Day 45 May 24 Thu - Hami to SanDaoLing

Our accommodation in SanDaoLing 15 rmb each mostly cater for coal miners stay
Our room with a big window

I suggest they plant more trees here instead of building this "white elephant"
Are we cycling in China or Australia?
Deep fried lamb rib in SanDaoLing can't beat the one earlier and most expensive lunch we had for 90 rmb
Uigur kids in SanDaoLing

What a mess urh...?!
"Floating" snow mountain in the sky on our right side
Taking a rest stop looking back the road behind......
On the way to SanDaoLing with snowcapped mountain at the back Turning left to SanDaoLing 2km from the main road

Today's Distance: 90km
Average Speed: 14.0 max:33.5
Time on Bike: 6 hr 24 min
Ave climb: 1% max:6%
Trip altitude: 439 m max:1131 m
Today's spending: 60 rmb
Total Distance to date: 3140 km
Total spending to date: 3016.50 rmb

After a good 2 days rest , it is always hard or lazy to wake up the 3rd day morning thinking about cycling. Today's ride is rather boring,flat and a little climbing all the way to SanDaoLing,a small little town 2km turning left from the junction of the main G312 road.We normally stays at the guesthouse on the main road,but this time I wanted to venture into this town, no problem only 2km !SanDaoLing is a surprisingly clean,with people smartly dressed and ,lived in apartments concrete houses. This town as well as its people have much benefited from the rich coal mines. We also tasted with the most expensive lunch here for 90 rmb. There is also a big supermarket in town but we did not go in . Many shops and internet outlets but not many people seen doing shopping.

Day 44 May 23 Wed - Hami worth to stay for another day

We are seeing more of this bread or "roti nan" in XinJiang now . 1 rmb /pc
Uygur man preparing the lamb "satay". Our favourite ! 0.5 rmb per stick
Help yourself please ! The steamboat is 8 rmb
0.30 rmb per stick! and we spent a total of 28 rmb

Kindergarden class on the same building we stay in Hami
Beef ball and slice soup or in mandarin " YuanZiTang "
Hami roundabout landmark day time
And night time with the fountain and lighting on
Donkey cart selling watermelon

Today's spending: 114 rmb
Total spending to date: 2956.50 rmb

We spent 5 hour in one of the underground internet that only charge 1.0 rmb / hr , so far the cheapest in China.Later I found out that this price is only on offer for certain period.Cycling makes our legs tired but 5 hour internet is in the mind. So straight back to the room to sleep and rest. The earlier thought of going to hair salon can wait!

Day 43 May 22 Tue - Camel Hoop to Hami

Boiled eggs without soya source and pepper also not bad
My rear Schwalbe marathon tire looks like new after the rain
And the front... Best accommodation in Hami with clean wash room and hot shower for 25 rmb each
Heather love this place so much

Camel Hoop guesthouse 15 rmb
Uygur lady knows very little mandarin
3000 km down!
Bridge stop with expressway under construction
Celebrating 3000km with boiled eggs

Today's Distance: 78 km
Average Speed: 17.3 max: 31.0
Time on Bike: 4 hr 29 min
Ave climb: 1% max: 4%
Trip altitude: 118 m max: 887 m
Today's spending: 52 rmb
Total Distance to date: 3050 km
Total spending to date: 2482.50 rmb

It was a WET.....WET.....WET... ride today.Morning sky normally looks sunny turned into groomy with heavy clouds and it started to drizzle at 8.00am. Heather was raring to go with her raincoat on. So I put on mine and also my Merida saddle bag raincover using for the very 1st time.Off we go into the rain. When the wind blows , and I can feel my hands is silvering and my teeth is making music, besides adding another layer of clothing, I had to pedal faster to generate heat to keep my body warm. The journey is pretty flat,no hills to climb,of course no many pictures taken too. The rain started to become heavy with a strong side wind about 10 km to Hami. We made a stop at a petrol station in front of a roundabout 5 km to Hami town. With free hot water at the station,we made hot coffee with our own biscults cos' the station don't sell anythings except petrol and lubricants. I too celebrated my 3000km distance while having lunch stop near a bridge with boiled eggs. Hami is a mystery hidden town as we took sometimes to ask around to get there as we can't see any tall buildings ,that's what the book said. After abt 1 hour,we finally rode in and surprisingly a very clean town free of trucks,buses,the air was so refreshing,whats more just after a heavy rain. We also found the best clean accomodation with hotshower and a clean toilet only for 25 rmb each.

Day 42 May 21 Mon - XingXingXia to Camel Hoop,a small town not in GPS or maps

Do you like to cycle here......?

Dried beef noodle with vege on top for 8 rmb
Toll booth at XingXingXia

We saw 3 of this trucks overturned by the roadside.The drivers must be sleepy or tired on this sort of road.
Camel Hoop is how I direct translate from this

XingXingXia town looking from top of the hill behind our "cell"
Cell number 6 where we stay in XingXingXia
It properbly needs a master of engineering to make sure the giant pipes don't fall on the road
Sayonara,your days are numbered...
Yellow flower plant wildly found on this desert land

Today's Distance: 140 km
Average Speed: 19.9 max: 69.0
Time on Bike: 7 hr 01 min
Ave climb: 2% max: 16%
Trip altitude: 416 m max: 1869 m
Today's spending: 43.5 rmb
Total Distance to date: 2972 km
Total spending to date: 2430.50 rmb

"Absolutely Incredible " is what Heather and I experienced for today's ride. After having breakfast lamb soup and "Hua Quen" or steam flower-like bread for 5 rmb .We hit the road at 8.45am,then we were entertained to a series of wonderful downhills with superb mountain sceneries and then the wind also changes from a gentle to a strong tailwind,the view of the mountains was so close and clear as though we can strecthed our hands to touch them.Sometimes it really hard to make a stop to take pictures while you enjoyed the momentum of downhill.The road surface is a newly paved tarmac with excellent holding,that makes riding smooth and enjoyable. Mind you,they are now building another highway parallel to this.By 2.00pm we already done 100km,if not for wind changes,we could have continue to Hami with this speed which is another 60 km away.We were lucky as we were not sure whether this small little town " LokThouQuenZi " or " Camel Hoop " exist or not.

Day 41 May 20 Sun - HongLiuYuan to XingXingXia

This will makes every woman envy.......
Red earth mountain
Before this superb downhill ,let me take a photo first
I too had been here!does that mean you have to do this?
Natural beauty of rockface

Malianjing, a deserted ghost town on the way to XingXingXia
Rock balls formation found along the road to XingXingXia
Plant recyling process , the wind will blow off the dried leaf and the green one will remain.
With another 2 more km to XingXingXia,I can't hide my happiness !
Signboard showing km to Urumqi,Turpan and Hami in XingXingXia

What a lucky number! LIVE....LIVE.....LIVE.....LIVE......
Bridge stop for lunch...ohmmm...
But only with boiled eggs and pepsi, better than nothing!
How you expect to look for proper shops for food in this barren land?
Sometimes a layer of white patch covered but this is not snow

Shops,workshops,guesthouses and restaurants found along the main road,mostly banks on the passing by costomers Food menu and their price lists on a muslim restaurant Beef noodle soup with vege and tau fou and a steam bread
This is real mountain,not a painting on the wall
My normally 1.5 litre mineral water has now converted to a Pepsi drink

Today's Distance: 92 km
Average Speed: 14.0 max: 47.0
Time on Bike: 6 hr 32 min
Ave climb: 1% max: 9%
Trip altitude: 548 m max: 1881 m
Today's spending: 55 rmb
Total Distance to date: 2832 km
Total spending to date: 2387 rmb

Today's ride considered good under nice weather,cloudy sky with very gentle tailwind,temperature 22-25 degree C ,makes a perfect cycling day.From the books and maps that we studied last night, there are 2 towns that we supposed to pass-by today. Daquan no way to be seen and Malianjing, although signboard looks very new but the "town" seemed to be a deserted ghost town ,we did not bother to stop,no towns,no villages and so we had to relay on our our own emergency foods again. The trucks drivers often stared and waves at us whenever we stopped at the bridge for our breaks.I think it is indeed very strange to see people cycling on this part of China,the locals for sure won't do that! By 5 .15pm we rode in to this town called XingXingXia which is situated in XinJiang Province. Now we are into its very 1st town ,hope it will bring lots of good memories. So long and goodbye to Gangsu!