more worried about the name of the airline, "Lucky Airlines". I was hoping that didn't mean we would be lucky to get there. We flew over clouds just about the whole way so were pleasantly surprised on landing to be greeted by clearing skies and what turned out to be a beautiful day. Our accommodation is in a beautiful old building of the typical hutong style with a central courtyard and is actually connected with a more modern Hotel building next door, and we are all very happy to be where we are, rooms are relatively small but clean and comfortable and a great atmosphere.

After checking into our rooms Kim took us to a very interesting outdoor noodle place which turned out to be very nice. She then took us on a quick orientation tour of the old town and we had the whole afternoon to explore until 6.45pm for our dinner. Adam and I ended up walking all day buying a few things and generally admiring the whole ambience of Lijiang which is home to an ethnic minority group, the Naxi. In the traditional Naxi society, Women are the head of the household rather the men so I guess it isn't really that disimilar to our society :).

The town is very geared to tourism with hundreds of shops selling local handicrafts and other goods. In some ways it is like a big market but it is still very charming because of its people, architecture, location and canals which run through the town. During our walk we saw an interesting doorway and when we walked up the stairs to investigate what it was, a young girl approached us and asked if she could help us. We thought we were going to be kicked out of a private house as she told us it was her house but invited us in and said we could see the whole town from the top part of the property which consisted of a few buildingas going up a hill. It turned out to be a guesthouse and I think she was hoping we would move from our current hotel as she asked us lots of questions about where we were from and how long we were staying. I was then thinking there must be catch in all this and she did lead us back down her jewellery store where I ended up buying a silver necklace for Kristen (my daughter) as the prices were very good and she had been so nice to us I couldn't resist, so her strategy works very well.

Dinner was at a very nice place called the Shi Mo Fang Tea House within the old town. Kim gave us the run-down of what is to happen tomorrow which is our first cycle day so it will be quite exciting to finally get on the bikes, but all this walking over the last two days is giving me aching muscles already. I then walked around the old town with Barbara, Sandy and Leesa who are all from the South Coast of NSW. The old town at night is probably even more entrancing and atmospheric, at least until you get to the main canal which is lined with cafes, bars and restaurants all having their own musical entertainment, which all blends together as you walk pass them all, disco, hip-hop, jazz, folk all blending into one wall of sound as you walk through.

So its now with some excitement that we prepare for our first day cycling.

Day 2 - Kunming 1st December 2008

Woke up early at 6.30, we went down and had a buffet breakfast, not the best but OK. Kim gathered us together for our initial meeting at 9am and gave us the general run-down of what to expect. After the meeting she said she would take us on an optional walking tour which we all jumped at of course seeing as none of us would know what to do anyway. As we walked, a few of us were brave enough to sample various snack foods from street vendors but ended up splitting up into about 3 groups around lunch time. My group had some coffee in a trendy little coffee bar called Dali's that Kim took us to, and we then wandered down to Green Lake which was the typical Chinese park with lots of water, trees, birds, and traditional looking buildings and lots of locals enjoying themselves. We then went to the Yuantong Zen Buddhist Temple which has a history of over 1200 years which was very interesting. By then it was time to rush back to the Hotel as we were due to leave at 4pm for our visit to the local Oxfam office.

We were met at the office by Ming Ling Feng who is Assistant Program Manager - Rural Livelihood and Lichow Yang, M&E office who translated, They both actually work for Oxfam Hong Kong as there isn't actually an Oxfam China. Interestingly, some of the money given to communities for projects is actually in the form of loans and is suppose to be paid back if the project is able to generate any income. Its also interesting that all the funds come from Oxfam Hong Kong, there doesn't seem to be any form of donation from rich Chinese on the mainland, I would like to find out more about the reason for this.

After the meeting we went to the Sunflower Restaurant and had a typical massive Chinese banquet. Much of the food was spicy with a Sichuan influence. We then decide to walk back about 40 minutes to the Hotel and found an internet cafe which is where I am right now. Now 11.30 so time to go to bed. Leaving tomorrow morning at 8.30 for our flight to Lijiang.

Day 1 - 30th November

An incident packed start to the challenge. Just the day before we learnt that out Thai airways flight has been changed to China Southern because of the instability at Bangkok Airport, which means we then had to fly out 12 hours earlier at 10.50am, so it was panic stations because I had to pack on Saturday morning because the rest of the day was busy with social engagements. We were told to just go to China Southern to check-in as they would have our details, but of course they didn't and I was told to go to Thai first to get the ticket. When I got there they said that some of my group had already collected all the tickets and China Southern already had them and to ask for the supervisor, Jerry. On returning I found Jerry, who then told me to wait with the other people in line who all happened to be caucasian so it was easy for me to work out that they were also part of my Oxfam group and were in fact the group who had just flown in from Melbourne. After what seemed a long time we finally got our boarding passes and by the time we got in there was only about 50 minutes left before scheduled take-off. I was getting worried because I wanted to claim GST back on my new camera and the rule is they won't process it less than 30 minures before take-off. There was a fairly long line and you guessed it, I was just 3 people away and they announced no more processsing for 10.50 flights, so I duly left the queue and got to the boarding gate, where there was then an announcement that the flight would be delayed at least 30 minutes, so I rushed back to the TRS desk and told them and got my GST back. First time I've been happy about a delayed flight.

Quickly met all my fellow adventurers, Barbara Khalifa and Philippa Masaoka from Sydney, Sandra Evans, Leesa Swan and Sue Leppan from the South Coast, Sarah Bromley, Adam Deverell, Angela Meyer, Melissa Trevorrow and Tanya Wilson from Melbourne and Rowena Yeomans from Adelaide. Our flight to Guangzhou was uneventful but extremely boring as all the in-flight entertainment was in Chinese and the hosties weren't terribly friendly or helpful, I certainly wouldn't choose to fly China Southern again for an international flight. I met an Aussie from Sydney on the plane who was going to a media conference in Guangzhou and by coincidence he was my sister Debbie's boss at SBS and they are good friends, she even went to his wedding in Melbourne, small world we live in.

The plane ended up arriving an hour late which meant that it was cutting our connection fine as we then only had an hour to change to our China Eastern flight to Kunming. To our pleasant surprise there was a China Eastern representative at the planes exit there to escort us to collect our bags, go through customs (no baggage checks at all) and then check-in, but he said we were too late to get out bags on the flight and that they would be on the next flight to Kunming but they still wanted us on the original flight so we all had to rush onto the plane just 5 minutes before take-off.

It was just a 2 hour flight and we were all a bit confused as to what to do about our bags. Turns out one of the girls, Melissa, speaks Mandarin so at least she was able to communicate with the authorities about our concerns. Meanwhile our tour leader Kim Moyle was outside also ringing up and talking to the airport authorities. In the end we all went out and were taken to the Camellia Hotel and Kim said she would return to the airport, wait for our bags and deliver them to our rooms, which was really good of her. My room-mate is Adam from Melbourne who is bound to attract some attention in China as he is 6 feet 5 inches (I'm 5 feet 4 inches) so we're the tall and the short of the group. I should mention that we are the only men in the group, but needless to say it's a great bunch of people and already we're acting like a group. Its great fun getting to know each other. Got to bed about 11pm and Kim delivered our bags at about 12.30.