Day 38 May 17 Thu - Jiayuquan to ChiqinZhen

Eggs bought according to weight . 6 pcs cost 3 rmb abt rm1.50 or 25 cents each
ChiqinZhen where we put up a night

Nice small lake about 20km to ChiqinZhen wich I took a rest


Women clearing the weeds all covered with white face masks but the air is clean no dust

Vegetable plant grown in a protected bed with cover for the winter

"camels" in queue at the entrance to the Jiayuquan Fortress

Jiayuquan fortress believed built in year 1327 ,Ming Dynasty

A soldier statue in the roundabout of Yumen

Today's Distance: 94 km
Average Speed: 15.7 max:60.5
Time on Bike: 5 hr 59 min
Ave climb: 1% max:11%
Trip altitude: 586 m max:2171 m
Today's spending: 42.50 rmb
Total Distance to date: 2489 km
Total spending to date:2217.50 rmb

Morning 8.30am rode out of Jiayuquan town.Weather is good,no wind,no rain ,no dust and sunny day. We passed by the Fortress which Heather visited yesterday. Once out of the town , there is a vast flatland with snowcapped mountain on our left and a not so high mountain on our right on bothsides of road. It is climbing gradually continues from the previous ride and reaches 2171 m at 64 km mark. The temp also hit the max at 39 degree C but surprisingly I don't sweat like in Malaysia.Lunch had lamb noodles soup in Yumen for 4 rmb . After lunch we enjoy our best uninterrupted downhill so far which lasted for 20 km . And a 10 km of flat country road,passing villages and greenery crop fields before we reached ChiqinZhen to stay in a newly renovated guesthouse for 20 rmb each. Surprisingly ,there is an internet in this very small village town.

Day 37 May 16 Wed - Another rest day in Jiayuquan

Our guesthouse in Jiayuquan nearly get "kick out" on the 2nd day stay

Internet in Jiayuquan
Motorised bicycles for sale in Jiayuquan

Today's spending: 58.60 rmb
Total spending to date:2175.0 rmb

Another day of good rest for further journey ahead.No cycling,no packing so I slept until 10 am.Went to town for lunch ordered fried rice with egg and a plate of pork rib fried with green chili.Hummm really good ,Heather and I finish eating nothing left. I straight went to internet to update my blog while Heather cycled to visit the Jiayuquan Fortress some 12 km away. We came back almost the same time at 4.30pm. While I am doing my bussiness in the toilet,an unexpected event happened,Heather told me the guesthouse Boss just came and returned 30 rmb asking us to leave cos' his guesthouse is not authorised to house foreigners,and he appologised for his workers' mistake. Not happy abt all this,we went to see the boss again. Not with intention to urgue, I had to dip deep into my tricks to sweet talk with him. We can't afford expensive hotel like other foreign tourists , we travelled with only our bicycle , our money is just enough to stay in such low cost accomodation and sometimes we had to camp to save money...so on...& ..on ...I can see some hope in the boss's face but he still need to call up his wife, the boss relay my story, his wife made a phone call in local langauge which I can't understand,after the call ,his wife told me in mandarin that " Ok we can stay tonight!" We overjoyed and quickly we returned back the 30 rmb to them.

Day 36 May 15 Tue - YuanshanZi to Jiayuguan

Jiuquan, a big city we bypass did not stay
School children enjoying beef noodles for 2 rmb a bowl

Guesthouse in YuanshanZi



Decision made to turn left to Jiayuquan for unexpected 30km of side-head wind

Today's Distance: 134 km
Average Speed: 17.5 max: 43.0
Time on Bike: 7 hr 37 min
Ave climb: 1% max:13%
Trip altitude: 379 m max:1633 m
Today's spending: 50.0 rmb
Total Distance to date: 2395 km
Total spending to date:2116.40 rmb

Today's plan is targetting at Jiayuquan abt 109km ,carried with me are 3 hard boiled eggs,2 sausages, 3 bananas and some biscults for energy along the road.To our delight,weather was good,sunny blue sky and no wind,most important its gradual downhill,a reward from yesterday's tough uphill climb.Unlike in Malaysia,the mountains in China here is very vast, long and gradually up,sometimes it take 1-2 days of climb and then 1-2 days to see the downhill.The downhill today lasted abt 90km and at 1 pm we stop for lunch just 15km b4 Jiuquan.Since it was too early to stay at Jiuquan,Heather preferred to proceed further to Jiayuquan which is another 23km. Decision is to stay 2 nights there,instead of 1 night each makes sense ,so that we don't have to wake up early and pack our stuff 2 times.The last 30km to Jiayuquan was tough as the wind was charging from side to head. Finally by 6.30pm checked into a 30 rmb each guesthouse next to internet with hot shower.Heather must be very tired and said "Meng,no more record from now on!" Yes, a new record in distance,we asked for it! Glad also to find out that my blog works again here, it has been crippled for the past 3 days.

Day 35 May 14 Mon - Linze to YuanshanZi

Beautiful symbol of water droplets in Linze to remind locals to save water
Bridge under repair in Linze so another detour to a gravel side road
This is not a tourist spot but a corporate company entrance
At the background is a huge lake
Another great view of the Qiliang Mountain

Linze roundabout symbol
"ping quan" in Linze for 40 rmb each
Met Italian Mr Obes cycling solo from Almaty in Kazakhstan to Beijing
Agricutural tractor never seen before
Wetlands

Today's Distance: 78 km
Average Speed: 11.9 max:39.0
Time on Bike: 6 hr 35 min
Ave climb: 2% max:10%
Trip altitude: 476 m max:1728 m
Today's spending: 36.30 rmb
Total Distance to date: 2261 km
Total spending to date:2066.40 rmb

Tough ride for today as shown on the above data. the distance and speed covered is poor. We hit the hills again and the wind also not in our favour.Heather's thigh pain is still bothering her. As we now on the silk road,we met our first cyclist from Italy Mr Obes, he is cycling from Almaty in Kazakhstan to Beijing solo.Had a short chat about his trip and also some useful info on the road ahead. Have beef noodles for lunch in NanHua,the only town that we passed by. Bought some bananas,our usual fruit on the road. Tonight guesthouse inYuanshanZi is popular to foreigners travelled on bicycles,the owner proudly told me.Arnold and Merirek had left only 2 days ago and Mr Obes left yesterday. I got to clean and lube my bike in a big compound .Also an early bed tonight cos' no TV and internet.

Day 34 may 13 Sun - Shandan to Linze

Have "wheels" or "will" will travel
Spiderman had landed in China but this time with his recumbent bike
Road repairing with new tarmac
Anything the they can load
And sometimes it doesn't pay to overload

Our 10 rmb guesthouse in YuanshanZi.Noticed with tv ,a basin with a hot thermal flush to wipe our dirty body.
Heather can't resist to give a few English lessons to the class
Pictures with the Headmaster Mr Zhang and teacher
Before we say goodbye!
Town in Shandan

Today's Distance: 107 km
Average Speed: 18.7 max:37.5
Time on Bike: 5 hr 43 min
Ave climb: 1% max: 4%
Trip altitude: 128 m max: 1701 m
Today's spending: 51.0 rmb
Total Distance to date: 2183 km
Total spending to date:2030.10 rmb

This morning we ride to an English school in town, as to fulfill our promise to one of the teacher we met last night. Heather is very keen and excited about it as she also teaches maths and English in Australia,due to retire after this cycling trip.We were surprised as the headmaster,teachers and kids already at the doorstep ready to welcome us. After a short intro on ourselves,why we are here and our grand mission.Heather can't resist herself to stand in front of the blackboard and gave a few lessons to the class. There are abt 200 kids each paying 500 rmb a year,lessons only on Sat & Sun. We had to turn down the offer to visit the famous pagoda in town and lunch from the Headmaster. So we spent about one hour in school and say goodbye to them. At 9.15am we hit the road and surprisingly the downhill continued from yesterday all the way to Zhangye 64km where we have lunch. Decision made to proceed further to Linze which is another 46km to go. Not many pictures taken today as the scenery were pretty much the same.

Day 33 May 12 Sat - ShuiquanZi to Shandan

Toll gate ,Yongsang expressway
Imagine if the rocksand on bothsides slide down...
Snaow capped mountain with my bike looked clean and shinning under hot sun
Can you find one same spectacle like this in Malaysia?T
They start to panic when I approach to take picture

White cloud,blue sky, mountain,grassland, river...this is life!
Yongsang expressway view from the flyover
At the curve of the flyover
Can you figure out why one wheel on the road and 2 wheels on top?

Today's Distance: 74 km
Average Speed: 14.5 max: 44.5
Time on Bike: 5 hr 02 min
Ave climb: 2% max:7%
Trip altitude: 358m max:2460m
Today's spending: 44.60 rmb
Total Distance to date: 2076 km
Total spending to date:1979.10 rmb

Yesterday's tough ride has a telling effect to our muscles this morning.And today's original plan is to Zhangye 136km away.Heather and I have 2nd thought of doing it.But we will try and see how the road and the wing conditions as we goes. For the 1st 17km,the climb continues to hit 2460m ,I was eagerly waiting for the great DOWNHILL! But to my disappointment, the downhill is very gradual and many repired strecthes have loose stones.I supposed this G312 road is much neglected since the expressway is built. Lunch at a small town called FengZhen.Heather complaining a thigh muscle pain and decision made to stay in Shandan which is 40km away.I hope this will not be too taxing for her. We were forced to ride on the Yongsang Expressway for 8km when G312 road suddenly came to an end,police did not stopped us but the person at the exit booth did not allow us to go thru'. It required the booth supervisor to give the green light after some resoning. In Shandan internet my blog cannot excess again. this has happened for the 2nd time, is it the blogspot problem? or is it the local government regulation to block? I haven't got an answer yet!