China

My road : Congjiang, Rongjiang, Yongle, Leishan, Kaili, Taijiang, Kaili, Machongping, Guiding, Longli, Guiyang, Qingzhen, Pingba, Anshun, Zhenning, Hangguoshu, Guanling, Hangguoshu, Lupanshi, Weining, Zhaotong, from 11 to 2006-07-23.

The Guizhou, I was dreaming, he made me suffer!!

At the start of Rongjiang, the situation is again critical, the rain who made the delicate condition of the roads. On leaving the town a scree prevents the passage, so that the hotel we try to give me a deviation. Left with my bike, I can not find the direction, then making back to the starting point. People returning to their explanations, having trouble understanding it, and the clock turning. The solution to the bus again proposed to me, and I realize that I have no choice. And indeed the bus goes by a small road, passing in height by the mountain. The next day I take back my mount to go away towards Kaili. The road is beautiful and the journey pleasant but hilly, following a river. I feel happy on my bike, taking advantage of this nature and this country. After 40 kilometers, feeling a need, I make a break in one of these little restaurants, making as my market in front of the present baskets of vegetables, then in the refrigerator to choose the meat, and 10 minutes later I can sit down to eat . It is a quick and simple cooking, prepared in a large vessel, often spicy fumes they are extracted by a big fan protected from corrosion by these fats agglutinated above. After sufficient rest, well I take my road by an amount route, passing a summit. The second portion that leads to Leishan require great efforts. On my map was a pass, but not as fast, then I am afraid for the continuation. My legs are lost, feeling some small pains above the knees, and to resign myself to push my bike. The road makes me climb by steps above the rice paddies, crossing some small hamlets, but the foggy weather deprives me of beautiful sights. After a dozen of kilometers, I attain to the top, then down to a village. Here is imperative to eat, after all this energy consumed. Recovery done, I can start, but to ride little, it goes back up with the pass that appeared on my map. Soon I must return to walk, pearling of sweat, and being able to get back it by embracing my T-shirt, which sticks me on the skin. I set eyes in front of me, waiting to see what comes up behind every turn, but this is the route that I continue to climb on the other side, and the tracing making a long bend to get there. Eventually I finished to find hope to unstop, but for short duration, the true passage seems farther in front of me, arriving by a road uphill and tortuous. I am then desperate to push, finally it is the descent. Leishan is not more than 20 km! I do a meeting with 2 youth people that invite me to dinner with them. It ends, the evening continues in a karaoke bar, people move quickly to sing, keeping the memory of a girl with a beautiful voice astonishment. So it continues in dancing.
By continuing to Kaili, I wonder what I will find after thestep pasted. Finally the fact to follow a river reassure me, especially since my legs have not all their dynamism.

From Kaili, I want to continue to the north east and Zhenyuan. But after 60 kilometers I am forced to do a half turn, I was on a road abominable, and in a rain storm, not a bus to continue. That is what I came to call a day for nothing! My direction is now Guiyang. The rain is back, yet I prepare to leave, the course is always difficult, finding not many portions dedicated to ride, that of bumps!
At 17, I can announce a new move on my road having reached 30,000 kms. It well pleases, and that of gone through road. Guizhou is process of suffer me, but my physical is going well. My bike also better, having spent one afternoon on it, but until when.

On July 19, one day out of the ordinary. In starting this morning I was a little weak, for 2 days I did not feel my legs too much after these drudgery days and long on stony roads, having caught pain in one foot, which made me difficult to push my bike when I have to do it. After a step of 40 kms yesterday, I could no longer, tpday I wanted to reach Guiyang to 80 kms. The weather was going to be better but fragile after 2 days of rain drops were still emerging. Finalement ce fut sans, avec même du soleil. Finally it was without, even with the sun. To ride, my legs missed again power, by a route made with constant uneven, I was sometimes in front of a wall, putting immediatly feet to the ground to push my bike and having in sometimes a lot of evil to make it to climb. Of the pure madness that these roads in Guizhou, just good to do harm to a cyclist. At noon I had 40 kms of fact, doing my break for lunch at 2 youth bringing a photographer for a souvenir. I left with a true ration of rice in the stomach, swallowing at this moment the value of 3 bowls and this evening going even to 4. Nevertheless I still toiled but without let fall, finding again some tonus as I moved. I finished by reach Guiyang, this time full of energy, how is this possible after a day like this. But it is a huge city, the capital of Guizhou, deciding to move my way for tomorrow, and embark me into its crossing. Again not easy, no road sign, in a hellish traffic, pollution, highways and big interchanges. I trampled asking my road constantly, making me guide at a moment by a guy at bicycle, and finally finishing to find me above. In moving, I asked information to a police officer, who then began to escort me with his car, and finding to me to accomodate. This man helped me even to install me. By leaving me, I could only greet him and thank him. And all this brought me at 6 pm passed, proud of what I had just to do! At nearly 100 kms.
Tomorrow I continue direction Anshun.

In a few days, you will have to find me on a big city to renew my visa. From Anshun I look ahead to go up toward Lupanshui then Zhaotong. But the road that I look for does not appear to me, continuing then towards the waterfalls of Hangguoshu. It is a superb site in a luxuriant nature, but so many visitors! From there I continue to Guanling in the optic to take a bus. During my dinner, I take information from people, to learn that from here we can’t reach Lupanshui, but we must go back to Anshun. I realize that I came here for nothing. Finally, the next day we leave me at the exit of Hangguoshu close to the highway. It is the long expectation which waits me, my bike is worried about being boarded. This is a lady who is going to help me, and after 4 hours on the roadside, she allows me to join Lupanshui.

Since July 23, my road was again being advanced arrived in Zhaotong. I have to be so fast used a bus on 250 kms, but without regret saw the profile of the road, I wonder if I would have cross by the bike, or then finally totally exhausted. And then I had to join a city to extend my visa which expired 2 days later. That's what I did the next day, thus having one more month. I came here after a long stage of 120 kms, this time approaching the 8 hours of cycling, but which accounts for the day 10 hours journey, it is my maximum. Once again upon arrival, I felt still forces in me. Yet starting in the morning, I dreaded by length, but also fearing for the profile. But I left with the conviction to go at the end. I was a first supplying stop after 50 kms, this approach to noon. I left in the optics to make 40, but that must go to 50 to find again to eat, what fell well with the thunderstorm which was felt. I knew then my stage was won, I still only 20. Zhaotong was my second passage, having a Chinese friend here. I found the shop of her mother, still smiling and happy to see me. But her son was not there. I asked her then where to go to accommodate, having found nothing after a first round in the city. Then she called her husband, who arrived with a friend, leaving all 3 to find something. This is done soon, 7 pm approaching. Buddy's father, pushed me to do quickly, making me understand that we would dine together. But I wanted my shower, him telling me that he could not wait. In down I saw nobody, but it was not far from here, of rest there to wait for me. As soon as we left by taxi, and arrived at the restaurant, which surprise I did not have. We admitted me to an already crowded room, to believe that I was the last one to come, and that we waited for me. The table was already furnished with dishes, and yet we continued to bring, not knowing where to put them. The evening was superb and the dinner succulent, playing with the children who were there, and photographed the event. Once again I did not return it. They have even come to bring a girl who spoke English to communicate with me. I was became the topic, giving me a Chinese name , Chianlima meaning, "a horse who can run fast and far."