shecyclesolo

Day 119 612 days to go. Distance: today 118km total 7530km.

Its 9.00pm Wednesday 28/3/2012 Yongnian. We have had such a wonderful day. If the locals keep this up my partner and I and our two pooches may just have to move here.  Well not really I do love our home but at the risk of repeating myself, I am loving China. It’s been a later finish today and I’ve just enjoyed my end of day coffee looking at the photos from the day while the spot message sends. Rube and I are all smiles looking back at the day’s events. Rubes tucked in bed in the foyer of the hotel getting so much attention because and rightly so she’s awesome!! And I’m now finally posting to you fine folk after doing some domestics. The hotel we’re at is quite flash but well priced for a big dot city at 100 yen ($16). It has a computer which is always a bonus for posting in comfort. Ive taken advantage of the shmicky services and done some washing and cleaned my flask and water bottle using vinager as recommended by Mum (it worked a treat Mops x).  Enough of the routine stuff and back to the day!!!!

The weather was beautiful yet again but I hear there’s rain in Beijing so we’ll see what tomorrow brings. It was 20 odd kms into Anyang for starters. Unfortunately the ring roads were a maize made worse by the road works and detours. It didn’t take me long to get us quite lost and quite stuck trying to pick up the 107 which had disappeared. As it turned out the directions we got from the locals took us off the ring roads and into Anyan CBD. The city however is quite grand and hosts the National Museum for Chinese Writing which I snapped a picky out front. We were however on ‘no idea’ road and I had just stopped yet again for a hand when a young man and woman approached me and said in English, ‘Can we help you?’ I could have hugged them. ‘Yes you can and you speak English bonus!!’ ‘No no no my English is poor.’ But right about then I thought her English the best and started to explain our very lost delemma. Her name was Liang Xu and his Tian Yuan. Liang Xu called a friend, Tian Yuan from the bank they worked at who joined the party minutes later. Tian Yuan is an English teacher as a second job. Fabulous!!!!!!!

They debated about the best way to go and a lady from the next door mechanics came over and sorted them out. She was great very tough but a colourful smile and all over her way around. I was getting ready to head off and Tian Yuan invited me to join them for lunch, ‘We would like to shout you a traditional meal from this area. Prease join us for lunch?’ “How generous of you, yes that would be great!!’ So I parked Rube and their Bank and we jumped into a taxi and headed somewhere local. It was a bustling restaurant filled with lunctime diners. They only served this one dish. Liang Xu made a ‘baaaa’ sheep noise to tell me we were having mutton. I like this girl’s style!!! Sheep have appeared just today with their shepards on the roadisde grazing, so that explains it. The dish was a bowl of large ribbon noodles, mutton pieces, greens and a clear fine noodle made from potato. It’s served with a bulb of braised garlic and coriander. God only knows what I smell like tonight because I ate the whole bulb – it so perfectly complimented the tastes. You also garnish the dish with the thick brown sweet vinagar like what I had in Wuhan. It’s probably more like a balsamic and I could drink it. Again it topped off the flavours.

We dined and chatted about their work and our trip and exchanged email addresses. They use a program here called QQ instead of skype to chat so I have to look further into that. They were all 24 years old and so happy to be practicing their English. Liang Xu and Tian Yuan have not spoken English since school and loved being able to practice again. Lunch time conversation was pretty much about them enjoying and remembering words. They used their internet access on their phones to translate when needed and it was fun to share their enthusiasm. After lunch we headed back to their work and Tian Yuan said he would take us to the ring road that joined the 107. Another girl from the bank doubled him on her moped cycle and we went through all the back streets on a ‘short cut’ that took forever.

I loved every moment riding along taking in the sights of urban life. I think they were making the most of taxying us out during work time J I managed to snap some pickies on route and at the junction before exchanging goodbyes and thankyous. This got us back on track and in about 10km we were again on the 107 heading to the next major town called Handan. About 10kms out of town this fella pulled alongside us driving a moped truck and said hello. I joked and went to grab the back of his truck as a gesture for him to pull us along. And he let us !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So we got a freebie piggy back and it was totally fun. He turned up his radio and seemed to enjoy the novelty and attention he got from passerbyers. Rube wanted me to take a picky but I couldn’t manage it unfortunately it so we just enjoyed the ride and have the fun memory. Handon was way easier to nav through with the help of taxi men who I have found recently over the days as colorful as moped men and just as obliging and spot on with their pointers. So we cycled the last 30 odd kms to Yongnian over dusk and found this hotel hopeefully not to far from where we can pick up the 107 again towards Xingtai in the morning. But that’s tomorrow and for now we’re happy and savouring the day. Plus we still managed to do our allocated kms with all the carbs from lunch Im guessing.

I emailed the hotel where we’re staying at in Beijing to let the manager know I may be arriving early if the weather holds up the way it has. He’s all booked up but is going to try find us a dorm style accomodation if needed. How lovely is that. He’s also given us some tips on how to nav into Beijing and to the District where the hotel is so at least I have some idea which chunk of the city to head towards. One day at a time and that’s days down the track albeit not so far now. We passed the under 500km marker today and had our break sitting on the post. These two old gents came over from somewhere and were such characters. They were literally all thumbs up that we were cycling to Beijing and doing it solo and were soo impressed with Rube and her Chinese flag. They patted our backs and gave us one last thumbs up. I wish now I had got a photo but didn’t think to at the time bugger!! So that’s been us for the day that’s been awesome and really cool to share with you tonight from our very comfy hotel room. I must say however Im a bit tidey wides so its time for zzz’s. Talk soon x

You’ve given us such memories

to blister pack and pop

whenever I may need heads up

to stick with ‘keep it simple.’

You’ve given us such memories

of little things so big.

It’s in the simple everyday

lost socks and smiles are found.

Day 117 614 days to go. Distance: today 110km total 7307km.

Its 7.15pm Monday 26/3/2012 Xiaoji. As it runs out that truck debacle last night was road works and the traffic heading in/out of Zhengzhou not coping well with the delays. When I left this morning amongst the mass of massive transports was this little Chinese police man trying to traffic control the situation. If there’s any police back home reading this post you would never grizzle again about traffic control if you saw this poor bugga. Oh my.

Thank goodness that’s a past life for me at least but my heart went out to him albeit in passing. Rube and I manoeuvred our way out very creatively and were soon under way for the day. Theres heaps of roadworks going on but the quality of road when done is awesome!! We had some great sections today amongst the ‘still in progress’ dodgy bits. The main roads equivalent here is very busy that’s for sure. It still surprises me how many road workers are women. They are easily half and work alongside the fellas doing the labour. What also stands out is that the women are everyday looking and not hefty or manly.

At the end of the day work is work and means pay doesn’t it? The moped men navigated us in and out of Zhenghou. We didn’t have to go through the CBD which was great. So with lots of awesome help from the lads we just had to find our way through the network of ring roads. Outside of Zhenghou we crossed the ‘Zhenghou Yellow River Highway Bridge.’ It was 5km long and a big deal bridge with the best views. The yellow river is so named from the silt colouration. It meanders through silt flats and was about 3km wide where the bridge crossed.

The river banks are a green expanse of cultivated land and the contrast in colours from the yellow, green and blue sky was beautiful. I caused a bit of honking chaos but too bad, I had to stop for pickies 🙂 Once out of the metro sprawl we stopped for lunch by a lake. It turned out to be a fish farm and I amused myself lizarding on a rock in the sun watching fish jump. It was so nice Rube had to give me some loving kickstands to get going again. After the kms were done for the day we found a hotel at a service station centre along the 107. It is overpriced for what you don’t get but very convenient so we’re happy enough that it works.

 Ive just closed the door to the bathroom and using the communal loo. A shower will have to wait to tomorrow its way to icky in there. Theres a mould farm on food left in one of the cupboards but the linen is clean and Ive aired the room so alls good. I’m getting better recognising Chinese characters on the 5road signs. The rick for me is to make up my own pictures in the characters. So we have been following the….’hat for dancing’ ‘fort under fire’ ‘jail for prisoners’ ‘a king and his castle’. Today we followed house by the sea, what can I say I’m a visual sort of a girl. Yesterday I emailed Giong Long to say hi and send him the photos from us at his favourite eatery.

I didn’t tell you about the food he treated me to so seeing I’m hungry talking food seems like a great way to finish up. Theres a Chinese vegetable like a bulb that grows in the ground under water. He couldn’t tell me its name in Pinyin. It has a pinkish flesh and was baked and served in a broth. It had a sweat potato texture and sort of taste but was quite unique and very yum. There were egg noodles cooked in peanut oil and served with a dressing of soy sauce, dark sweat vinegar, garlic, ginger and chili. Oh dear very yum. There were steamed and pan fried wan tons filled with Asian greens and nuts, total delish. Also steamed pork dumplings out of this world even for a vego. Desert was a baked tofu custard with nuts, beans, a sweet vegetable and dark jelly. I think this was my fav. No surprises there for the sweet tooth. What a treat and on that note its time for dinner. Talk soon

PS Theres a yellow crescent moon tonight with the stars out and fireworks from Xinxiang, a city 10km west of the highway. Not a bad view from the window. I may yet spot that falling star Evan!!

PPS I had a special comment that maybe a poem could be found from the afternoon of spoiling in Wuhan by Giong Long. I think you’re right Linda

Day 116 615 days to go. Distance today 115km total 7197km.

It’s 7.45pm Sunday 25/3/2012 Guodan. Before leaving this morning I got into the internet site that my big sister put me on for an update on the weather forecast. It covers the main areas and gives some idea what may be ahead. So far so bloody good!! And yes fine folk…today I got sunburnt. I just had a scrub and it didnt come off or anything. The real deal. The care pack I got in Hue had some more sunscreen that hasnt seen day light literally. All non freezy fingers crossed it’ll get christened tomorrow. The forecast for this area around Zhengzhou is fine so its a promissing start. Even if and when it goes crap again we’ve had such a delish time of it soaking up the rays and enjoying China’s countryside with green fields and blue sky. Spring looks like its sprunging or trying very hard to.

 You know the gigantor willy wagtails I told you about. Well I spotted two mating today funniest thing. The female had her wings fanned out and was sitting all elegant on the ground. The male was dancing about wings fluttering all fluffed and puffed and out to impress. He was working so hard he deserved to get laid 🙂 That was my lunchtime entertainment by a lake in Changde. The perfect trio: coffee, bickies and shagging big willies. Opsy did I say that….. 🙂 So spring is sprung moreso for some and good on them!! The other thing I did this morning was finally fit Rube with the flag the Chinese cycle group gave me on the bus trip from Siem Reap to Phenom Phen. Ive been on the look out for a dinky flag pole but nudda so far. Then I couldnt believe our luck!! There was a kids wirly wind on a stick in the room last night so I stole it. For a good cause. Well I left the wirly thing and just took the pole does that count? Who cares!! It’s on my girl with her flag and she thinks its great. We both do!! It impressed the folk leaving the hotel this morning. Rube’s of the opinion she has the cred now to fly a cool Chinese red flag to match her cool chinese bike bits.

The girl loves China as much as I do. They love her here!! The amount of thumbs up and smiles we got today and get each day is really lovely. Folk in cars pull alongside and give us cheers and smiles. It makes me laugh and cheer back every time. Rube acts cool but I know she loves it!! She really does look good in her new flag!! There’s a moped over here that families use to commute. The bike has like a tray back with a seated area. I was picturing how my family would have looked riding along in one of these as opposed to the Kingswood we grew up in. I could totally picture it. My pops up front taking his responsibility to safely commute his family very seriously and not speaking. Yum Yum our Simese perched on his lap front paws on the steering wheel with her man. And mum and the three girls in the back, mum going off at dad for not talking in between having powers kips with her head nodding about. I had fun playing with these pictures and brings back wonderful memories of our road trips to Bundaberg in the Kingswood. It’s such a tiny town where Im staying I thought I’d be a bit bigger for the dot. So Im really happy to have found a hotel here. The husband and wife are totally gracious and excited about our trip.

He got out his phone and took a gallery of photos. They saddled up to a self portrait shot so I snuck one in too. 40 yen so a bargain. Funny but – it has no tv or air con but a computer in the room. The toilets are a bit dodge and communal but there’s a heat lamp in the shower. Talk about a mix mash and all very good!!I have no idea what this towns about re the taffic of trucks. There are truckees held up in both directions like a traffic jam but I cant figure what the hold up is? We just rode around them this arv. Rube’s such an agile machine!! The sunset was really beautiful which I took a picky of but underneath the sunset was total truckee chaos. I just aimed a bit higher as they spoilt the setting ambience!! Sunset – sounds good doesnt it – More of that thanks!!! Probably time for some dinner and bed. Talk soon x

Day 114 616 days to go. Distance today 125km .

It’s 7.10pm Friday 23/3/2012 Minggang. It appears Rube did the trick. We woke to hazy blue skies today which lifted to a beautiful afternoon J J Two very happy girls!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I did a little dance outside the café this morning much to the amusement of the café folk. So now I understand how they work their café. During the day it’s a roadside stall with the right noodle style food and prices. Then they clean away their front shop and run like a restaurant off the menu in the evenings ohhhh got it.

I bought some take away noodles this morning for lunch and a rice milk and sugar drink to get the body going this morning. The family was so lovely and happy with my stay and more so happy to have a photo session before I headed. Rube and I were dancing. It was really quite uplifting to have such an amazing day after such a crap one. The only downer was that there was a wicked head wind but that was Mother Nature blowing all those nasty rainy bits south like we had hoped. That little shan turned out to be quite a mountainous area but really beautiful to cycle through on such a great day.

It would have been a horror if the weather was a shocker. It was very alpine in feeling with rivers and streams, rolling hills and mountains in the background. We had a break by one river and watched the free range ducks going off in the river below. There were heaps of the nests I’ve been spotting. I noticed today that most of the nests have a bird hanging about it that might be the owner as opposed to cranes. The bird looks and sounds like a willy wagtail on steroids about the size of a crow but just as active and cheeky as its little cousin. I may have been right off the mark or they use the crane nests for their winter vacations? J I enjoyed taking a handful of photos today just to try capture some of the scenery.

I sent thought this town that had a sculptured town archway with chicken monuments. Usually its dragons or something virile and strong but chickens I love it!!!!! I had tried to squeeze out as many kms as I could to make the most of the beautiful day but 125km was all I could manage given the headwind and hills. Still not a bad effort. I was aiming to get under the 1000km to Beijing mark but 9kms to go. Its exciting to see the 1009km sign knowing that Beijing is not so distant now. I’m actually really happy to still have 13 days to enjoy this country the way we are. God it’s a wonderful place and we are having a very special time of it here.

We arrived in Minggang a bit wind blown and happy to be stopping. I got out of the eeeeky gear and sat in the sun while the spot tracker message did its thing. Oh my how delish!!!!!!!!!!!! There’s a old dog at the hotel I’m at and we both just sat there with idiot grins enjoying the rays. Sun is wonderful!!! I haven’t seen it since I can’t remember and we bonded. It was time for a wash and there’s a communal shower set up where Im at. 40 yen a night great price (Thank you moped men for that tip!!!!). It’s happened a few times now that folk don’t know whether I’m a boy or a girl!!! This happened this arv and they didn’t know whether to point me to the men’s or women’s block. I’m certainly relieved we sorted that one out!!!!!

So I’m squeaky and done my shopping for dinner and updated my posts and feeling very happy and content yayayayay. It’ll be an early one tonight as Im a bit tidy wides. I have that been in the sun feel and how good is that!!!!!!!!! Have I told you how much I love China? She can have her weather this time of year but Im following the locals lead and working in with it as best we can. Today on the other hand was delish and more days like this will be a gift, totally appreciated, and totally respected that at any time it can change and does. We’ll see what tomorrow brings. A very very nice day of it. Enjoy the photos!! Talk soon x  

Day 113 617 days to go. Distance today: RAINED OUT!!! 

 It s 10am Thursday 22/3/2012 Guanshu. Its so wet eeeeeow. A huge storm hit town last night just as I was tucking myself into bed for some pre zzzzz tv. We lost power with the first clap of thunder and lightning mmmmmmmmmm total black out. I have packed and unpacked my kit so many times and have this routine of everything having its place in the rooms I stay. Thank goodness for my obsessiveness and I son found my head torch and Ipod and tucked myself into bed with them instead. Theres always a plan B J It sbeen serious rain ever since. Ive been up watching the puddlesgrow since 7.30am with no sign of it easing up fort now at least.

Its life as usual for the local folk getting on with their day with the rain. I can even hear the firecracker men scaring off those dragons. Dragons must love the cloud cover to hind behind but perhaps the rain is a bit of a bugger for fire breathing. Last night I planned km per day to give us three days up our sleeve for inci9dentals. I hadn’t figured on using one first up but that’s mother nature at her femal best. I love her despite her mood swings J I don’t fancy being in ‘waiting’ mode all day so Ive paid for another night and will do something cool and constructive for the day starting with a post to you fine folk.

Last night I saddled up to stir-fry egg noodles and greens. Everything else was more than I wanted to pay but it was still yummy. I handed over 10 yen and that’s what I got. The café lady didn’t cope with me and no meat so served a side plate of preserved stinky cheese on the house. Oh my goodness now that was a taste explosion. She laughed so hard watching my reaction. After the shock of th extreme taste, its quite Moorish. I’m such an extremist so most outer spectrum stuff gest my attention at least once, with stinky cheese now on the list J It smore a restaurant style café here with the menu which is bazaar given its roadside style cooking. I couldn’t read the menu except the prices so the other aromas were savoured at a distance. Im currently brunching on the leftovers burp.

The CCTV-5 sports channel is on as background noise with the women’s world ‘curling’ championships. Wgat a crazy sport. It swomen at their domestic best cleaning the ice to pave a good bowl for the team. All the while the chicks are screaming ‘hard!!!’ to insight some serious brooming. A fine display of feminism turning domestic duty into a sport. Just joking for all you curling fans out there. Im sure it’s a good sport. Remember Im on the road from ignorance J On that cheeky note I think Ill go Asian squat by a puddle and contemplate belly button fluff. 

 It’s 12.10pm and Im back upstairs in my room tucked under the doona very happy to be dry and out of the weather. Its still raining but the it seems a little lighter which has lifted the spirits that maybe tomorrow is clear enough to continue without risking freezing my bits. Its so cold. Everything is steaming even when I go to the loo so under the doona is the place to be. There’s a little old lady seated in the rear of the café busy shredding greens and doing food preps. She’s been there all morning and I guess that’s her everyday. So to keep to promise that today will be cool and constructive. I’ve decided to start writing the Asian experience to date for ‘shecyclesolo.’ It’s the perfect day and opportunity for some reflection and start to play with words to capture events since the 1/12/2011. Arriving at Chiang Mai airport with Rube still boxed on the trolley seems a very very long time ago. Talk soon x

Its 8.30pm and Im back in bed under the doona wearing two sets of thermals, beanie, scarf, gloves, down jacket and socks. Have I mentioned its cold. That seems to be the tricky bit to the weather here that if it rains the temp plummets. Add a wind chill and eeeek. I spent the last few hours downstairs in the café writing and hanging out with the café family. I thought Id try them on my book of family photos. So I left the pocket album just sitting on the table. It didn’t take Ma 5 minutes to spot the pink heart cover and over she came. Sooo cool!!! We went through each page talking and asking questions and listening and trying my best to explain and laughing. Then did it all again!!!! And again with a lady walking past joining in. And again with the daughter. And again with Mrs Ping next door. And so it went on.. And so fun yayayay!! One of my better ideas (Thanks Mops x) I had the album still out from Wuhan as Leo Giang wanted to see family photos. I then enjoyed some writing with the daughter reading out loud over my shoulder as I typed. She is sweet and the waitress in the café who gave me the stinky cheese last night. We’re buddies so it seems. She’s got all the English sounds sorted out but doesn’t understand the meaning of the words. You can tell she’s a smart cookie. Very smart and friendly. So that was my evening unfortunately cut short by the ‘too cold’ factor for me. I scoffed some dinner from the supplies and the shivers are slowly settling with the layers under the doona. Its been a cool and constructive day as hoped with a big dob of fun on top yay. Talk soon x

Day 112 618 day to go. Distance today 73km. It’s 6.50pm Wednesday 21/3/2012 Guanshu. It was a pretty fun cruising ride today with both Rube and I feeling pretty good. We spent most of the day cycling through rural farmland and small towns . I had a computer in the room last night that worked beautifully letting me do some pre Beijing logistics re visas for Mongolia and Kazakhstan and gear to top up supplies. It was a midnight finish and I was still out cold when the alarm went off at 8am. It’s totally weird starting to think about the lands of steppe and open skies. This part of our travel always seemed so distant and its not now.

So much cool stuff has happened and out travels no longer feel a concept. Alternatively its very real and very possible and very cold. Bring on Spring I say!! I just work better in the warm and am really happy with how we have managed the Chinese chilly bill days but a change of season will be dam fine. Im typing this sitting on the bed in my road stop room wearing practically everything I own. It s a funky small town very working class with rough edged colorful folk. We decided to stop as theres a small shan crossing about 750m coming up with not much on the map between here and Xinyang about 70km away. The temp also dropped with no rain this arv happily but it raining tonight. I cant pick the timing and it could have easily turned eeeeek and wasn’t keen to be stuck out in the cold and wet if we can avoid it.

So we arrived in this town and the moped men pointed us to this tiny café that ended up having rooms upstairs for 40 yen yay. Clean enough and with the best smells coming from the restaurant I may have to have a peek at whats on the menu yay :-0) I went out this arv for an Asian squat over sport message time. The moped fellas popped over to say hi and this group loved the spot tracker. They got that it sent a message home but I think I lost them trying to explain the ‘by satellite’ part. Bit tricky! Tried to draw a satellite dish on the ground but it looked ridicules and didn’t help my cred bugga bugga.

The lady from the café came out with a freshly fried folded pancake thing wrapped in a magazine page sooo super delish and hot yum. Ive just been playing with km options for the last couple of hours so I can mix it up and work in with the ups and downs in weather. Toy story was on TV in English with Chinese subtitles so that made entertaining background noise. I was checking out the crane nests today and very deserted they were. I wondered whether they are a spring nesting bird and these nests the remains of last seasons??? Anyone know a bit of crane trivia to share? Im doubting now my crane spot yesterday as a moment of delirium between consciousness and dribble. Time to find the source of that aroma. Talk soon x  

Day 111 620 days to go. Distance: today 0km total 6749km. It’s 9.30pm Tuesday 20/3/2012 Xiaogan.We’ve entered crane country. There’s crane nests dotted across the bare trees and they are seriously big. They look allot like a stork’s nest which Ive seen previous in Europe. With all the trees bare they so stand out on the horizon and so we were crane nest spotting from the bus today. Loved it what industrious clever engineers they are. I even spotted one gliding above the treetops a distance away but it was unmistakable with a huge wing span and legs dangling. Hopefully Ill see many more over the next days and will get a picture to share. I met a buddy today, Luo Giang Long. We were literally pulling into Wuhan and he said ‘hello where are you from?’ It had been a 3 hour bus trip and my first thought was what a shame we could have been chatting. But then again I was semi conscious drifting in and out of a beautiful sleep between gazing at the crane nests and dribbling down my scarf. He helped me get Rube off the bus and collect my baggage then invited me to lunch as he knew a place with great food. Dining with a local at a local I’m there!!!

We made up for any time lost on the bus and ate our way through the next five hours. I hope I can remember all the very cool stuff we spoke about. He took me to an eatery his shout. There’s all these vendors selling local tastes so you go about selecting what you want and pay for it at the end using like a charge card they give on entry. We were outside main meal times so had no problem getting a spot but at Breaky, lunch and dinner its packed. He and his wife are regulars and check out a flick across the road afterwards when in Wuhan. They otherwise live another day’s bus ride away but I can’t remember the name.

Luo Giang Long is 37 years old and been in the Navy for 20 years. He’s a lieutenant in charge of 30 others and I think is an aircraft mechanic. However currently he’s studying IT at university care of the Navy. It’s a four year course and him and his wife are very excited as its given them the chance to have a child. She is due in 2 months and he hopes for a girl. The firecrackers and fireworks is an ongoing tradition in China to scare off any dragons. Despite being an icon of strength the dragon may eat you and the fireworks keeps folk safe if any hungry dragons are lurking for flame grilled Chinese chow mein. Boys and girls can join a defence force at 17. Only the poor join as it opens up education and career options they don’t otherwise have. However while serving they cant leave the country. Luo Giang Long would like to travel but has no opportunity whilst serving. He had to sit and be in the top 10% of an entrance exam to university however he wants his child to have more opportunities in life and that was his motivation. His said that this is the main motivation for Chinese in general to create a better life for thier child. They don’t wear or use any firearms as you only bare arms if at war. He’s shot only 4 times in his 20 years service. The purpose of the army is for protection only, a standing philosphy introduced by the woman emperor Wu Zetian (625-705). A strength in numbers approach to defence is why China is over populated. An emporer along the way wanted lots of people to enlist if China was attacked so encouraged folk to populate. Hence the one child policy to try reduce population growth. Wuhan alone has 20million people and the mass and urban sprawl of this city is to be seen to be appreciated. But most people live in rural China and are very poor. Education is very valued given the opportunity. A child going to a rural school can sit an entrance exam to quality for university paid by the government but must only the top 2% are given this chance. Children start pre-school at four. Once at middle school hours are from 6.30am to 9.30pm 7 days. Children are given 3 meals and study very hard for the opportunity to be educated and have a better life. He hasnt spoken English since school but did a great job and got better during our time spent. He’s clearly a smart lad. He said I should come back to China to teach English as there are not enough English teachers.

Chinese life is very much about food and they spend 30% of their time eating and/or preparing food. He said he grew up very poor and was often hungry and wants so much more for his child. His granfather was in the army and three of his boys joined the arm except his father who became a farmer. It was aonly 20 years ago that marriages were mostly arranged and most folk shared a roof with their extended family. There’s so much more we spoke about. He described Chinese generosity as a tradition rather than politness and explained that if folk dont help it will usually be because they dont understand what you need. Apparently some rich Chinese may be more about making more money then giving but that most people are naturally warm and generous. I reasuured him that this has certainly been my experience todate and that if he and his family ever do travel to Australia I hope they receive the same kindness. Im sure Ill remember more stuff over the next days so Ill pop this into the posts as I go.

This morning I arranged a taxi ride for me and Rube to the Jingzhou Bus station. Im sooo glad I did it this way. Even by taxi I couldnt see how we were going to get across the bridge into town as only the expressway lead onto the bridge. This was the problem yesterday so all sorted. Plus the taxi man did all the logistics for me at the bust station and helped me onto the bus with Rube. She got the whole back seat section on the bus so we didnt mind that in the least. It was about 5.00pm and Luo Qiang Long suggested I get a train or bus to the next town to avoid finding my way out of Wuhan. Great suggestion as it turned out. It took an hour for the bus to get out of the city and navigating that myself would have been a days event. We tried at the train station first but Rube would arrive 3 days after me – LIKE HELL!!!!! ‘We stick together!!!!!!!!!!!!!!’ Off to the bus station and was pulling out of Wuhan on the 6.30pm bus arriving Xiaogan an hour later. We found a hotel easy enough around the bus stop and popped out straight away to send the spot message. This attracted a group of men also staying at the hotel. What is it with men and maps. I just watched and laughed on the inside as they pawed the map reading out the names along the route to Beijing with such genuine interest and enthusiasm for our travel. It remains a pleasure and honour to he here. Just quietly I do hope foreigners travelling in Australia experience the same level of generosity we have over the last months. If you do come across foreign travellers in your day to day be sure to at least say hello and offer your assistance. You dont have to have them round for dinner but unconditional help goes a long long way when youre a long long way from home. Talk soon x