Day 26: The Silk Road Begins

Arrived at the town at about 6am. Had breakfast and waited for the bikeshop to open.Got a new chain, fixed the speedometer and for the first time after riding for weeks, I had a bike wash.



Finally it is as clean as new.



Another bike getting washed. A replica of Suzuki. Its called Susnki.



(Sidetrack)
Ok, time for another toilet encounter. While I was waiting for the bikeshop to open, my tummy suddenly felt so bad that I had to relieve myself urgently. There are no public toilets around and the only toilet that they use are the one in the school which is about 200m away. After knowing that, I rushed to the school and went straight into the toilet only to realise that I had no paper with me. Too late to go back and take and so I answered to nature's call first. When I was done with my business, I decided that I shall use my tishrt to wipe my ass. So I took out my keys and used it to tear my t-shirt apart. Just as I was cleaning up myself with pieces of my tshirt, the school bell rang and many students entered the toilet. The toilets in china had no doors and so they could clearly see what I am doing. They all stared at me like I am some sort of mad guy. Imagine, I am in a tore tshirt with holes all over. Ofcourse they stared.

HAHAHA... Back to my ride.

Now that my bike has revived, its time for me to carried on riding. From this point onwards, it will be another new experience for me. No more tibetians. I am now riding on the SILK ROAD, a route that I had always dreamt of travelling/riding on. An important route that first linked the east to the west centuries ago. A route where many important trades were carried out in acient times. A route which many great explorers like Marco Polo, Ghankis Kang and Tang San Zhang had taken. A route with great history. A route where many shed blood. A route that is worth travelling on.

The start of the Silk Road in China begins in Xian, which was the capitial years back. However, I did not start my ride in Xian. Instead, I entered the Silk Road at a few hundred kilometers west of Xian. Reason being: Do I have a choice? I was stuck in the mountians, remember?

So with much anticipation and excitment, I begin my journey to the west. What excatly will the silk road brings? I am so looking forward to it.

No more mountains, no more snow. I am now riding into dry lands. Landscape became flat and soon I am in a semi-desert area.







I always repsect long distance cyclists. If you think that I am crazy, they are crazier. If you think that I am great, they deserve more applause than me. In this semi-desert I saw 2 cyclists paddling their way to the west. Hats off to them.

I arrived at a junction not long after. If I turn right, it will lead me to the place where China launched its spacechip. I took the left which brings me to JiaYuGuan. A border town in ancient China; A frontier town which guards ancient China.



The new town of JiaYuGuan



After I had gotten a place to stay for the night, I went to visit the JiaYuGuan Fort. This is the first and most important fort which guards ancient China from outside attacks. The first fort along the Great Wall of China. The entrance and exit to ancient China. Now, this is a UNESCO protected site.

















Ok. Sad to say that my camera refused to work after I entered the fort and so I cant take any photos. Water might had entered the camera somehow when I used it to take photos and video in the snow. And so I toured the whole fort half heartedly as I see no meaning to it when my camera is spoilt. After awhile, I decided to leave, got back to the town and try to get my camera fixed. I will return here tomorrow when my camera is fixed.

Lucky enough, there is a camerashop in town and I managed to get it fixed. It is the one and only camera repairshop around. If not, I may have to buy a new camera.

Went for dinner and guessed What I had?



Donkey's meat. Anyone wannt try? YUMYUM!!!


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Day 25: Its SNOWING!!!

Looking out of the window and saw that it was raining. Sigh... It's gonna be a cold and wet start again. Oh well, what to do? Life still goes on. I tore my pants yesterday and so I had to tied it with a plastic bag in order to secure it to my leg.



A look at the small village that I stayed at. This is the view of the surrounding.



This village is so small that it consists of only 2 rows of shops and houses. Not more than 30 units. As you can see from the photo, this is a place where only trucks drivers come for a rest at night. You will seldom see anyone else around. I am a rare passerby.



The weather is so cold that even my bike refused to start. I used the electric starter until the battery almost went flat. So in the end I had to use the kick starter to manually start the bike. But guess what, I kicked till the kick starter broke and the bike still refused to start. Now I am really tearing the bike apart physically. WTH?? Kick starter also can snap? I have got nothing to say. Luckily for me, there is a smalll bike shop around and so I got myself a new kick starter.



After that was done, I begin my journey in the rain. After riding for less than 5km, I had a rear tyre puncture. And so I went back to the bikeshop again. I decided to get myself a new tyre which is more suitable for sand roads.



As it was really freezing cold when the wind blow against my hands when I ride even if I have my gloves on, I also got myself a pair of hand warmer. This is a must have accessories. They really work well.





Lube my chian and I am ready to go again.



The road still remained bad, the rain was still pouring but the beautiful scenery kept me company all the way. Then when I passed by a nomad's house, his dog came chasing after me very furiously. It was fast, or should I say that my bike was slow as it was creeping upslope. The dog was just beside my leg and I see its shining teeth as it barked. It chased me for a few hundred meter before it decided to give up. It was then that I felt relief. I cant imagine what will happen if my bike so decided to stop working at that moment. I would be dead meat.

















Just as I got used to the dripping sound of the rain hitting against my helmet, I suddenly realised that there is different about the rain. I stopped, took a look and guess what? It was no longer rain anymore. ITS SNOWING!!!!



I am now both excited and worried. Excited because its snowing. I really love the snow. Worried because I had never ridden in the snow before. The ground would be very wet and slippery and I am afraid that my tyres would not have enough grip. But still riding in the snow would be a brand new experience for me. I would love to try it.

And so I learnt something out of it. Unlike rain drop which will slip off the visor, snow does not. It melts the moment its hit against the visor and will stick to the visor in the form of ice chips and block out the vision. So I had to stop the bike every 5-10secs to wipe off the ice chips. Not easy. Cold and tiring.



It was snowing pretty heavily but I was still very excited and I stopped every now and then to take pictures.













Here's a short clip I took in the snow.



The snow was so heavy and the wind was so strong that I can hardly open my eyes as snow kept coming into my eyes.





Wana know the temperature? Slightly less than 2 degree. I wasnt really prepared for this.



Yes, I am cold but I just cant help but to take more photos.







Then when I finally done with the snow, the road condition became bad. Rode for awhile and then suddenly I heard a sound coming from the rear of my bike after which the bike refused to move. Took a look, the chain came off. Fix it back, rode for another few kilometers and I heard the same sound. And so I thought that the chain came off again. Stop, took a look and I got the shock of my life.



WHERE THE HELL IS THE CHAIN?!?!?! A bike without a chain is as good as useless. I walked a few meters back and guess what I saw?



Thats my chain lying on the ground. It had snapped. ok. Great. Now what should I do? There is no way I can fix the chain back. I need a new chain. I am now in the mountains and the nearest town is more than a hundred kilometers away. I haven had my breakfast, it is now passed lunch time and I am starving. I am only lefted with half a bottle of water, no food and I am wet and cold. This is a short cut which I was told to take. Noone uses this road except for truck drivers. So I guessed they are my only hope. A truck had already passed by while I was walking back to look for my chian. When will the next one come? Will there even be a next truck coming towards my direction? I certainly HOPE so.

And so I waited at the roadside hoping to see a truck soon. Tick Tock.... Tick Tock... Tick Tock.... Seconds after seconds.... Minutes after mintues... I am still waiting...

I do not wish to spend the night out here you know. Take a look at the surrounding. There is nothing in the vicinity.



Wild thoughts started to run through my mind. Then suddenly, the sound of the roaring engine broke my thought. There I saw a truck coming my way. HOPE HAS ARRIVED!! I waved at it but it did not seemed to be slowing down. It got nearer to me, and then nearer and then it went passed me. Oh no... please dont go away. Then after a few meters, it stopped. Yes!! I went up, told them about my situation and asked if they were able to tow my bike and give me a lift to the next town. The reply was that they are not sure if they have the ability to do it. "Sorry", and then they moved off.

They told me that all the trucks here are transporting coal and so they do not have the equipments and means to tow or bring my bike up onto the truck. Ok. Now I think I am only left with one option. I guessed I will just have to dump my bike here. Leave the key with it and give it as a gift to the lucky person who has the ability to take it away. Wait for the next truck (hopefully there is one), flagged it down and hitch a ride out of the mountian to where ever I can take a public transport. Guess thats the end of my biking adventure.

(Then came a loud honk.)

I looked up and saw that same truck. Went up to them and they told me that they can help me. ALRIGHT!!! YEAH!!!

They told me that they just remembered that they have a chain and pulley which might be able to hoist up the bike. They have it because the rack for their spare tyre had broken weeks ago and so they ended up using this method to bring the spare tyres up onto the truck. The rack was fixed but the pulley wan chain is still around. They just remembered that they have it.

Am I lucky or what?

This is what had saved me.



Hoisting up the bike manually. Tiring but no matter what I had to do it.





Finally got the bike up the truck.



They were really very nice people. Once they heard that I haven had anything for the whole day, they gave me their cup noodle.



Dont know if it was me (but I certainly think so). I think I brought them bad luck. Less than half an hour after I got onto the truck, they had a puncture. I wanted to help them with the changing of the tyre but they told me to just stay in the truck. They said that its cold outside, its better for me to stay in the truck. Furthermore, they said that they are used to it and I might not know how to change a tyre of a heavy vehicle. I realy think that I should not stay in the truck and so I got off as well. Still, they did not allowed me to do anything. So, I just stood there and watch the whole process. I felt bad.

After that was done, we moved on and stopped for some food. They paid for my share and refused to take my money.



These are the great guys. They told me this, "Chu1 Men2 Zai4 Wai4, Si4 Hai3 Jie1 Xiong1 Di4". I think that is the real spirit of brotherhood. I think that is the spirit of "Tong2 Zhi4"!!!



Sitting in this truck, listening to the chinese songs of late 80s and early 90s reminds me of my childhood days. Different flashbacks of my dad and me when I was young appeared in my mind. My dad is also a truck driver and I used to follow him on his truck when I was a kid. I had not sat on a truck for many years and now as I am sitting in this truck, I felt a sense of comfort over me. Everything seems to be so familiar.

I think they are so used to living on the truck. They seems to have everything onboard. They told me that they always stay on the truck, making trips back and forth, and they only go home once a year. No wonder they are so well equipped.



Night came but the plan was to keep moving. But then, we came upon this stretch of road which was so bad that another truck infront of us got stuck and almost overturned. I think I am so lucky that my chian had snapped and that I am now onboard this truck. The road only became worse and worse after I got onto the truck and if I were to ride on, I will only end up like I did in Day 17. Just like I always believe, "Everything happens for a reason. We might not know why at first, but we will definately find out the answer one day."

"Look at the kind of place you had choosen for a holiday," he joked and we all laughed.

The road was so bad that even they did not dare to take the risk. They were so sure that if we try to cross, we will be stucked in it. So, they stopped the truck along the road and we went to sleep. "We shall wait and see," he said.





Though dark and cold, the 3 of us were soundly asleep until the sound of the bulldozer woke us up. I think was about 1 or 2am. "Where did that come from?" I thought to myself. Anyway, it cleared the path and we moved on.

And guessed what? It took more than 17hours non-stop from where I met them till we reached the next town. I cant imagine if I were to ride, it might take me at least 2 more days with no food and shelter for the night.

Yes, the bike broke down but it had also saved me in another way. So am I lucky?


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