South American Backpacking

HOT:Yunnan Bicycle Travel Fact Sheet

Dec 2003-June 2004: Thailand-Laos-Yunnan, China-Sichuan, China-Xinjiang-Yunan-Hanoi, Vietnam
May 2003, I finished my one year journey in South America and went back to Taipei. I got a job the day I arrived home. During that time, I was working, learning rock climbing, playing Taichi, Yoga and organic farming. Soon I found out that I have to go on traveling again. I heard sounds calling me from far away.
I've met some world cyclists while I was in South America. They impressed me a lot. Especially one Brazil girl. I met her in Tarija, Bolivia. I was having my lunch in the local market. She sat next to me, and introduced her herself to me smily. She showed me newspapaer on her great cycling journey. She cycles and makes handicrafts or dances Brazilian dance in the bar to earn money for traveling while traveling. She had an ambition to cycle all the way to central america then Africa. I was amazed by this 20-years-old young girl. What she did inspired me a lot, she taught me that nothing I couldnt do. There is nothing can limit you, only you yourself can limit youself. I was thinking of a cycling tour, since I dont want to be a backpacker by bus("sit warmer") again. November 2003, I finally finished my job, earned enough fund and I was pretty sure that I had to go on a cycling tour. So I borrowed a mountain bike from my friend, cycled anywhere in Taipei by bike. One day, the bike was stolen in front of a bookshop while I was buying a Chrismas present for my friend abroad. I got very angry, bought a new bike and one way ticket to Bangkok, my first cycling trip begun.
Two months later, a kiwi friend "Olly" saw my looking-for-cycling-partners posts on the websites, so we met up in Bangkok then cycled together for another 4 months thru Laos, China and ended in Hanoi, Vietnam, the "One Less 4WD" Asia cycle tour. I flew back to Taipei from Hanoi, taking a rest and prepare next cycling trip in New Zealand with my new "recumbent"--sexy "Blacky"!

Dec 2003-Feb 2004: Thailand
In the beginning of my trip, I visited Brian in Koh Samui whom I met in Peru one year ago. I also took a open-water diving class there.
My mom came up to visit me before Chinese New Year. I took her to northern Thailand. Spent most time around "Mae Hong Son".
Finally started cycling in southern Thailand. One Thai man sex harassed me the fifth day. I got very angry. Then I went to Railay Island near Krabi in the west coast, stayed with my Taiwanese friends and rock climbed for 2 weeks. Then I cycled back to Bangkok to apply for my Chinese visa and Laos visa before my Thai visa expired. At the same time, a Kiwi friend "Olly" who knew me from internet arrived Bangkok, so we took train to the Thai-Laos boader "Nong Khai".

Feb-Mar 2004: Laos
We cycled from "Nong Khai" to the capital of Laos, Vientiane. A very peaceful, tiny "Asian" capital. From there we headed up north into Yunnan China, via touristic Loas city, "Vang Vien" and "Luang Prabang". Laos is a perfect country to cycle. Because the traffic is very thin, the people are super friendly, and most tourists are only in "Vang Vien" and "Luang Prabang". Laos is mountainous. Everyday I had to climb mountains, the scenery is amazing. Most Laos who live along the road are hill tribe people, they looked very poor, but very friendly to strangers, they always shouted "sabadee" (Hello in Laos) to me, or gave me five. School children still ride bicycle to schools, the girls wears beautiful long skirts.

Mar-Apr 2004:Yunnan, China
From Boten, Laos, we entered Yunnan province in south-west China. In China, they have much more orginized farming. However people here looked unhappy, seemed that they work so hard that they dont have time to be happy, and they are not so curious about us. The happy greeting disappeared once we arrived in China. I had a hard time cycling in south-west Yunnan, there are also a lot of moutains to climb, very steep, and the roads are very pumpy, either marble road or unseal road. I fell twice while downhilling, one time broke my left arms, one time broke my helmet. Also a lot of road constrution here too, so many roads are under consruction, dusty everywhere.
After appraoching Dali, an old town in Yunnan,the roads became better,not so steep anymore!!But it became very cold. It was snowing days before in "Zhong Dian", northwest of Yunnan. We only visited a Tibtan monastry there. And then rode south along "Tiger Leaping Gorge" to Daju, then passed "Jade Dragon Snow Mountain" to Lijiang. The gorge is amazing, though there are countless Chinese tourists in this ereas, but they are usually in tourist groups, only go to certain tourist spots, so actually most part of the gorge is very quite. It's an un forgettable ride, Daju is a peaceful small town, with beautiful snow mountrain around, though from there to Lijiang I had to climb a 3500 pass on pumpy marble road, it was very chilly, and hard to breath but the snow mountain scenery make worth every bit of effort. Lijiang is a very well preserved old town. Maybe the most beatiful, biggest old town I have ever visited in my life. The marble streets spreads out in the old town, all the houses are old and beautiful, days and nights. Of course it became very touristic after 1996, the Chinese government decided to develop here to be the national toristic erea. Chinese tourists flood into here, shops and guesthouses are everywhere. Though, I still love here.

Mar-Apr 2004:Sichuan, China
After Lijiang, we headed north-east to Sichuan province via "Lugu Lake". It is the native place of "The Females' Kingdom" composed of the Mosuo people. It was the toughest ride in this trip, since the altitude was high, the weather was bad, cold and snowy, I was also had severe diarrhoea here. I have been rescued by Yi people and Mosuo people on the snowy high mountains. I was crying several times while I felt I've run out all of my energy.
The road from Nanchang to Chengdu, capital of Sichuan was quite reasonable. Though, for some reason or another, one part of it was not allowed foreigners to go in. Of course police came to us, and followed us out of this restricted erea. In Chengdu, we visited my friend Larry, who has a small backpackers' place there. It's just like home, I could really relax there.

Apr-May 2004:Xinjiang, China
From Chengdu, we took 50-hours train to Turupan, Xinjiang, west of China. After leaving Sichuan, it's totally differant world. Everywhere is dry and dry and dry. We cycled from Turupan to Urumuqi. It's flat and braod desert streched out. "Tian Shan"(which means "sky mountain") was far in the east. We dont like Xinjiang very much, because this is a petro-province, the roads are designed for cars and trucks, very unfriendly to cyclists. Some part even not allowed cycling or some other human-power vehicles. We took train again to the westest of Xinjiang, Kashi. Hoping we could cycle to Pakistan via Karakoram Highway. Kashi is a Ushgar city but colonized by Chinese. Modern ugly Chinese style buildings are along the main street. But once you step into a small muddy lane, you'll find beautiful Ushgar-design houses, neighborhood, very middle-east Asia atmosphere, be careful, dont get lost! That's why people come here to see, to feel. But Chinese are still trying to build more new buildings. I hope Kashi is not going to become second Urumuqi, when the Bazaars here become "Carrefour", that would be a disaster.
We cycled south from Kashi on Karakoram Highway to Tashikurgan. In the beginning, it was oasis, some very traditional Ushgar villages along the way, they live in adobe, with two-leaves style doors, riding carts. Then we cycled into Gaizi Gorge. The stream is running rapidly, carrying a lot of mud. This was quite a long continual uphill(30K). Then it was an amazing broad valley. The stream suddenly became very calm. Dad and son were farming yaks by the river. A very peaceful picture. Fog was coming up from surface of the river. I was stunned. All the colorful, sweet memories in high plateau in beautiful Bolivia all came out from my mind. I was smiling, like riding in heaven. We passed famous "Karakul Lake", it's nice but unfortunately, Chinese government built an expensive hotel by the lake. 25K later, we started to climb our first pass(4000m). This morning, Olly threw away 3 nums(Ushgar breads) becasue he thought they were too old. But we couldnt find any food later, so we had to buy some food from the family who live next to the road. The breads they had were even older. We made hot water and gnawed the breads before climbing up the pass. It's not difficult to climb it, only one hour(6K). While I slowly riding up, the yaks and fences at the bottom became smaller and smaller, like a huge totem. The background was famous "Mushitage Glacier". Behind this pass was Tashikurgan Valley, quite a easy ride to the final city in China side, Tashikurgan. In KKH, we almost camped every night. It is a wonderful place to camp if the weather is good. The stars are filled with the sky at night, you could sleep very tight. Unluckily, because we didnt apply for Pakistan visa in advanced(Pakistan Embassy is in Beijin), so we couldnt cross China to Pakistan. (The rule changed after 911. Pakistan never issued landing visa at the boader any more. Currently, a mail from a friend told Olly that even Pakistan side was closed. Gilgit was under curfew now.) We were very disappointed, and quickly back to Kashi then flew to Kunming, Yunnan.
Traveling in China is lot of fun. Especially I speak manderin, so I could really immerse into it. China is huge and has so many differances, many goodness and badness. I felt that they are so eager to develop into what they call "the rich society" , so many wonderful things, traditions, something that only here has are going to be destroyed and disappeared. That makes me really worry.

May-Jun 2004:Yunnan, China-Honoi, Vietnam
We applied Vitnamese visa in Kunming(new consulate just opened in the middle of May). And headed south to Vietnam. This part of Yunnan was still mountainous, but not as steep as south-west Yunnan. I suffered severe vagina infection, went to doctor several time. It's not fun to go to Chinese hospital.
We crossed Heko-LaoKai boader into Vietnam. The traffic on the way to Hanoi was terrible. A lot of trucks and endless horn. People were not friendly too. They did say hello to us but asked for money then. Just the opposite of Laos. One guesthouse even wanted to charge our bikes when we checked out next morning. I arrived Hanoi, I flew back to Taipei right away. Olly flew back to Bangkok then back to Oz to finish his Phd thesis correction.

Olly has put some photos of our "One Less 4WD" Asia cycle tour on his websites. Welcome to visit it.
2003 South American Backpacking