China, a promising, mysterious country! Again and again we were told that this part of Asia is difficult to travel for independent tourists who don't know China. We wanted to try it anyway. Many cycle tourists have already cycled through China, but surely not all of them could speak Chinese.
From the border post of "Irkeshtam", a 6-kilometre corridor has to be covered to the Chinese border control. There are no buses or taxis between the border posts, so "backpackers" have to cover the distance to the passport and luggage check on foot! Now came our first disillusionment. In a military, unwelcoming manner we were ordered to carry our luggage into the hall with a "hurry". The less we understood what to do and where, the harsher the tone became. Everything is checked, X-rayed and taken apart. The road maps are unfolded, and the laptop is switched on and searched for forbidden files. Then they wanted to confiscate our GPS, which is banned in China. After long discussions about how important this device is, a higher-ranking officer let it through "unseen". Our luck – the hierarchy!
Everything inspected and checked: "hurry, hurry", pack up and find a lorry that has to take us the next 70 kilometres through the Chinese restricted zone. The officials didn't like the first lorry we chose (we don't know why). We were sent back onto the grounds again to find an "acceptable" vehicle, while the customs officers ran around shouting "hurry, hurry" and saluting each other.
Relieved to have left the customs building, we find ourselves in the cab of a Chinese articulated lorry. Our bikes and luggage were hastily loaded into the hold and the doors sealed. Incomprehensible to us, because the lorry wasn't carrying any other goods. We are forbidden, under threat of punishment, to stop or leave the vehicle in the corridor. Any offence would also have meant losing our equipment.
The practice of carrying bicycles and tourists through the restricted zone by lorry has only recently been provisionally tolerated. This "privilege" can be revoked at any time by the border commander-in-chief. Afterwards happy about the new rule, we let ourselves be shaken about for 70 kilometres on a disastrous terrain that calls itself a road. By bike this would surely have been a 2-day ordeal. 5 hours later we were let out of the lorry at another customs building to complete the entry formalities. Here everything goes smoothly and in a friendly way... can we revise our picture of the Chinese?
In "Ulugqat" we looked for a hotel room. "Deposit" was always the first request, and the second "passport". The room was a side issue. Without paying the room price and a sufficient "security deposit" in Chinese currency, nothing happens. So we couldn't avoid looking for a "24-hour self-service bank" that accepts European credit cards. After this unexpectedly exhausting day, we could finally go to sleep at 23:00.
The next morning: rain showers! Large puddles have already formed on the roads. Missing or broken "manhole covers" stay invisible and are a deadly danger for us. As a solution for getting to Kashgar unharmed, there's another lift on a lorry.
Impressions we would never have expected: "other countries, other customs"
This hotel too was highly recommended in the travel guide: friendly, English-speaking, excellent breakfast and internet access. None of it is true! Now things get difficult for us again. We don't speak Chinese, can't interpret the characters, and the picture dictionary meets with little understanding. We are disappointed, and our mood is correspondingly low. Now only a delicious meal in the hotel restaurant will help! Luckily for us, the menu is illustrated with photos and has English captions. We order the Chinese-European way we know so well, and were looking forward to chicken with side dishes. In better-class restaurants, partitions create private feeding corners. While we wait for our food, we're not spared the smacking, slurping and other unmistakable noises from next door. Now! Our Chinese food is placed in front of us by someone wearing white gloves. A shock! Nothing but bones with fat, chilli, a chicken foot with claws and, in between, a boiled chicken head. Where's the breast? What happened to it? Exported to Europe? We stick to the noodles and wash down our unease with hot water and green tea (served in glasses). The simple explanation of the service manager: "This is cat Chinese style", confusing cat with chicken in English. We flee into the street to explore the surroundings and the bazaar.
Disgusting! On the pavement, in the shops, on the bus, basically everywhere: when their throat itches, men and women spit on the ground without the slightest embarrassment. People push in ruthlessly to be served as fast as possible. To save time, are tourists ignored on principle, or simply overlooked? Enough of our first impressions in the west: we want to travel on to the south-east as quickly as possible.
The experience! A bus and train ride in China!
Cycling round the south of the Taklamakan desert was too risky and too monotonous for us. A first stage from Kashgar to Urumqi seemed the ideal solution. 1,400 kilometres in 16 hours, lying flat on a bunk with a sheet, a duvet and a pillow? The most comfortable way to travel in China? The first hours lying down still felt relaxing, until a toilet stop became urgent. Beads of sweat have already formed on our foreheads. The desperately longed-for stop took its time. A petrol station in sight? Salvation?
As usual, the pushing and shoving starts on the bus. Everyone wants to get off at the same time so they can be the "fastest" to relieve themselves. Annoying! Closing time! The toilets are locked, and the passengers head for the bushes. Not so bad? If only countless coaches hadn't already been there "first"! Watch where you step: the bushes aren't lit, and the white strips of paper show the way! The 10-minute toilet stop is over – people push their way back to their usual bunks. Several service areas have already "whizzed" past us, and our rumbling stomachs have been waiting for a hot meal for hours. 20:00, food time! And again, as usual, everyone pushes to the tables – each wants to be first to get the chopsticks and the stew. 30 minutes of slurping and smacking, time's pressing, all aboard again. It goes without saying: we were the last to get our food. Then another stop to refuel and to "hide" once more behind the walls of the petrol station. Back on the bus, the Chinese lie in their bunks, relieved, contented and snoring. 4 in the morning! Everybody up, hot noodles with bits in them! Half dazed, we sit at the table with no appetite at all at this hour for noodles with bones in them! Only at 09:00 do our stomachs start rumbling again. No luck: there's no breakfast stop. Only now did we realise why dinner was served only after sunset, and the noodle-and-bone breakfast before dawn. Ramadan! Apart from two Swiss, all the passengers on board were Muslim.
This isn't how we had imagined China, this isn't how we wanted to get to know this country.
We didn't want to cycle along the southern edge of the Gobi desert. What to do? Only a train ride could be more comfortable, faster and more traveller-friendly. 1,900 kilometres from Urumqi to Lanzhou in a "soft sleeper" (berth). A toilet just round the corner and hot meals served every hour from the rolling buffet trolley? Good idea? Quick, buy the tickets!
Disillusionment wasn't long in coming. The "soft sleepers" on the express train (21 hours) and the slow train (28 hours) had already been fully booked for 10 days. The explanation at the counter: "bulk buying" for the black market. For us that meant waiting for who knows how long, or making do with a seat or standing room. The last "slow train seats" could only be had by queuing for hours and with the help of an English-speaking Chinese man.
Patiently queuing for 1 hour at counter number "1": nobody here speaks English. Another hour at counter "2": they don't sell tickets to Lanzhou here. Sent on to counter "6", we spent another hour looking at the glowing red information board. With the help of a Chinese man who had "studied in Europe", we got the 2 tickets to Lanzhou. Spending 28 hours on a Chinese train packed to bursting is an experience that leaves room for unlimited imagination. We were able to collect our bikes undamaged at the cargo counter in Lanzhou. A plus point for the Chinese!
We still had a little time for sightseeing:
By cable car over the "Huang He" (Yellow River) to visit the "White Pagoda Temple", an original building from the Yuan dynasty (1206-1368). Unfortunately the temple was closed for renovation, and the extreme air pollution blocked the promised sensational view over the city. The "White Cloud Temple" from the Qing dynasty (1644-1911), right on the Yellow River, shows several Buddhas in the old Chinese tradition. This visit was worth it.
Our route through China hadn't been finally decided at the start of the journey. A decision had to be made now: escape from the smog into the mountains, up to heights of 4,300 metres, or get to the Laos border as quickly as possible on the G213? We decided on the mountains, away from the main roads.
Just 30 kilometres outside Lanzhou, China already showed a completely different face. Farming, lush vegetation, pepper bushes and deep green grassland. The ferry across the Liujiaxia Reservoir was a well-earned change for us!
A consultation at the public hospital in Linxia? No, that wasn't planned. Alexandre has injured his eye from road dust. Find a doctor? Where? How? Hospital? Ask a taxi? Now you feel completely helpless. The picture dictionary only helps so far. Drawing paper, pens and hand signs finally get us the address of the hospital.
The only English-speaking doctor acted as interpreter and made quick treatment possible, past a queue of other patients. Under the eye microscope, the foreign body was removed from the anaesthetised eye with a syringe needle. With a bag full of medicines and instructions on how to use them, we leave the "eye clinic". Searching the "world wide web" explained how to use the medicines, whose package leaflets were written in Chinese.
24 August - 21 September 2012
Route: the main road G213 from Linxia to Nuo'ergai, then on the minor road S208 to just after Sanjiazhai. A good decision. Now we are on a unique expanse of green that stretches for well over 300 kilometres. On this high plateau we enjoy 3 days without "rush hour" or heavy traffic. We noticed that the police and military presence had increased dramatically in the last day, which suggests a political background. Shortly before Chengdu we are stopped at a checkpoint by the police and forbidden to continue to Maerkang. The reason: with an "F visa" (business visa), access to this section is not permitted. An incomprehensible statement that we have to accept. So we have no other choice than to follow the instruction and take a detour of more than 200 kilometres. We hadn't reckoned with that, and only after a long search, shortly before dark, do we find a suitable place to camp.
The "artery" G213 to Chengdu, a main road of the older generation, became pure horror for us. 2,400 metres of descent without a hard shoulder, a poor road surface, unlit tunnels and only a few exits. There was no alternative route. We became an unwelcome obstacle! To be on the safe side, we get a lorry to take us as far as Yingxiu. The driver recognised our "emergency", and this transport of only 35 kilometres was correspondingly expensive. Heavy rain and storms have caused serious landslides and road damage. We wait for the weather to improve and visit the disaster memorial in Yingxiu.
On 12 May 2008 at 14:28, an earthquake measuring 8.0 on the Richter scale struck Sichuan. 46 million people were affected by this disaster: 69,000 dead, 18,000 missing, 360,000 injured and 10 million homeless! In memory of this national tragedy, the completely destroyed school building, including its furnishings, has been left as it was after the disaster. The force was so massive that its traces can still be seen today.
One of these legacies is the road from Yingxiu to Wolong. Does it really have to be this route for us? Yes! After an exhausting 5 kilometres we give up. Because of the heavy rain of the last few days and the earthquake damage that still hasn't been repaired, this road can't be ridden by us. We can't reach the next place to sleep today. Help is at hand! A small lorry is to take us until acceptable road conditions can be seen again. A short trip turned into a 200-kilometre mud track all the way to Xiaojin.
On towards Danba and Bamei, an exhausting "up and down" awaited us. On the way we keep coming across small villages with a "noodle stop", as we call the eateries with 4 to 8 tables. Many Chinese are master chefs and fulfil almost every food wish we have. We head straight for the kitchen, point to the side dishes we want with rice or noodles, wait 10 minutes, freshly made – a feast for us. Usually we order 3 portions and have the rest packed up for our evening feast outdoors. From 16:00 we start looking out for "the dream campsite". It should be quiet and not too far from the road, flat, safe from flooding, and yet very close to a stream or river. If the water is also clean and clear, we don't need to do the time-consuming pumping with the "Katadyn purification filter". Here in China our camping requirements are mostly met. The only annoying thing in the mountains: it often rains and storms, the ground is soaked, and the tent pegs don't hold well. At altitudes between 3,000 and 4,000 metres, temperatures fall below freezing at night, which shows in the morning as a crust of ice on the tent.
After Bamei we reach Tagong. A small Tibetan town that stands out for the golden roof of its Buddhist temple. We quickly take our photos in the dry, the weather gets worse "by the minute", and heavy rain showers set in. It rains all night, so in the morning we have to pack our soaking wet tent, adding a few more kilos to our equipment.
Another pass (4,412 m) lies ahead of us! Because of the heavy rain, muddy puddles have formed on the road. Vehicles race past us without slowing down. The Chinese don't understand why we get annoyed at the "brown shower", and speed up towards the next puddle. In horrible temperatures and with a climb of almost 1,000 metres, we reach the top of the pass. Apart from some potholes and missing asphalt, this road was in acceptable condition. On the descent the situation changed drastically. We covered the first kilometres on a bumpy dirt road, until........
....... when the Chinese build something, they "go all out". The gigantic construction sites for road renovations and tunnel building on the G318 from Xinduqiao to Litang created perfect traffic chaos. The many construction vehicles and lorries completely destroyed the surface, leaving ankle-deep mud tracks. Covered in dirt from head to toe, we reached the town of Chengxian. No, not straight to dinner! First our bikes, panniers and clothes had to be cleaned with a pressure washer. Skipping this procedure would have fatal consequences. As it dries, the road mud becomes as hard as concrete and can only be removed with a lot of effort and patience.
Carrying on under these conditions is impossible for heavily loaded touring bikes. We find out about the state of the road and are happy to skip another adventure. A minibus is to take us to Litang. Finding one wasn't easy, because the taxi drivers knew what they would be letting themselves in for and refused the trip. Once again we were lucky! A driver with a four-wheel-drive vehicle made us a reasonable offer of only 900 yuan (CHF 130.00). The bikes strapped onto the back seats – off we go. We let the local, who knows the route, surprise us. Our suspicions were confirmed: the following 145 kilometres were "extreme" beyond your wildest imagination. A mud track that should normally be declared impassable. Mud like chocolate sauce in a mixer, and again and again jams at narrow points because of broken-down and stuck vehicles. After 10 hours, including 3 hours of waiting, we reach Litang at 20:00 without a breakdown.
The unusual conditions took their toll! The wear on our bikes couldn't be missed. An urgent service, changing the chains and brake pads, was unavoidable. Because of the constant high humidity, the tent and our clothes had to be washed and dried. We needed a rest to "regenerate" our battered backsides. No! Not because of our bike saddles: it was the sagging back seat of the car during the long drive that got to us.
22 September - 13 October 2012
We set off from Litang in the best weather. A blessing for our backsides: asphalt at last. Starting at an altitude of 4,000 metres, after just a few kilometres comes the first climb, to 4,300 metres. With a fast descent we "wipe out" 800 metres in no time. What follows an easy descent? Yes, of course: an exhausting climb. The next 2 days are a constant up to 4,600 and down to 3,600 and back up to 4,700 and so on. With 3 days and 4,000 metres of climbing in our legs, we reach Xiangcheng, a small town with "only" 514,000 inhabitants in the middle of the mountains. A 4-star hotel with fine beds, including a breakfast buffet, at an affordable 45 francs a day awaits us. Here, as usual, we wash, eat and buy supplies.
Knowing that a hard piece of "work" lies ahead of us, we set off on the S213 to Shangri-La (see the roadbook in the biker info below). 75 kilometres of dirt road, peppered with fist-sized stones lying higgledy-piggledy, await us. On these dry, untouched steep slopes, finding a suitable place to camp is extremely difficult. Without knowing when or where our next place to sleep will be, we cycle towards the top of the pass with a 10-litre water bag filled to bursting. After 3 days and another 5,000 metres of climbing, we reach Shangri-La, "visibly exhausted". Sadly, nothing came of our planned rest day. The Chinese have 7 days of holiday all over the country and are celebrating the "Moon Festival". Hotel prices have risen three- to fourfold. Every bed has been booked for weeks! A cancelled booking at a "hostel" gave us one night in Shangri-La. And once again a packed day's programme: 09:00, visit to the monastery, then on to Tiger Leaping Gorge.....
...... a narrow valley, more than 100 metres deep, through which the Yangtze River forces its way. Riding through on the "lower" path brought an unexpected surprise. Closed to all vehicles! A few days earlier there had been a rockfall that carried away 30 metres of road. What's left is a makeshift footpath barely half a metre wide. One false step would mean a fatal 250-metre fall into the gorge. It took an hour to carry the luggage and bikes along the unsecured path through the landslide. On the safe side, a huge excavator bucket offered to carry our gear over the rubble. A look back at the obstacle, a thank you to the construction crew, and the ride could continue.
The next highlight wasn't long in coming. After the first hurdle comes crossing to the other bank of the river. Did nobody really know, or did they think our plan was a joke? There is no bridge and no road to reach the bank of the Yangtze River 100 metres away on the other side. The only way to cross was the "old ferry", which only carries pedestrians. For backpackers who have booked a guided day trip, an adventure; for us, a feat of strength. The hidden, neglected ferry landing could only be found with the help of a local. First a bone-shaking track led to the steep bank of the riverbed, and ended as a "goat path" at a sandbank that served as the landing. A Chinese tour group was also on board, and surely wondered how we would get our luggage up the wall on the other bank.
Can anyone help us? The tour leader soon realised that we couldn't be left behind on the bank. Anyone with a hand, or even two, free grabbed a piece of luggage and helped carry our gear up to the road 200 metres higher up. We thanked them for their spontaneous help with one of our business cards. The tour group sits bathed in sweat in their pre-booked coach, and we on our bikes.
Not enough climbing yet? No! From the Yangtze River to the top of the pass there are still 1,200 metres to climb. Having reached the "top", now roll easily down through the national park into the valley to Lijiang and into the hotel for a shower. For the private road through the park, a flat "all-inclusive" fee was charged. So we stood at a barrier and weren't prepared to pay the astronomical sum for services we didn't need. A detour of another 100 kilometres: that was the suggestion of the "business-minded" gatekeeper. Here we go again – it starts to rain! Now "wipe out" 1,000 metres straight away, only to climb back up to the same height on the other side of the valley over several hours.
Nine days of riding! We're looking forward to it! In Lijiang we want to treat ourselves to a rest day. Wrong again! The Chinese celebrations weren't over yet. Lijiang was as crowded as a clearance sale. Every place to stay within 10 kilometres was booked up to the last bed. The streets were packed to bursting, and we were in the middle of it, visibly stressed, pushing our bikes because we couldn't get through either.
Our search for a place to sleep in the woods ends in a bog. The wheels and brakes are blocked with mud, and our bikes are useless. Now what? Spend the night on the road? We call the police to help us out of this "mud-dle". An emergency like this, plus communication problems: we'd never had that before. Mustn't give up now! With flashing lights, we are escorted to the police compound. Cadets and a metre of water hose help free our bikes from the already dried-on dirt. Our search for accommodation at the surrounding guesthouses was unsuccessful at first. In China, everything impossible is possible! Escorted by the police car, with everything that turns and flashes, we were dropped off at the nearest hotel (which had turned us away 4 hours earlier). A short "word of authority" between the highest-ranking officer and the hotel owner brings the solution: a bucket of water for washing in the car park, an "open-air toilet" in the garden behind the house, and a roof over our heads. The place we were given to sleep: a garage under construction with a roller shutter. Better than nothing. A piece of cardboard separates our air mattress from the unswept concrete floor. We share the garage with two cackling hens and the corresponding smell. Windows not yet fitted make it a feast for the mosquitoes and a plague for us. Sucked dry, smelly, without breakfast and short of sleep, we were already on our way to Dali by 07:00. After 11 days of non-stop riding, we treat ourselves to a long rest here.
Enough of the uphills and downhills! Ahead of us lies an unspectacular stretch of 740 kilometres. We decide to take the coach to Jinghong. As it turned out afterwards, one of our best decisions. Chaotically coordinated road building had created long mud tracks. What the lawnmower is to the American, the excavator is to the Chinese. The 14-hour bus ride, from morning until midnight, wore us out. Arriving in a strange city in the dark makes finding accommodation harder. In situations like this, taxi drivers are the best pilots. They know where there are free rooms and a commission to pocket.
Jinghong, which looks like a "grain of sand" on the map of China, turns out to be a city almost the size of Zurich. Here we plan the rest of our journey through Asia. The way to the Laos border takes us through huge rubber and banana plantations. The climate has changed from cold high mountains to "tropical, humid and hot", and the vegetation from conifers to jungle. At this latitude it's nothing unusual to be surprised by short downpours 1-2 times a day.
We have now been cycling in China for 11 weeks. Apart from a few inconveniences caused by nature and politics, we leave this country with the best memories. We would like to recommend the stretch from Yongjing through eastern Tibet to Dali.
The city of Kashgar on the western border, and the big cities of Urumqi and Lanzhou, because of the extreme air pollution, didn't live up to our expectations. The cultural differences, the language and the characters weren't easy. But it was exciting and many-sided, and there was plenty of variety.
Facts and additions to the text:
Beijing, Lanzhou and Urumqi have the highest levels of smog and dust. Only one big city in China manages not to exceed the limits. The largest city in China is not Beijing, with 18 million, but Chongqing, with 31 million inhabitants. In 2010 China's total population was 1.4 billion people (world population = 7 billion).
Fares
Kashgar - Urumqi night bus: 570 yuan/soft sleeper, bikes in the luggage hold 350 yuan = total 920 yuan = about CHF 150.00 / 2 people
Urumqi - Lanzhou night train: seat 430 yuan; bikes and 40 kg of luggage (special handling) 460 yuan = total 890 yuan = about CHF 150.00 / 2 people
Kashgar
We chose it because this city is the starting point for Tibet. Tibet is still closed to independent tourists. The alternative is to continue to Osh (Kyrgyzstan).
Pilgrimages
are an important part of the faith of Tibetan Buddhists. The exact reasons for such a journey can be hope, happiness, healing, a better rebirth, or keeping a promise. There are still pilgrims who cover thousands of kilometres on foot, and even by prostrating themselves. A pilgrim first stretches his hands into the air, then touches his forehead, throat and heart, and finally throws himself onto the ground. Then he stands up again and takes 2 steps forward before starting all over again. This procedure is repeated up to 300 times a day. All pilgrimage sites have so-called pilgrims' paths, with prayer wheels and mani stones along them. At such places a Tibetan ties khata scarves around statues, makes small offerings or lights yak butter in special lamps.
Roadbook Xiangcheng - Shangri-La
From Xiangcheng, 2,900 m above sea level, constantly up and down to 2,670 m, to a small village (last chance to buy anything); the dirt road starts at km 35. About 2 km after that, the last water. 1 hairpin bend at km 44, 3,460 m above sea level; emergency camping possible, no water. From marker stone 896 - 896.5, good camping.
Km |
Marker |
Altitude |
Note/event |
0 |
2900 |
Start Xiangcheng, up - down to 2670 | |
35 |
3100 |
Small village, dirt road begins, last water | |
44 |
3460 |
1st hairpin, emergency camping possible, no water | |
896 |
Good camping 500 metres from the marker | ||
50 |
3770 |
Forest clearing on the right, 100 m rise, camping with a grand panoramic view of the mountains, no water | |
53.7 |
Water and food at a house before the viewing platform | ||
56.5 |
3700 |
Stream water | |
58.3 |
904 |
3780 |
Stream water at a small stone house |
60.2 |
3840 |
Water at a bridge | |
61 |
Last water before the pass | ||
68 |
4180 |
Emergency camping possible, no water | |
70 |
915 |
4140 |
Water at a house, camping possible |
73.9 |
4070 |
Climb begins | |
75 |
921 |
4115 |
Emergency camping, descent |
76.3 |
4080 |
Stream water | |
78 |
4140 |
Stream water | |
83 |
4140 |
Stream water, very good camping 5 km before the pass | |
87.5 |
4327 |
Top of the pass | |
90.5 |
4200 |
First water | |
4327 |
Descent, 2 hours, exhausting | ||
107 |
3440 |
Start of road X-219 | |
108.6 |
3400 |
Asphalt begins, after 73 km of dirt road | |
97 |
Last water at a bridge | ||
131.5 |
91 |
3540 |
No water, good camping, Tibetan sacred site |
134 |
88 |
3550 |
Camping by a quarry, water at marker 88/86 |
138 |
84 |
3700 |
Clean stream water |
143 |
80 |
3921 |
Camping possible, no water |
167 |
56 |
2870 |
Gentle climb begins, exhausting up and down |
173 |
50 |
2960 |
Good camping, river water |
191 |
32 |
3200 |
Idyllic camping, small wooden huts, great! Stream water |
197 |
3480 |
1st rise, water + camping, short descent | |
199 |
25 |
3450 |
Start of 2nd climb to the pass |
202 |
22.5 |
3570 |
Top of the pass, descent |
208 |
3370 |
Idyllic camping, water, small wooden houses | |
220 |
3310 |
Start of the ugly industrial zone of Shangri-La |
Biker info for the route
- |
Active (37 days of riding) |
2,512 |
kilometres |
- |
Total climbing |
37,080 |
m |
- |
Average speed |
14 |
km/h |
- |
Riding time in motion |
185:30 |
hrs |
