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Place - All over the place
So I guess I should tell you what happened then... ...
What have me and Wheelie been up to?
Qianjiang - Wuhuyuchang, Hubei province
30 17 16.45, 113 50 59.39
Distance: 115.44km
Mx: 31km/h
Time: 5.53 hrs
Avg: 29.3km/h
Relaxing breakfast with Hubei pickles
More shoes being stripped of rubber by the roadside
Why do it in two journeys when you can do it one
The ride from Qianjiang onwards was all set to be a peaceful fast ride.
Then the elements jumped on us. At 4 o'clock a massive storm hit
Never in my life have I witnessed such power of nature and been right in it.
I knew it was about to rain so I took off my cycling top, popped on my rain jacket and rain shoes. I kept my shorts on because it was still hot...... I continued.
Then the rain started and I was loving it. Nothing like cycling in the rain when your in the mood for it.
Then the thunder started and I was still loving it. People were racing home on their bicycles.
Then the lightning started and I became concerned.
The area I was cycling through was totally flat and the storm was coming straight towards me. I made a few calculations and decided to continue on quickly. I figured that even if I stopped in a small shop hut, if there was a lightning strike then you get hit regardless. If your gonna go, you might as well go in style.
It rapidly turned into the most aggressive thunderstorm I have ever seen and I ploughed right into the middle of it.. What a mad feeling. The wind picked up and shot the rain at me like horizontal needles fired from an elemental machine gun.
I have never been so alert and ready to die. Sounds morbid and fatalistic but lightning bolts were coming down all around me. Flashes so intense that I would be blinded for a second. It was similar to having a camera flashed in your face. Each time I got near an electric pylon I'd worry more. I was trying to work out the chances of being hit. I looked at Little Wheelie and I looked at myself and wandered how attractive we were to lightning. Would it choose as tree, a pylon or a tricycle combination.
I could feel the static in the air then a deafening crack and a confusion of light. An intense moment of.....is this it, am I going to get 10 billion volts up my bum. Is this where it all ends. On a straight road in Hubei province? Good a place as any I'd say.
One guys bike had broken in the road and he was desperately trying to fix it. Its amazing how fast you can cycle in the driving rain and wind. I was hitting 25km/h and still picking up speed.
I rattled on past at a tremendous speed, swearing and protecting my head with my hand, as everyone knows that you can stop lightning with your hand right ?
It worked a treat and I popped out of the other side after record speeds and watched the dark mass roll away.
I stopped off in a local shop to drip dry a bit and get directions for the next section.
"Turn left at the end of this road"
A fresh new road with no surface, just perfectly flat soft mud. Wheelies back wheel span out, mud flicked up and we were caked in it with in 5 seconds. The back mud guard popped off under the pressure and we were stuck. Time to push. A trike is great or this, you don't need to worry about balance, you just concentrate on moving forward. I'm quite proud of the fact that in nearly 4,000km this was only the second time I've had to push.
What a mess. It was only a 200m stretch but it was like trying to push a car whilst wearing slippers in a filthy ice rink. I rinsed myself off in a puddle and was questioned by some bikers about the conditions ahead. I told them no way. On a motorbike loaded up with vegetables it would have been a mechanical mud bath..
I hit a flood retaining embankment that stretched off into infinity in both directions. A perfect road, flat and fast and I covered the K's quickly. Just in the wrong direction.
After a big debate with a few farmers I turned around and headed back where I came from. They said I wouldn't make it to the village I was heading to. They were right. The storm had now done a full loop (or was it me) and I was heading straight back into it. This time though it would have been suicide to continue. I was now the highest thing for miles around.
The area though was very quiet,with fish farms stretching off towards the Changjiang River. The whole area is water logged so there aren't many people. Definitely an area of Hubei worth visiting.
Enter Hubei shepherds
A couple in a white van stopped and told me that it was still 9km to the village and offered me a bed for the night. Perfect. Thank you ~
Wuhuyuchang - Xianning, Hubei province
29 52 25.06, 114 16 13.35
Distance: 85.76km
Mx: 31 km/h
Time: 5.53 hrs
Avg: 14.6 km/h
The family I stayed with were local fish farmers. I awoke to clear skies, fish ponds that stretched out in all directions, a lively kitchen, and a Grandad making a new saw.
A huge breakfast was prepared for my departure.
They were a very kind and friendly family.
The husband and wife kindly escorted me through a maze of tracks to the next village. I needed to cross the Changjiang and here was a good place to do it. There is no bridges in this area, you need to find a ferryman to get you across. Not an easy task.
The boat is only a small tin can and I spent ages trying to find it.
Even when I did, there was no ferryman in sight
A small shack nearby nestled behind a bush was my only option. I shouted and shouted, trying to get someones attention. Finally I got closer and could see someones feet moving. I stood by the door and tried to get a reply. Finally a young man got off his lazy arse and miserably looked at me, pointed to a mobile phone number painted on a bit of wood and laid back down again. Basically the whole family were in there but had been ignoring me for about 15 minutes. They were a miserable bunch, the most unhelpful people I have ever met.
After one hour the ferryman turned up. He was a cool dude. Out came the gang planks and off we went.
The crossing was very peaceful
On reaching the other side I cycled off through the countryside, birds singing and the wind rustling through the trees. This area too was left mostly to nature. I'd assumed that after the 3 gorges I would hit huge populations, but I was travelling through some really quiet areas.
Out of the heat for a while. Rest at a local shop.
The road from there on was simply covered in corn. Drying the harvest was in full swing.
By 4pm the sky had turned dark and rain pelted down. This time I missed the lightning. This whole area has violent thunderstorms virtually everyday. I rolled in Xianning soaking wet.
Xianning Jiaozi
The food in Xianning seemed pretty bland and since half way though Hubei, noodles have been served in paper bowls. Very wasteful and not a nice experience.
Xianning - Chuan Kou, Jiangxi province
29 32 24.98, 114 58 28.39
Distance: 126.93 km
Mx: 53 km/h
Time: 9.06 hrs
Avg: 13.9 km/h
The landscape was soft small mountains with not too many people.
With nice old buildings
It rained briefly and clouds of tiny flies hovered above the road waiting to shoot up your nose.
Wheelie and I raced towards the border. Two flies must have been flying in formation and both mistook my eye balls for landing pads, nearly sending me off the road.
In a photo finish Wheelie was the undisputed winner.
Next time I'll point my toes.
The road surface went down hill
but the scenery got better.
Night was falling and I stopped off in a small village for the night.
Chuan Kou - Yong something, Jiangxi province
29 1 21.38, 115 48 23.66
Distance: 110.36 km
Mx: 32 km/h
Time: 7.36hrs
Avg: 14.5 km/h
A simple journey meeting simply great people
Give it a few more years and this could be me.
What a hat !.. I can't find one like it anywhere.
I arrived in Yong something and was hoping I could find a cash point. I was down to 40 RMB. No luck though. This town was supper chilled out, with Tricycle taxi's. I really liked it.
One thing like about Jiangxi is that the people are much more upfront. People look at you but don't look away when you meet their gaze. Instead they smile when you look. This is far more direct than what I have been experiencing. I feel like I can connect with Jiangxi people a lot more freely.
Jiangxi is a poor province but is so rich in many other ways.
And the food is good !
Yong something - Nanchnag, Jiangxi province
28 40 9.49, 115 53 32.77
Distance: 60.91 km
Mx: 37 km/h
Time: 4.27 hrs
Avg: 13.7 km/h
There are two roads that lead to Nanchang. The new fast expressway (that I can't go on), or a smaller road (one that I can).
The smaller one is actually a wide new road that condenses down into a dirt track. Off road once again, this time heading to the Capital city of Jiangxi.
Local hat
I've see these tubes quite a few times and wandered what they are for. From what I could make out, they are used for growing peanuts. We pottered along together for a while.
A hot day with kids playing in the river
By the evening I was approaching Nanchang and my gears were playing up again. The daily torrential rain and deep puddles were causing everything to seize up. The only thing that brought me out of my anger and frustration was a big new Bank Of China. Money !
I was then pulled over by an Australian guy called Christophe. He asked if he could help in anyway. I asked if he fancied a beer. He kindly gave me a place to sleep for the night and then we headed off together on his tiny moped.
I had western food, in fact two portions.. and was still hungry.
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The Chinawheelie Donati-O-Meter (US$3,901 donated so far)
Cecilie writes:
This is excellent, excellent stuff...those two pictures of boy on chair and grandfather are so moving. Strength to strength mate!
Do those tiny villages really have cyber cafes? Right on!
I need some info for my article. Please see email.
10/8/2006 18:43:50
TV writes:
Odd, the local hat has "beijing" stenciled on it.
I've put in a few quids with Paypal.
11/8/2006 5:06:50
Ken in Illinois writes:
Welcome to Jiangxi province, Rob. Nanchang is where we met our older daughter Anabel Zhen Hua in November 2003. She was originally from a town SE of Nanchang called Fuzhou, also known as Linchuan. Will you be passing through there? When we were in the area we were fortunate to visit the orphanage in Fuzhou and even got to go out to Fubei Town where she was left at the public affairs office by her biological family. I look forward to seeing pictures if you are in that area.
11/8/2006 11:40:36
Rob writes:
But on the otherside of the hat is written '2008'. This is national local stuff !
I will indeed be passing through that area. I should be there tomorrow.
11/8/2006 12:45:36
Sean writes:
Hey Rob, you don't know me but perhaps christophe mentioned me. You stayed in my old apartment. I would like to thank you, I know it's probably nothing to you, but I think it meant a lot to christophe to have someone to go out and have a beer with. Have a great trip and this website is pretty cool.
11/8/2006 21:44:51
Rob writes:
Chatting in English over a beer was bloody good for me too. Nice apartment by the way.. thanks, and thanks to you Christophe. Good luck with you studies.
11/8/2006 21:57:05
k writes:
Always thought the english make too much of a fuss about english, and sure enough its true. but try to live without it for a while.any language you know well enough is something you're bound to miss.
12/8/2006 5:35:20
Rob writes:
Not making a fuss. It was just good to talk in my mother tongue. Its been a while. I find it difficult to remember English words.... they are slowly fading. Luckily I can practice here.
Ooops...am I making a fuss now ?
Damn.. Those fussy English !
12/8/2006 9:16:37
Cecilie writes:
Of course not! Last summer I spent a month speaking only Putonghua, and when I got back to Hong Kong I couldn't stop talking English, lovely English of which I can say and understand every word.
C'est normal!
Oh I love that photo of the little boy in the kitchen. I notice farmers are eating rice out of plastic, disposable bowls now. Oh dear oh dear. It reminds me of restaurants in Hong Kong - you pay five star prices but have to sit and drink out of plastic glasses and eat with plastic cutlery off paper plates like you're on some damn picnic or something. I boycott those places.
They are a sign of: 1. Total disregard for the environment, the protection of which here in HK is actually REgressing
and 2: The infantilisation of society. Next we'll have bibs and people cutting up the food for us.
OK, back to cooking. SLOW food, the Sichuan way!
Rob when you get back to HK you must come to my restaurant. It's on the house.
12/8/2006 9:48:25
A friend in Chongqing writes:
Hi Rob,
Great family in Xianning. They are lead so simple lives. I really envy them. Great set of pictures in Nanchang, the pond and then the clear sky.
To everyone out there, why is Donati-O-Meter still so low? Let's do some viral e-mailing and bring it right up!!!
Hang in there, Rob. Is it still hot out there?
Take care of yourself.
A friend in Chongqing
12/8/2006 11:06:18
jasonzhou writes:
进入革命老区了。。。
15/8/2006 10:30:16
Pat writes:
Loved the photos of Xianning--my son was adopted from there. I hear you are heading for Fuzhou, Fujian. My older daughter was in the orphanage there at 28 Yang Qiao Xi Road, Gu Lou District. If you're in that vicinity see if you can get photos? Are you headed to Anhui, too? My youngest is from the orphanage in Chuzhou. The kids love to see the photos of China--keep them comin'! And keep wheeling!
16/8/2006 23:11:46
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Great stuf.. That deserves a donation. As soon as I can dig out my credit card ill put some money in.
Long live the cause!
10/8/2006 18:10:04