Day 91 899 days to go. distance: today 92km. It’s 8.00pm Wednesday 29/2/2012 Liujiang. We have a new addition to the family. Isn’t Lila a beautiful name and apparently she’s all lungs. I could say like her mummy but that would be far too cheeky hey ‘Cus x Congratulations darlings you are very clever enjoy every precious moment getting to know each other xxx I have finally managed to find an internet cafe. The only reason I did was that the yound woman at the hotel Im at tonight put me on the back of her moped and took me here. I would never had found it down an alley and inside a shop without any signage and up a flight of stairs which opened up to a hall of computers packed with young folk mostly playing computer games. Awesome!!!!! No one was online but I got to read and reply to emails from my partner and family and best of all got the good news that all went perfectly well for my ‘Cus and her hubby and the beautiful Lila. My partner was
getting worried not hearing from me for a few days not for want of trying that’s for sure. Anyway Ive had my fix and will definitely have access again in Yangshou Saturday. Today was awesome awesome awesome!!!! I have entered into limestone karst country and it’s like glasshouse mountains as far as the eye can see. It’s been amazing scenery to cycle through and a real surprise as I wasn’t expecting to see this country for a couple of days. I’m in the midst of it so you can imagine what it’s like to cycle through. The area is mostly rural with intermittent farming villages busy at work still with sugar cane mostly. I passed a man today herding goats. Acutally I heard the goats first and let out a squeel and he appeared up the road embankment. told him stories of our crazy bleat bleats and he listened and laughed neither of us having any idea what the other was saying but it was totally irrelevant we were sharing stories and it was cool!!!! it was
overcast as is every day, but no rain in it which was great. Very cold but. I’ve worked out how to cycle in this weather without overheating and getting all my clothes under my outers wet with sweat. This is not good because as soon as I stop I get so cold and need to put dry clothes on. Im wearing my wet weather gear to keep the wind and air out. Underneath I just have my cycling shorts and marino shirt. Marino is awesome material that dries as you sweat as long as it get air circling. I change my gloves and cap for balaclava when it gets extra chilly and that’s doing the trick. It’s actually quite difficult working out how to dress for a day in the saddle but we’re learning 101. We had a half way stop today at a tiny village where this character of a woman had a narrow shop selling steaming noodle soup out front with seating inside out of the weather. perfect. I saddled up to noodle soup with a bioled egg plopped in the middle so hard it gave me the
hiccups and I loved every mouthful. She kept looking over the check I was filling my belly. I started to use rhe chopsticks which Im quite proficient at usually but my hands were so cold I couldn’t make them work and looked like a total gumby. She gave me a spoon the height of insult so I got my gloves and warmed my hands up by holding them over the steaming bowl. Once sorted I wielded those chopsticks and she was definitely impressed. Not a spoon in sight. Meanwhile every man within a 20 meter radius was gathered around Rube pointing at and discussing her bits and bobs. Of course she loved it and looked totally lagit as she is with the right amount of dirt in the right places. I’m so proud of her and give her handles an extra squeeze to tell her so constantly during the day. The backyard angle grinding jobby on her trailer is holding up perfectly so far so very good. I’ve stopped 10km before the city of Liuzhou so not to pay the big prices for city
hotels. We’ve found one for 100 yen so Im happy with that. In nanning the cheep hotels were 150+ and it’s only that I had the name of the hostel from the Lonely Planet that we found a dorm option. We’ve had such a cool day, simple and beautiful. The rain held off for us which makes all the difference in the world not just for temperature but to enjoy the 360 degrees of karst for the day. I stopped at one stage and took video footage of the views to capture just how spectacular it is. You’d be happy just to pass this scenery, stop take photos and keep going. Instead it’s what the villages, roads , people and farms are amongst and make the most amazing backdrop to the rural day to day life in this part of the world. Rube screamed out to stop today as she spotted a local bike and trailer set up. The woman who owned the cycle was working in her field of greens by the roadside and laughed at how impressed we were getting a photo with her bike and trailer. I
found myself constantly pinching myself that we were here in southern China enjoying it’s unique landscape. It’s one of the most beautiful places Ive been and to cycle through it is spectacular. We’re working hard for the kms so the scenery and noodle soup is tasting extra good. we’re going to push onto as close as we can to Lipu tomorrow subject and with all due respect to all the unknowns that can happen of course. It’s all good and China is one hell of an awesome adventure. It’s pretty raw and real and very very beautiful. Time for dinner I’m hungry. Talk soon x
shecyclesolo 