Day 5 April 14 Zhangjiakou to Xingping

Shaking hand with the friendly policeman in Xingping
Traditional coal operated oven in our guesthouse room with our dinner
Heather/Ulla having dinner on the bedroom
Gueathouse owner sons who speaks faily well that they learn in school
3 wheels motor truck commonly seem carrying the dry cone leaf to feed the animals or covering houses.

Today's Distance: 80.9km
Average Speed: 13.4 max:36.5
Time on Bike: 5 hr 59min
Ascent: ave 1% max:6%
Max altitude: 1043m
Today's spending: rmb 33.50
Total Distance to date: 315.7km
Total spending to date: rmb 305.50

We hit a record distance today 80.9km.This was achieved by taking on a side road with less traffic . little towns that we rode passed were houses built on red brick and often donkeys were seem common for the villagers as transport.By 4 pm we settled down in one of the roadside guesthouse catered mostly for the truck drivers. There was no bathroom but a warm oven with coal as fuel to wipe our body clean. The toilet is just a brick wall and a hole for you to do the big one. And anyway as you like for the small one . There were 2 policemen in their patrol car came to visit us and have photos taken in the room . They even show off their Nikon digital camera that cost rmb4000. I don't think they have that much of money to buy that staff .