Home to the Terracotta Army

Location: Xi'an
Miles: 3000
We are now on well ridden routes; Chengdu to Xi’an.  We often look at a map and begrudge the ride to Xi’an.  It takes us into even more densely populated areas that are even more congested polluted; the ride into Xi’an shows a coal fired power station within eight miles of so of the centre, billowing fumes.  But despite all this, there is something about Xi’an that we love and of course, it is home to the Terracotta Army. 

There is a vibrancy about Xi’an, the first real mix of Han and Muslim we see and the draw of the Bell and Drum Tower, the massive old city walls, the artist markets, traditional (looking) streets, dumpling banquets, Chinese Opera, it all plays a part.  To be fair, we have also fine tuned the ride to get here to cherry pick the best of roads, weeding out as much of the congested roads as we can, finding the smaller roads through the pine forests, where old temples nestle in the hillsides and the extensive cloud forests really do have wild pandas (even though you’ll never ever see them roadside).

We almost didn’t get the bikes to Xi’an.  One overzealous hotel had taken the security precaution of taking a steel chain and padlocking our bikes together for safety.  The following morning, no one could find the key to open the padlock.  It was funny at first; not so half an hour later!  Still one bright spark found a hammer and chisel, broke the chain and freed us to be on our way.

Leaving Xi’an we are back to pastures new.  We are tracking the northern Silk Road all the way to Urumqi, from where we will head west to Kazakhstan. 

Found a Pint Of Guinness!

Location: Chengdu
Miles: 2550
From Kunming, we have to find the best route we can to Chengdu.  Chengdu is old stomping ground as is the beautiful Mount Emie and its temples and monkeys, some 100 miles south.  We just need to wind our way north there.  We pick up some of the roads that we did in 2009; back then they were a terrible slow going quagmire of road works.  In the intervening period, the smaller national road has been finished and some links of the Expressway are also open, which takes the heavy truck traffic. 

It generally makes for much improved riding conditions, but still, China’s roads are as unpredictable as its drivers.  Perfect new tarmac becomes a broken mess of concrete in a blink of an eye, or a landslide will have already taken half the road out, or one broken down truck causes a two hour jam (but not for us!)

Sections of the Expressway are still being built through some of the most difficult mountain and gorges imaginable.  The engineering required to complete this road building feat is phenomenal – basically linking all the extremities of China to Beijing by a fast dual carriageway toll road (which motorcycles are banned from).  As our Chinese guide described it “China’s new Great Wall” and looking at how this road has been blasted through mountains, curved around cliffs, spanning huge gorges, traversing rivers and lakes, it’s an apt description.

We arrive in Chengdu to some of the worst visibility we have experienced here.  True the weather isn’t that great and it’s raining, but the pollution contributes big time to the thick haze we see from our hotel window and the whole city is shrouded in a cloying smog.   We settle down for a few days, meet with old friends and manage to find a pint of Guinness!

Road with 1,864 bends...

Location: Kunming
Miles: 2000
Our route for the next few days has been disrupted because we are not allowed on the Zhatong road; the problem seems to relate to road closures.  In any event, we divert to Kunming via Jianshui and it turns out to be a great result.  However, the ride to Jianshui is not for the faint hearted.  The weather is steaming hot and the road continuously twists and turns amidst the mountains, random massive potholes abound and if Thailand claims a road with 1,864 bends, then this should take the award for double that.  The scenery is breath-taking but our progress is slow.  We can’t average more that 25mph.  Its 267 miles to Jianshui and we make it just as the light fades. 

We stop in a traditional Chinese family courtyard residence, an old merchants house from the seventeenth century.  It is so wonderfully preserved that it is also a national treasure and part museum.  A wander around Jianshui the next day reveals an old city wall, preserved gates, one of the largest Confucius temples in China, old cobbled streets (and one western bar serving great coffee!) . . . and not another white face in sight!  Not only is it a great find but we also find out that Zhatong had been hit by a 4.5 earthquake the previous night, so a lucky escape too!

The next day tracks us up to Kunming, capital of Yunnan Province and the first taste on this journey of big Chinese cities.  The road has become faster but busier, and with this the random, crazy acts of Chinese driver, cyclist and pedestrian suicidal behaviour increase too.  The mental effort to take in all the unpredictability of it all as every normal road rule in the West is abused is massive and the concentration is intense.  Even though its our fourth time here, it’s hard to control the rage when yet another truck pulls straight across you, out in front of you or head on for you.  In the end, full Xenon lights blaring and extra loud horn blasting, Kevin scares the hell out of me by playing chicken with them.  God forbid!  It has a partial impact . . .

Approaching Kunming, the clear air of the south becomes more of a grey haze and it is a sign that we are reaching some of China’s more populated areas.  Kunming is massive with roads laced like spaghetti, some banning motorcycles.  We just ignore the signs and use the GPS to thread our way through to the Green Park and our hotel.  It works perfectly.  The GPS is a godsend – our Chinese guide and driver having been stuck in some almighty traffic jam, hours back and never catching us up.  

WELCOME TO CHINA!

Location: Mengla
Miles: 1400
The contrast between the Laos and Chinese side of the border is like chalk and cheese.  Laos has a small immigration building on the left.  China has built a huge, modern complex – open only last year and empty apart from us, as we echo our way towards passport control.  We are greeted very politely, in English.  Once stamped in, we have to bring the bikes past the police check and the first glint of frustrating and utterly ridiculous Chinese rules.  As we roll up to the check point our guide waves frantically to stop.  We don’t’ understand and she shouts “push the bikes”.  Yes, we were not allowed to ride the bikes to the checkpoint, but we were forced to push them, stop to be checked and continue to push them for another 20 yards past the checkpoint, at which point, we were allowed to ride them again.  WELCOME TO CHINA!

We had a mad dash to Mengla to get to the Vehicle Inspection Station before 11.30am for officials to ensure our bikes were roadworthy.  We speed along a brand new dual carriageway only to effect an emergency stop for two workers carrying a length of steel pipe across the whole two lanes at about neck level.  Two minutes later we swerve to avoid a small tractor in the fast lane driving towards us.  It’s madness and hysterically funny at the same time.  We are not new to China and these situations are absolutely typical of everyday ride on the road.  It’s not if they happen; it’s when they happen!

A transport official looks incredulous at our bikes, doesn’t know what to do to check them and signs off the paper anyway.  We are away by lunch time northwards and through a mountainous terrain, terraced with tea bushes.  The roads are quick at first – we are on a first class new road and it winds its way between misty green peaks.  Our first stop is Pu-Er, famous as the starting point of the Ancient Tea and Horses Caravan route – and of course it’s tea.  Shops selling bricks of tea, with special tea ceremonies, line the roads around the town.  We seem to be the only foreign faces here and an early evening stroll through town, brings curious looks and school kids all shouting “hello” and then turning and giggling like mad when they get a reply and a wave.  The main square is full of lines of OAPs doing tai chi, teenagers skateboarding and young families pushing prams and the main streets are wide and modern, with row upon row of glitzy clothes and shoe shops.