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2007-05-12 Lhasa,
Tibet
(GPS location point for
Google Earth (copy and Paste into "Fly to"))
29 39 17.22N 91 8 15.81E
Greetings from Lhasa,
We are on the road again. It was quite a trip to get here. Despite
having a visa for China we still needed some mysterious permits to
enter Tibet. So our flight took us first to Kunming where we stayed
in the airport overnight hoping to catch our connecting flight for
Lhasa the next morning at 7 am. It was not to be. We were asked for
our permits on checking in. We missed our flight but were given some
information on where we could stay and also get a permit. So we had
to get 2 taxis to the Camellia hotel 5 km away. Our biked in their
boxes just fitted into the back seat of the small sedans. At the hotel
we were guided Mr Chen a nervous but efficient character who opened
his office door still in his underpants. He was sleeping in his office.
By next morning at 5:30 am we were on our way to the airport with
Mr Chen to hand over the permits to get us through the check-in. All
went smooth and as with our first flight this one too left early.
Take note a lot of transport in China seems to leave early. We arrived
at the hotel here 49 hours after leaving our home in Nara, Japan.
Been here in Lhasa for three days now and the headaches from the thin
air are finally disappearing. We visited some temples this morning
the first was a nunnery. The shaved headed nuns in red robes were
praying in their dimly lit temple with the rancid smell of yak butter
candles burning.
2007-05-14 Lhasa
Tibet 29 39 17.22N 91 8 15.81E
Tomorrow we leave towards the south towards Nepal. Tibet is still
officially closed to foreigners. You have to enter with an official
permit issued from a guide service. Due to the complications of the
Permit system in Tibet this stage of our world tour had to start from
Lhasa head towards the border of Nepal where we reached last year.
To cycle the "Friendship Highway" towards Nepal is unofficially
possible without permits but to enter from Nepal going towards Lhasa
requires an extortionately expensive guide service and expensive permits.
With all the uncertainties it was difficult to plan this stage. It
is a strange situation; most the travellers we see here are often
in groups or having to join groups to travel about Tibet. We feel
a bit outside of this and it is difficult to talk about our travels
in case someone overhears and informs the PSB (Public Security Bureau).
We have decided to go as far as Everest Base Camp and not go to the
Nepalese border in case we lose our 3 month Visas for China. Even
on a multiple entry Visa for China they can cancel them at the Nepal
border.
2007-05-18 Shigatse
Tibet 29 15 56.9N 088 52 19.9E
Have just arrived in Shigatse after 3 days cycling through mostly
dry mountainous terrain. The first night we stayed in a local hotel
where we felt the woman was a bit mad. She was always screaming out
and when it came time for payment she hovered like a vulture peering
into our wallet. Day 2 we were invited into a local home for some
Bo Cha Tibetan tea made from yak butter. It has quite a thick texture
and is creamy and salty in taste. The women in the house were drinking
Chang an alcoholic drink made from fermented barley. We wondered what
they did in the day since it was still before lunchtime. Out in the
fields other people were ploughing with cattle or yaks. The season
is a bit late at this altitude. Wildflowers were only just starting
to bloom. It was difficult to find a place to put our tent the second
night so we asked if we could camp next to a road maintenance camp.
We ended up being invited to sleep in one of their tents. Approaching
Shigatse we could see the Shigatse Fortress overlooking the town with
the Tashilhunpo Monastery to the left. The monastery is the traditional
base of the Panchen Lama who now resides in Beijing.
2007-05-24 Latse
Tibet 29 05 18.5N 087 38 23.3E
The terrain has remained dry but farming is possible. After rain the
fields have quickly turned green. We climbed our first 4500 metre
high pass. It wasn't so difficult with our fitness gained after over
300km's already cycled. The problem has been the strong wind. In the
afternoon before arriving in Latse the wind almost forced us to walk.
Mountains we can take but strong head winds are something else. In
this area the typical Tibetan house is made of stone or mud bricks.
The newer houses have a lot of windows facing to the front. Many houses
have a high wall and a specially decorated front gateway.
2007-05-25 Road
works base near the Gyatso-la pass 28 54 34.4N 087 25 47.7E
Cycled up the 5249 metre high Gyatso-la pass. It was a long day starting
from 4000 metres. Emi had a very hard time and stopped often. It wasn't
the climb that was most difficult it was the wind. It was blowing
so strongly and combined with the high altitude it was hard to move
forward. By the time we got to the top the sun was setting and the
air quickly cooled. We didn't have much time to hang around. The pass
was covered with colourful prayer flags and as for the custom of good
luck we tied on one of the silk scarfs we had been presented for safe
travel when we left Lhasa. We quickly descended. Shivering from cold
we took shelter at a road maintenance base not far down from the pass.
We were allowed to sleep in one of the many empty cement rooms. We
set up our tent inside to sleep warmly.
2007-05-26 Km
post 94 Everest Base Camp Road 28 32 19.2N 087 05 18.1E
The morning started out cold with the river we followed down from
the pass partly frozen. It was a relief to be cycling downhill for
almost 50 km. Around a bend in the road we saw our first view of the
Himalayas in the distance. The road had been widened at this point
so parking was possible. This was a bonus for the local kids to come
begging. They quickly checked any pockets we had on our panniers and
when they found nothing they quickly moved on to the tour cars that
had just stopped. Most kids and adults alike we had met in the countryside
were pretty grubby since most didn't wash.
2007-05-30 Everest
Base Camp 5200 metres
In front of us is the huge face of Everest. Are we dreaming? What
a sight; I look up to the peak hoping to see the small figures of
climbers that are fighting the strong winds that now are a daily feature
of the oncoming monsoon season. But to see somebody standing 3650
metres away well is quite a feat of imagination. Thatfs how many
metres we were from the summit in Altitude. There were climbers there.
At the time the Australian team were succeeding to reach the summit.
For us it was enough to fight the 101km of rough corrugated dirt road
a pass of 5200 metres before the final climb to base camp at 5200
metres again. Did I mention the wind we had to fight every day? See
video clip http://www.yaesu-net.co.jp/emiko/movie/movie1.wmv
And there were the 4WD drivers covering us and everything with
dust as they sped by without a care for the other people on the road.
The locals preferred transport was pony and cart. The carts used four
bicycle wheels with a crude steering system. The abundant river water
ran white from the glacial melt.
TIBET STAGE 2
Eastern Tibet
2007-06-10 Ruto
29 41 38.1N 092 14 18.5E
To travel through Eastern Tibet requires a permit from the PSB. The
web is a wealth of information for cyclists going and there are stories
of cyclists being fined a lot of money or being bussed out for being
caught without a permit. Cycling east through Eastern Tibet we never
new what we would encounter. We felt a bit nervous. We left Lhasa
not speaking about our route.
Eventually the distance between villages became greater and with less
shops and places to eat. The scenery was as much as we had expected;
treeless plains between the mountains. The road out seemed quite flat
but it was a push despite a tail breeze too. Maybe the week's rest
from cycling to Everest wasn't enough rest. We could never rest enough
after Everest. By day two we were at the base of the 5030m Mi La (La
means Pass) and we finished early to eat and rest. That night we stayed
in a local Tibetan house. The beds were covered with carpet. We felt
there was some similarity to the central Asian countries use of carpet
for resting on except here wooden beds were used. In the room was
also a wood stove to cook and heat.
2007-06-11 Nr.
Km Post 4450 N29 52.361 E92 31.517
We made an early start for Mi La the streets were empty and the road
quiet. It seems Tibetans aren't morning people; maybe due to the climate.
It was a long steady climb passing the black tents of nomadic people
with their vicious cyclist eating dogs. Some of these nomads we saw
on this day had not only motorbikes but a generator and Satellite
TV! Their main source of income seems to be from cattle (yaks etc)
but out in the mountains at high altitude they searched out for a
type of herbal medicine (Clavicipitaceae) that is difficult to find
(over 400metres altitude we were told) therefore can be sold at a
good price. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clavicipitaceae
We saw some bought for 10 Yuan
each which then would be sold for more.
On Mi La it was too busy
with Chinese bus tourists. Difficult to line up for a photo in front
of the sign displaying the altitude. One man was getting pushy and
almost caused a fight. The other members of his group stopped things
getting out of hand. The surprise for us was to meet a large group
of Chinese cyclists. The first we were to meet over the long road.
There were about 20 in this group including one Japanese cyclist who
got through the police checkpoints because he said he was from Hong
Kong.
From the pass down, down, down we descended and the vegetation became
more prolific. It was good for camping. Before that though we stopped
off at a local hot spring at 5 Yuan each. There were some Chinese
men there but they left when Emi came in. Even in underwear they were
too shy.
2007-06-12 Gongpo
Gyamda N29 53 11.3 E093 14 45.7
As we cycled down the main street of Gongpo Gyamda I felt like all
eyes were on us. The eyes I was mostly concerned about was the PSB.
Once in the hotel I kept a low profile while Emi looking Chinese went
out shopping. I went out only to eat. As far as the restaurant menus
went we could read a certain amount of the Chinese to get by but being
vegetarian challenged us. As with Japan people here in the countryside
don't understand the meaning of not eating meat. Being vegetarian
here means it's ok to have meat stock and eggs. We often gave up trying.
If we had trouble communicating it was off to the kitchen to pick
the ingredients.
Chinese cyclists came
in numbers everyday and they had incredible data and programs to follow.
Each day cycling on average 100kms and some of them were over 60 years
of age. The Chinese mostly had much less than we meaning often no
camping gear. Most of them had met on internet chat boards. Some came
from as far as Singapore and Hong Kong. There were some young women
cyclists too one in particular we met seemed to have a knack for breaking
parts of her bicycle. Her saddle was so bad it was amazing how she
could use it without some physical damage. Most had come from Chengdu
some 2000km + away, over what they told us was difficult and very
challenging terrain. They gave us detailed information about the dirt,
the rock falls, the long climbs, even a detailed chart of the road's
contours but nothing of our greatest problem the PSB because they
had freedom to travel anywhere in China. They were quite unaware of
our situation. Even as we ate lunch with them next to a police station
they ask the police man to take a picture of us together.
We were starting to realise that not all Police and PSB were the same.
It was only certain places where they were diligent or maybe doing
some business to fine foreigners.
2007-06-13 Km post 4291 N29 47.831 E93 51.265
The countryside is getting greener and in the distance there are glaciated
mountains. Chinese tourists in Cars stopped to take our picture sometimes
taking a quick snap from the window of the car as they passed. Snap
and run riders! We met a French cyclist who had cycled most the way
from Bali Indonesia. He had gone against most the advice of caution
of the PSB and had proven he was either lucky or things were getting
softer for foreign cyclists. It wasn't the same for three French cyclists
who having not enough time tried hitching only to be unable to pass
through into Tibet. They were however allowed to pass on their bicycles
at the same checkpoint.
2007-06-15 Lunang
N29 44 02.7 E94 43 35.8
The world changed for us when we crossed the 4546 metre Serkhyem La
(pass) firstly it started to rain but mostly we entered a totally
different environment. A place of green fields and views of snow capped
peaks just like Switzerland. The houses were constructed differently
with huge open lofts where hay and other things were stored and dried.
Coming down the mountain we passed through fir forests with green
lichen hanging from the branches. (Just like Washington State USA).
At the bottom we stopped in a small place of restaurants and accommodations.
We checked in for the night and left 5 days later. We were to have
rest day but Emi got a stomach bug. It was a good place to rest. Very
peaceful and the rain kept falling most the time. Out the back of
the hotel occasionally through the clouds we saw the snowy topped
mountains.
2007-06-20 Tangmai
N30 06.155 E95 04.765
The clouds had parted briefly as we left the hotel. We met briefly
with some Chinese cyclists on their way to Lhasa. I had little to
say. The road to Lhasa was all asphalt with just two passes. I had
already heard enough about the difficulties of our route ahead. The
road continued to descend until we hit the dirt. The dirt road continued
for 25 km going from a good surface until it became a rough narrow
track barely holding onto the cliff ledge hundreds of metres above
a raging river. It was a difficult ride with numerous short steep
climbs and the difficulties were compounded by a convoy of 150 army
trucks that had us waiting for 2 hours while they slowly passed. There
was a temporary suspension bridge (the previous bridge had been washed
away after a dam collapsed in the year 2000) that's weight limit allowed
only 1 truck at a time to pass. We watched as the bridge bent under
the weight of one overloaded truck crossed. We expected the bridge
to collapse at any time. Cycling across behind a truck there were
huge gaps in the deck exposing the raging river below.
2007-06-24 Rawn
N29 30.364 E96 45.093
Today we stopped for a half day off to dry out. For the last several
days it has rained every day and we have been camping every night.
It has been said that the scenery we passed is like Switzerland with
alpine lakes, fur forests and glaciated mountain peaks we saw all
that but only caught glimpses of the snowy peaks. It was a beautiful
and surprising image of Tibet. The homes were often constructed much
like Finnish log homes apart from the tin roofs. Prayer wheels were
housed in small log huts and powered by water channelled under the
building. We saw groups of people praying their way to Lhasa. It made
our cycling look easy when they would take several steps forward before
prostrating on the road surface then repeating the exercise again.
It must take months to get to Lhasa. But the wet season is not the
best time to pass. There were sections prone to landslides.
Our wet weather gear from Mont bell has held up well and we have really
appreciated the high quality. Our bodies remained dry but our cameras
got wet. Eventually the video camera stopped and some moisture got
into the Nikon camera lens. The tent eventually got wet after having
to pack in the rain every morning. So our "hotel" room is
a mess of things spread out to dry.
Next door in the army base Chinese pop music is playing just before
the recording of a military trumpet call to signify its time to eat
or sleep.
2007-06-25 Boxoi
N30 03.300 E96 54.964
Go on we must the sun has come out and lets cycle while the sun shines.
Forget making hay. The mountains for the first time are breathtaking.
What scenery we must have missed! Another 4600 metre pass in front
and at the end of town an interesting alternate route towards and
into East India but a sign saying in plainly "no foreigners beyond
this point" We climbed the pass and found it not too dramatic
it seemed rather flattish. Just another 4000m + pass. On the way up
I sat with man and his yak on a rope while waiting for Emi to catch
up. Down the pass the environment was quite different. It was now
virtually treeless and dry. We felt like we had returned to western
Tibet again. Down a long descent and we came to Boxoi; a town I felt
uncomfortable in because of the police presence. Emi went out to get
food while I stayed in to write and backup photos.
2007-06-27 Bamda
N30 12.695 E97 17.497
Spent most of the last two days on dirt road and climbing an incredible
switchback road uphill for around 40kms. On the way we passed villages
that's homes were very similar to those of Northern Pakistan in that
they were built of mud and stone had flat roofs with a square opening
into the room below. In the wheat fields people were singing while
harvesting the crops. Chinese tourists snapped photos of us or mostly
me while ignoring Emi because they were more interested in foreign
people in their photos. It often had little to do with the fact that
we were on bicycles in such terrain. A curious thing was they were
always in a hurry. Snap a photo and run. Bamda is not a place to spend
much time just looking at the locals says they seemed to have lost
hope of a real life. The young men just hang around with nothing to
do while people just pass through this place stopping only to eat.
A Chinese woman asked us if we liked China. It was a difficult question
in this place. We didn't feel like we had been in China yet and looking
at the bored people around us staring we didn't have a good impression;
if we could call this place China.
2007-07-01 Juka
N29 37.152 E98 21.075
Our days are numbered or more accurately the passes are now numbered
being worn out from long passes and rough roads we are counting them
and looking forward to good roads and a change of diet. We have just
crossed our last 5100 metre pass and are counting how many long climbs
and how many kilometres of dirt road left. We have met with the Mekong
River and it is already a deep and wide river of an orangey brown
colour. Yesterday we met 3 French guys with bicycles travelling around
the world in 6 months. Having realised how difficult a road and how
long it would take to cycle to Lhasa they tried to hitch a ride. They
did get a ride but it was short-lived. They only got 40 metres until
the checkpoint before the driver was stopped because it was illegal
for Chinese to pickup and take foreigners into Tibet. The only option
for the French was to cycle. The driver was held for the afternoon
and interrogated. For us we were questioned in the last big town with
some surprised tone "what are you doing here" for which
I answered "booking into a hotel." I was trying to act as
if it was a normal situation for us to be in a part of Tibet supposedly
closed to foreigners. We were left alone. P.S. 2007-07-25
we heard the French were seen close to Lhasa.
2007-07-04 Yanjing
N29 01.755 E98 36.538
We are on the border of Tibet and Yunnan province. The last 100 kilometres
has been the worst with a huge project in progress to rebuild the
road between Markam and the border of Tibet. We have worn our brakes
out and we are covered with dust. In all that there was a long climb
and an even longer descent in which we had rocks, deep holes, heavy
machinery to dodge, cliff faces exploded by dynamite. Most the work
was done by hand. Men carried huge rocks from exploded cliffs or broke
up the bigger rocks by hammer before throwing them down the cliffs.
There were teams of rock wall builders sometimes assisted by women
still wearing colourful traditional dress complete with earrings as
if they were going out on the town for the night. We were told the
project was costing millions of Yuan and was due for completion in
November 2008. 1500 people were working on the project we were told
but maybe it was more like 15000. There were camps of Chinese workers
separate from the Tibetan workers with the either Red Chinese flag
or prayer flags to show which was which.
2007-07-07 Feilaisi
N28 26.509 E98 52.659
We feel we are on the edge of civilization after being out in the
wilderness for months. Yesterday we were hit by falling rocks from
the mountainside as it rained for the first time in days. Last night
we indulged in an expensive but tasty pizza loaded with cheese. Despite
our love of Chinese food we craved the change of diet from mostly
chow fan Fried rice everyday. We had fallen into that routine out
of necessity to not have to search the kitchen of every restaurant
to choose our dinner then have to negotiate the price. (Most restaurants
didn't have a menu.) We were too physically exhausted for that. Chow
fan was a quick meal, usually only 5 Yuan and a good source of energy
to keep us going. Even then we always had to ask the price. In one
town one wet day the old man running the restaurant wanted to charge
us more than 3 times the normal price. We left his staring into space
smoking a cigarette with no sale.
Today is a rest day outside there is a great view of the glaciated
peak of the famous and holy Mount Meilie if the clouds weren't covering
it everyday. That's the wet season and our recent luck for you. At
least we had some hundreds of tourists to share the clouded view with.
This was as far as most tourist came. It was the frontier of Yunning
tourism. For most this was their Tibetan experience because even though
the border was close it used to be Tibet and still most people living
in this area are Tibetan.
2007-07-10 Near
Kilometre post 1891 N28 22.186 E99 02.074
Last night we slept bin a crude rock hut with an open fireplace in
the centre and a tin roof. It was raining yet again and in search
of a place to put our tent we were invited to stay with a lone man
and his herd of yaks. He was milking his cows while we warmed by the
fire dried cheese was suspended over the fireplace by chicken wire.
With the rain beating down on the tin and staring into the open fire
we felt very cosy. Without a language between us we sat mostly in
silence. We did learn he was from a village from near Mount Meili
and he had his wife and children there. We ate a simple meal of boiled
rice mixed with salted butter. We drank Yak butter salted tea.
We woke this morning in the clouds and for most the day rode in the
clouds until we had descended below 2700 meters. It was a long cold
ride. At the lower altitude we came to the famous Yangtze River. We
also saw Australian Eucalyptus trees growing beside the road. There
was that great smell of a very distant homeland.
Tonight we camp sheltered from the rain on the veranda of a home by
the banks of the mighty Yangtze. Tomorrow is our last long climb and
the rough dirt roads are behind us with only the memory in our behinds.
2007-07-11 Shangri-La
N27 49.030 E99 42.207
Tonight we are in our Shangri-La. We are still in a Tibet of sorts
but in the Tibet that China has controlled and developed for many
years. The tribe has changed we are now in the region of the Naxi
people. Again the architecture has changed. The homes are constructed
from wood usually with an upper floor, 3 mud brick walls the front
open at the top and bottom floor with ornate doors and windows with
slight variations. The roof tiles are wood held down by rocks. Above
the town is the largest prayer wheel in the world I don't doubt. It
took me as well as another person to get the thing moving.
We have the internet online in our guesthouse 24 hours. I am uploading
to Google Earth the trip data from the Garmin GPS. Emi is catching
up with her blog. Our bikes are resting in our room. We are starting
to realise how much the Chinese government sensors the internet. We
can't get the BBC as well as many other sites. They call it the Great
Firewall of China. Some travel friends were looking for jobs in China
at a small internet cafe and later had a visit from the PSB at their
hotel room concerning their research. It's like the novel 1984.Gill,
running the guesthouse is a wizard with the dinners as well as a good
companion as is Mao the ex factory robot programmer.
The tally including cycling
to Everest base camp: 18 passes over 3000 metres including 14 over
4000 and 5 over 5000 metres Total altitude climbed 25000 metres max
elevation 5254. See the Data
sheet
2007-07-27 Qiaotou
N27 11.043 E100 03.118
We were trapped by the comfort for two weeks or was it more? Time
flies and we have to move on. The wet has now really set in with rain
most days. Stage three begins a mini stage where we tour some of the
main attractions of Yunnan. We took the road most travelled. We had
lost our fitness in the time we rested. There is an interesting but
hilly back road but we weren't up to climbing hills. The main road
was easier but after only 66 km we were already tired. We were saved
by a long 40km downhill that brought us to our destination at the
entrance to Tiger Leaping Gorge. The gorge is promoted as one of the
deepest gorges in the world with 3900 metres from the Yangtze River
below to the snowy peaks above. There was an entrance fee of 50 Yuan
per person to pay but firstly we wanted to get more information about
the road. We wanted to stay at Jane's guesthouse but it was 100 metres
inside the entrance. We had to get the assistance of Jane's father
who we had by chance met in town to get us through the toll gate free.
That done we booked into the guesthouse of rambling wooden buildings.
We spoke with Jane about the road and we were told there had been
a landslide blocking the road. It was still raining lightly as we
spoke and so this meant more possibility of landslides. We decided
to give the gorge a miss.
2007-07-29 Lijiang,
Yunnan N26 52.360 E100 14.101
Last night we arrived in Lijiang and dove headlong into the throng
of tourists that packed the theme park like old town. It was getting
dark and the narrow cobbled streets were hard to navigate. In the
chaos were approached by camera bearing tourists wanting photos of
us together and at same time touts for guesthouses. We were looking
for a particular guesthouse but didnft have enough information. We
ended up being assisted by a local woman who took us to a quiet guest
house owned by the friend of her mother. Today despite the hordes
we decided to take in the atmosphere of the distinct architecture,
history, and local Naxi people going about their business. With rain
falling the view from above was of a sea of coloured umbrellas under
the curved lines of grey tiled roofs.
2007-08-03 Dali,
Yunnan N25 41.759 E100 09.386
The air has almost a tropical feel although we are still at a reasonably
high altitude of 1900 metres. Dali has a lot more space than Lijiang
but much less atmosphere. But with the space it can be more relaxing.
The street vendors though are a bit more persistent. We are enjoying
meeting fellow travellers and eating to get our cycling strength back.
Emi is well and writing some articles as we travel.
The night before we arrived in Dali we camped on a mountain top above
the lush green rice fields surrounding Erhai Hu the seventh largest
freshwater lake in China. We woke with a sea of clouds below us.
2007-08-29 Simao,
Yunnan N22 47.685 E100 58.570
Somebody once asked us if we liked China. At the time we were in some
miserable town in Tibet and the question couldn't have been harder
to answer. If we had been in South Yunnan it wouldn't be difficult
to answer positively. The people here are very friendly plus the prices
of everything are reasonable.
We have been off the tourist trail for some weeks now, following back
roads passing by ancient Tao temples, Muslim communities, rainforests,
tea, coffee, pineapple, plantations and huge rice paddies being harvested
by hand.
The hills haven't stopped. A common climb around here goes on for
20 kilometres. The rain hasn't stopped either. Most days storms pass
and mud and rock slides blocking most of the road are common. We passed
through the area of a recent earthquake. Blue tents were everywhere
provided by the government for emergency shelters. We saw some houses
in ruins.
It is confirmed that some Chinese do eat dogs. Not all Chinese are
proud of that because they also love dogs as pets. One morning as
we were leaving our hotel we saw cage full of dogs. A man was just
taking out one dog and at first the dog was happy to be released.
The happiness turned to fear when the dog realised there was more
than going for a walk going on. The man was carrying a hatchet. We
heard a dull thud and yelp from behind us as the hatchet hit the skull
of the dog. The following yelps were gargled, we dared not look around.
We kept riding.
2007-09-02 Jinghong, Yunnan
From Simao we had two days cycling through mountains and rain. The
road was fairly quiet because the almost completed new multilane road
beside the old was partly in use. Along the way we passed the world's
largest tea plantation. As far as we could see the mountain sides
were covered with neat rows of tea plants and a scattering of people
were out there picking the young tender tea leaves by hand. The tea
there is the famous Pu'eEr tea that has a long history of being exported
to all over China as well as neighbouring countries. In those times
donkeys carried the tea over mountain trails.
The tea plantations were created at the cost of cutting huge areas
of rain forest that in ancient times must have spread all over southern
China and throughout S.E. Asia. A bit further down we came to an area
of rain forest where it was said that about 40 wild elephants still
lived. The area was now a big tourist attraction. Out on the edges
beyond the tourist attractions we saw evidence of the elephants on
trails heading through the jungle; elephant droppings and broken tree
branches as well as elephant footprints in the mud. We spotted two
white cheeked gibbons swing high in the treetops.
2007-09-07 Luang Nantha, Laos.
Laos, if we were counting countries this is number 80 for our cycling
ride around the world. It's a peaceful change from China. We are in
the provincial capital but it is like a big village. The traffic is
very little and advertising signs are few and the rest of the country
it seems from what we have seen most of the people are still living
in basic bamboo and grass huts. The drivers here aren't taught to
use their horns (as in China) so whenever a vehicle should pass they
pass quietly; a big help for our nerves.
Our plan is to follow the newly made route 3 to the Mekong River dividing
Laos from Northern Thailand.
2007-09-17 Huay Xiai, Laos
We survived cycling across Laos! The night we reached the Mekong River
we were greatly relieved to put Laos behind us. Laos was hard because
of two main things; the hills and the food. From Luang Nantha the
hills started as a cyclist's nightmare of a roller coaster ride of
continuous steep climbs and descents. The satisfaction of getting
to the top of the hills was short-lived as we would very soon be climbing
in the tropical heat up another steep grade; more difficult than cycling
in Tibet. To add to the strain we couldn't find any food. If we did
the simple portions were very small and we were often expected to
pay more than double the regular price because we were foreigners.
There was no bargaining with the Lao people.
Our experience would have been different if we could have had enough
energy to see the smiles and enthusiasm of the local people as we
cycled by their villages. Looking deep into the eyes of the average
Laotian child we could see their pure heart.
2007-09-18 Chiang Khong N20 16.027 E100 24.365
It was like a dream to return to Thailand. It was an easy procedure
to get a visa on the border and the first month was free. We felt
welcome and people were smiling even the motorcyclists that cut us
off on the road! It had been 17 years since we had last been here.
We had cycled from Timor, Indonesia across the islands then up the
Malay Peninsula and from Southern Thailand then along the Burmese
border to Chiang Mai. A lot had changed there were a lot more fancy
shops and high quality products for sale even out here in the border
town of Chiang Khong. The best part was the food; there was a great
variety and we love the Thai curries. The people here are so friendly
and there is no obvious discrimination, we pay the same as the local
people. Its no wonder Thailand attracts so many tourists and foreigners
retiring here. Changing money was easy in a clean modern air-conditioned
bank; 17 years before we didn't see such a bank in Thailand. It all
makes me think why do so many countries we visited make life so hard
for the travellers/visitors. If they provide service like here they
would benefit from the tourist dollar.
2007-09-19 Chiang Saen N20 16.548 E100 04.956
We were advised the road following the Mekong river was flat but after
10 or so kilometres of this "flat road" we'd had enough
of the steep rollercoaster hills and headed over a mountain pass shortcut
road. One thing we told was true though there were plenty of noodle
stands along the way; we wouldn't go hungry. The heat was hard to
deal with but luckily a cool breeze was coming from the north signifying
that winter was on its way. Winter here is very mild so we had no
need for the winter clothing we used in Tibet. North of Chiang Saen
was the town of Ban Sop Ruak now famous for the so called "Golden Triangle"
an area in the past more infamous for the opium trade between the
three countries, Burma, Laos and Thailand, that claim their borders
here. It is now a place of extracting "gold" from well healed
tourists that arrive in huge double decked buses. Souvenir stands
line the street and travellers pose in front of the many "You
are at the Golden Triangle" signs.
2007-09-20 Chiang Rai N19 54.271 E99 49.938
Not a lot to see in Chiang Rai but it was for us a good place to rest,
eat and catch up with the internet. On this trip we have been carrying
the Panasonic CF-19 Tough Book. It has held up well considering it
has been in my back pannier the whole way and used at altitudes of
5000 metres +. The wireless inbuilt comes in useful wherever there
is a cafe or restaurant with WiFi meaning most times free internet
with a coffee or meal.
In the Night Market we tried grasshoppers, silk worms and some other
bugs. The silk worms if fat had some flavour but the rest a bit crunchy
seemed to rely on the oil they were cooked in for flavour. On the
other side of life there were plenty of bars here with single older
men with young Thai girls. The pink fluorescent lighted "Thai
massage" places are of a different type. There was an authentic
Thai massage shop advertising "don't make a mistake here".
Generally speaking Thai culture is quite tolerant of all types. Even
gay people are more open here.
2007-09-28 Just North of Chiang Mai N18 50.171 E99 03.849
It was a tough last ride coming to Chiang Mai. The day we left Chiang
Rai it rained for the first time in weeks. The second day it rained
again and we had some tough hills to climb. In the hills the noodle
shops were few and very poor too. We went to one shop and found the
noodles were going bad. One smell sent us running towards town despite
being very hungry.
With 40km to go it was getting dark and we had more steep hills ahead
then to top it all Emi got the first puncture on the whole trip since
Everest. There wasn't any decent place to eat but we needed to stop
for the night somewhere. We tossed a coin and the result was we must
go on. Coming around the corner and being confronted by a long steep
climb I regretted the toss of the coin but had to stick to the decision
on faith something would work out. And it did! Just before it was
too dark to see we came out of the hills to a wide, flat, street lamp
lit highway. To top the luck we met two local cyclists that guided
us to a local guesthouse one we would never had found on our own.
They rode one in front and one behind with their bicycle lights on
so we would be seen. We didn't plan to ride in the dark so didn't
have taillights. Across the road from the guesthouse the restaurant
stayed open for us and gave us extra food for free. We were now only
7km from our goal Chiang Mai.
2007-09-29 Chiang Mai N18 47.480 E99 00.244
After 17 Years and the full loop of the Earth by bicycle
we Re-cycle Chiang Mai.
Our cycling friends came to meet us in the morning. They were a couple
of 42 & 56 years of age and very fit. Their bicycles were of high
quality and they wore helmets. Thailand had changed; years before
the only cyclists we saw was people that only cycled because they
didn't have enough money for motorised transport. We heard that now
with more affluence, therefore a richer diet, people had to now cycle
for fitness. We had more surprises when we saw not only we saw 7 Eleven
convenience stores but a huge shopping centre with Pizza Hut, Carrefour
and other stores well known in Europe, Australia and America. We even
saw a video rental shop we are members of back in Japan.
My memory of Chiang Mai was vague and I saw nothing to jog my memory.
The city had grown from my memory of just a large town. The traffic
was heavy there large highways circling the outskirts. We headed to
the Tape Gate where across the road in the Montri Hotel we had eaten
everyday. The ancient gate and city walls were being renovated and
the hotel restaurant had moved to anther location but the hotel building
hadn't changed much.
We had come back to Chiang Mai not as strangers like the first time
but we had waiting for us our friend Nakayama san from Osaka, Japan.
He was working in Chiang Mai at the Healing Family Foundation a place
for intellectually & physically challenged people come to work
on artist endeavours to provide them something positive to do with
their lives. The Thai government doesn't support these people so volunteer
organisations fill in the gap. Six years before we had met Nakayama
san at his organisation in Osaka Japan where we have annual exhibitions
of our travel photos. From that time we had a dream to meet in Chiang
Mai. We had a very warm welcome from everyone there and a small party
too.
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