Yunnan. A virgin's impressions.

2wheels

Community Manager
Joined
Apr 2, 2012
Location
Chiang Mai
Bikes
ROYAL ENFIELD CLASSIC
The Mission was to retrieve Phil's little Qing Qi bike from its storage place in the mystical and mythical Shangra La and return it to Kunming.
Easy.
It was an offer too good to miss.


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China Eastern have direct Chiang Mai to Kunming flights at a good price and I was on a seat on April 21st.
Late flight (I later heard that half the crew were late due to them shopping at Airport Plaza; gotta get those priorities right!),
dirty plane, no English instructions; not a good start.


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Ok, now in Kunming. 35 minutes and 65 Yuan from airport to inner city hotel.
The taxi driver was friendly and helped me pronounce 'Shangralila' (with an extra 'li' in it).
And I heard 'Yinan' rather than 'Yunnan'.
I needed to stay in the city so I could locate the 'Active China' office, where the bike was eventually to be returned.


I had pre-booked the Yun Hua Hotel at 118 Dong Feng East Road because it was close to the 'Active China' office and it took ages to book in.
Like many hotels here, they demanded a substantial deposit on top of the room fee, which would be refunded at check-out time.
'Oh, here we go; this is going to be a hassle'.
No English spoken at Reception and all communications was done via their computer translator.
There are no restaurants nearby either and I was starving.
A box containing tools and spares was supposed to have been left at reception but the unfriendly and unsmiling staff had no idea about that.


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This was not a good start but the weather was perfect and my tiny AM/FM set discovered the excellent local Radio NEWFM 102.8 station which
helped me make it through the night.


'Why do all the inmates here have to be so darn noisy and slam every door in their rooms throughout the night?
And why does my bed linen smell of cigarette smoke?'



22nd April

'And why do they all have to wake up so darn early and noisily and slam every door.
And why do the vehicles in the car-park have to beep heir horns until the vehicles are full?'


The complimentary breakfast had been devoured by the time I discovered the 'lounge' at 7-30 am.
However, I did discover a couple of rejected hard-boiled eggs lamenting in a bowl and they were my breakfast.


Back at Reception I noticed a box behind the desk with my name on it.
'Yes, that name is the same as the name in my Passport, so please give the box to me.'
That was a 20 minute process!


Ok, I had the address of 'Active China', so it would be easy to locate their office.
Another inmate of the Yun Hua took sympathy on me and kindly offered to drive me to the office; well, to where he thought it was.
An hour later we still hadn't located the office and I still had no idea where to return Phil's bike.


The office address clearly said '86', but that was a bank. So yet another young chap saw the anguish on my face and offered to help.
He was brilliant and patient and made some calls for me. We eventually found the office on the third floor of an office block.
It had to be #305 because it had a familiar looking sticker on the door. But the lane is #84, not #86.


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Anyway, I now knew where the bike was to be returned and logged the GPS co-ordinates.

'Active China'

N 25.04246
E 102.72698



Mr Jah was riding New Zealand, so his sister (Xuke) booked a flight to Shangrali La for me and fed me many cups of Chinese tea.

Now I had the rest of the day to walk around and 'get a feel' of China.

First thing was that about 95% of the bikes are electric. Wonderful idea ... but deadly because a new-comer simply doesn't hear them approaching from behind on the footpath. They sure do help save the environment though. I have read that 700,000 Chinese die from carbon monoxide poisoning every year.
That's the population of Phuket Province .... twice over .... every year. And no-one wears a helmet.


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I tried to get a SIM card but was asked to pay a 2000 Yuan deposit!!! No way.
(10 Yuan = 48 baht)



That restaurant looks nice and I'm a bit hungry now that the nourishment from the hard-boiled eggs has been walked off.
No English, so I'll just point and smile and hope for the best.'


I went back to the Hotel for a late afternoon nap before the loud hordes arrived and, again, Kunming Radio NEWFM 102.8 helped me make it through the night.



23rd April

Ok, time to get out of here, up to Shangrali La and commence the adventure.

Just the slight matter of checking out and getting my deposit back.
My due refund was a significant 204 Yuan. I knew they'd fight tooth and nail not to give my full refund and they did.
Twenty minutes later their computer told me, 'Hairdryer in room broken must pay 50 Yuan'.
'Good try Smiley but look at my bald head; I need a hair-dryer as much as I need a cod-piece.'
'You drink water 20 Yuan'.
'Yes, I drank water.'


This whole checking-out farce lasted 40 minutes and I had to get to the airport and they didn't want to part with my deposit.
I eventually literally snatched 184 Yuan from Smiley's hand and walked outside to freedom.
Good riddance Yun Hua Hotel. I recommend this place; recommend you avoid it!



A quick sprint to the airport and a 65 minute flight up to Shangrali La. (Saw a bike fatality in the city; 'no helmet, no tomorrow'.)


Bumpy arrival through a snow-capped valley of rugged and beautiful mountains.
'Ahhh, this is better. This is why I'm here.'


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"Shangri La; so named from its original Zhongdian for marketing reasons. The'Shangri La' from Hilton's novel 'The Lost Horizon'
was a fictional hidden paradise whose inhabitants lived for centuries. Hilton never went to China but located his Shangri La in the Kunlun mountains.
Tibetans claim that the name 'Shangra La' was derived from their word for 'paradise' "Shambala" by Hilton."


I had a room pre-booked, so knew the address. However, in the arrivals lounge from the corner of my eye I noticed a chap holding a piece of paper with some familiar scrawl on it.
'Yes, that's my upside-down name!'
A delightful Tibetan man was waiting for me; Mr Jiang Chu would take me to my hotel and help me check in. This was not planned but greatly appreciated.


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'Struth, it's cold. Hold on mate, I'll put on my jacket.'
In my haste I put the jacket on inside-out; we both laughed at the upside-down name and the inside-out jacket scenario.
A nice way to arrive in a new place. Happy, friendly, smiling.


The Hotel was wonderful Tibetan style and all timber; the Gao Yuan Hong, walking distance to the Old City and the good restaurants and on the road out from town.
Easy, friendly check-in.


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Gao Yuan Hong Hotel

N 27.81701
E 099. 70038


Then Mr Chu drove me to where Phil's bike was stored.

'Bloody hell, it's a mess. Does Phil know about this? Does he know it's done 7,560 kms'?

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So we changed the oil, lubricated the chain, filled the tank (9 litres), put air into the tyres and tightened the very loose steering-head nut.
I took it for a ride but the steering wasn't right. So they tightened that same nut even more.
'OK, I'll live (or die) with it and get it attended to in the next city. I just want to discover the sites of this wonderful looking place.'


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Mr Chu escorted me to a very good dumpling restaurant; one which would become a 'regular' for me during the next few days.

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Back to the Hotel and I was allowed to park the bike next to the Reception desk. Now to walk around a bit.
Easier said than done! Maybe it was the chill in the air or maybe I had re-damaged it somehow but my right knee (wrecked more than 4 decades ago in a football incident) made walking extremely difficult and painful.
'Don't be a wimp. Persevere. It'll warm up and you'll be ok eventually.'


I limped down to the Old City and marveled at its charm. This place could be renamed 'Yak City'.
I saw my first Westerner today! But this 'Old City' is rapidly expanding into a New Old City, with dozens of new retail opportunities being built and opened to cash in on the tourist trade.


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I called into a magnificent restaurant in the Old City and ordered a spicy dish which was actually sprinkled with saffron!
Only customer there, which usually worries me.


Potala Restaurant

N 27.82650
E 99.71723


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A bit cold for the staff, so they improvised a heater.

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Sated, I continued my hobble around the Old City.

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The lovely ladies at a Pharmacy sold me some analgesic spray, which actually eased the knee pain for the next few days.
But I had to 'wobble' before applying.

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Then I discovered the wonderful Yak Restaurant, which has Korean, Chinese and Western food.
And excellent Snow Beer.
'I'll just sit at a window table and self-medicate for a few hours.'


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I'm liking Shangrali La. Sort of a Central Oz character to it, but with snow. I was keen to ride out from town and explore.
But first a good rest in a friendly and quiet Hotel.





24th April

I decided to ride towards the snow and headed towards the 'East Peak' area.
Luckily, Phil had warned me about the cold, so I was well prepared.


What a wonderful place, so full of charm and character and contrasts, with a vibrant mix of ethnic groups and Tibetans.
'I could live here; it has everything.'


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A new Ski Resort has recently opened east of town on Shika Mountain!

A massive new school being opened soon; lucky students with those views.
(Tempting an old retired chalkie to come out from retirement!)


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The area from the town centre to the mountains is under rapid development.
Anyone with a Chinese partner would do well to get some land there; it's going to boom.
Many new homes being built, most of them using glass windows to capture the sun's rays.
The altitude here is 3,200 metres.

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Rode around town for a couple of hours 'taking it all in'.
The QQ wouldn't always start and it wouldn't always be possible to park it on a downhill gradient, so I had a new battery installed.

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Riding around outside of city I noted many people walking. Some said they were heading to Llasa!
Also many Chinese touring on bicycles. Oh, the Yak Bar also rents bicycles, which is a good way of getting around town.


I needed to check re funds and was pleased that China Bank ATMs accepted my Kasikorn card.

A bit more of the local scenery.

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A 3-wheeled taxi, freshly painted.

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I left a deposit on this salubrious plot of land.

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The very thriving and modern new Shangrali La.

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First Yak sighting.

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The Museum for things Tibetan.

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Back to the Yak Bar for more meditation, medication and good food. They have a wood burner heating the room and I need to self-medicate again. They also have WiFi.

During the meal I was thinking of what is needed to fully enjoy what I am attempting.

* a reliable, strong dual-purpose bike of up to 250cc (CRF would be perfect)
* self-sufficiency with Internet and phone access (I must upgrade!)
* an English to Chinese script dictionary
* an English language map
* sunnies and/or tinted helmet visor
* lip balm


I'll add to this later.

Two grilled mackerel, 2 Snow beers, vegetable pancake = 120 Yuan.

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It's not dark here until after 8pm, so plenty of time to explore.


25th April


Another good sleep.

Cleaned the bike and fitted the Air Hawk.

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Back to Wang Dumpling for Brunch. Strangely, their large plates cost 14 Yuan and their small plates 12 yet each contained the same
number of dumplings! I take note of such things!


'Wow, these sure aren't self-conscious people when it comes to volume when talking!
Why whisper when I can yell; even if it only across the table? And the smoking! Everywhere. Everyone.
And the spitting! Maybe I'll get used to it but it's a bit hard to swallow. Sorry.'


I rode around town and found a corner vantage point from which I could enjoy the vibrant street scenes.

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Back to the Old City area and into the wonderful Sakurakin Cafe for hot chocolate and home made (on the spot) apple pie!
Perfect. Natalie Cole singing her heart out and Bob Marley, Jimi Hendrix and Beatles posters adorn the walls.
Excellent place.


N 27.81799
E 99.70300


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Knee much better; I can almost walk!
But I'm here to ride, not walk.


A bit of a limp around the Old City, where I noted a couple of Guest Houses.

Back to my room to pack for tomorrow's ride towards Lijiang and another good sleep.

(continuing)
 
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You've certainly got the eye to notice everything in your enviroment Ron, this will be a masterpiece.

Never sent from an I-Phone
 
I've heard from friends about the spitting, good luck not stepping in any.
 
I've heard from friends about the spitting, good luck not stepping in any.
the worst experience... passing a bus and someone throws up out of the window, quite common in Red China as many people are not used to fast moving vehicles.....

TIC = This Is China!
 
to Lijiang.

26th April


'It's too darn cold to crawl out from under this warm bed into the freezing chill, so why not wait here a while until the sun has burnt some of the ice from the air?
Say, around 9-30am.'


I was on my way at 9-30 am, still freezing but protected with all the warm riding gear.
However, because of the air-chill and the steering issue I cruised at only 40-50kph.
Plenty of superb scenery to be scened though.


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Oops again.

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This is a nice ride and pretty well what I expected to see. Massive snow-capped mountains, fertile valleys and winding roads.
Not too much traffic either.
Well, until this .....


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Oops!

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No problems on a bike though, much to the chagrin of the drivers who must have waited here for hours.

There's major road construction in this area.

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Oh, because I figured there would be lots of walking and climbing involved, I gave Tiger Leaping Gorge a miss and made a note that it would be worth returning to at a later time.

I can still smell the strong scent of pine.

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The final kilometres into Lijiang were not fun. Too many trucks and too much dust.

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Arrived near the Old Town and found an adequate hotel, which had secure parking for the bike behind a lockable gate and easy access
to all I wanted to see.
60 Yuan per night, a hot/cold water bottle, a bath tub in which to luxuriate then wash my clothes.
This area is 'Dayan Town'.


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The old matriarch of the Hotel.

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And the power plugs thoughtfully located under the water taps.

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N 26.86842
E 100.22574


I arrived at 4-30, so that 'easy' ride lasted about 7 hours.

Hobbled to a corner restaurant and ordered Yak soup and took advantage of the view of the passing parade.
So noisy here, but very colourful.


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A restful sleep despite the car horns.



27th April


I managed the short walk from the hotel to Lijiang Old City and am glad I did.
It's a massive area and a whole day could be put aside to negotiate the many ally-ways.
It's also easy to get lost in there, so it's wise to use GPS to plot key land-marks.


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Easy access to Old City @

N 26.87494
E 100.22807


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A friendly old Naxi lady sat with me for a while. She had no English and I have no Naxi or Chinese but her daughter did and we spoke of many things.

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I enjoyed my time here and regret not being able to make more of it. Too many steps.

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So back to near the hotel and Dayan Town where I found a friendly couple in a corner store who put a wooden stool outside on the footpath for me whilst I devoured a cold Dali and an ice-cream.

A sensible idea.

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Stylish garbage container.

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Friendly shop @

N 26.86839
E 100.22527


Back into Dayan Town where my presence provided some entertainment and solicited quite a few friendly 'Hello's.

This place sold fresh fish and one had my name on it.

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School's out.

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This little chap said 'Hello, my name is Ean', then pointed out his grandfather who invited me to sit with them and share a pot of tea.

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Back to my friendly store for another Dali and new scenery.

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A trio of Malaysian riders were being hassled but cleared to continue on their loud bikes.

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The 'FU Two' was opposite.

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Another 'Oops'. Well, the rider had a helmet ... on his lap!

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(continuing; there's no 'Dali' on my map!)
 
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Agree, I look forward to read and see the rest of this masterpiece.....
 
A classic Ron. I have barely finished this part and I am already looking forward to the next installment.
 
Love the RA advertising ;)

There is an E in Alley ;) but your right, I would love it there

Is that sensible addition to the front fender a spittoon?

Will hats now have just "Ron" on them ?

And I guess that putting Oreo's on the roof in that climate is ok.

Wonderful Ron, hope the knee is recovering.

Ally
 
28th April April


Easy exit from Lijiang heading towards Da Li ('Dali' not showing on my map!) I got onto the 'Airport First Class Road', which was splendid.

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'Beautiful road, wonderful scenery, well-behaved traffic; I'll be in Da Li by lunch time.'


All was going well until I was stopped at a toll way. The friendly officer indicated that I should turn back and take another road.
Bikes are not allowed on the main highways! But then my forlorn expression must have hit a nerve and he allowed me through!

The road deteriorated into a slow, dusty track with a bad surface, shared with all kinds of farm vehicles and the omnipresent trucks.
This was actually dangerous, especially because the QQ's steering was misbehaving badly.
The countryside looked desolate. (I later learnt that Yunnan has been in the grips of an extended drought ... it shows!)
Then it rained. This was challenging and I can't say 'enjoyable'.

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I rode through lots of dusty little towns and rode into a funeral procession.

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Oh, I meant to say earlier that my GPS was only showing straight green lines to the next destination!
No way could I find a setting which actually showed tracks and where I was on the track!
That made navigation even more challenging.

It was a slow ride into Da Li. Normally it's a three lane highway for the final 50 or so kms but this was a Sunday and closer to town
one lane was taken up with market stalls and the second lane by parked vehicles!
So we had quite a bottle neck to negotiate. Oh, and there seemed to be a million people shopping and darting to and fro across the 'road'.

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This area is renowned for its magnificent marble.

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I could smell the carbon monoxide and the place was much bigger than I anticipated. I was already feeling intimidated here.
It had been a 7 hour ride and it was not possible to exceed 50kph. At least the fuel economy was good!

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I found my way into the area close to a massive lake and discovered what turned out to be a good hotel, which had secure bike parking
at the back and easy access to dozens of restaurants and the local market.

Cang Yang Hotel @

N 25.59959
E 100.23890

Easy check in, friendly staff and a room on the ground floor away from the noisy street traffic for 80 Yuan.

After couthing up I managed a walk towards magnificent Erhai Lake and found an inviting restaurant with views of the lake.

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I ensconced myself there, ordered by pointing and consumed a couple of Dali beers.
The first was at room temperature but the lad eventually got the message that if he put some bottles in the freezer I would consume them.
He did so for the next few days that I was there!

This is the Bai Jia Yuan Zu Zhuang restaurant @

N 25.60470
E 100.23701


I ordered a spicy fish meal and thoroughly enjoyed it and the ambience.
Being a Sunday there were lots of Chinese tourists there and some were very pleasant towards me,
offering them a chance to try their English language skills.

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This gentleman is 85 years young.

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'That lake is massive and I'll ride around it tomorrow.'



29th April


A restful sleep, despite the slamming doors.

I eventually found one of the very few fuel stations in Da Li city then headed off to Erhai Lake.

Fuel @

N 25.59704
E 100.23122


Well, to the Lake via the Zu restaurant! They were intrigued at my writing a diary and enjoyed looking at the photos in my Sony.
This was a good 'ice-breaker' as no-one there had a word of English.

'Bloody cigarette smoke is ruining my meal. And the spitting, even in the restaurant area!'

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Chef's 'Honling'

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Despite my initial concerns, Da Li is a clean, modern, bustling city set in a beautiful location.
There are not so many electric bikes here as in Lijiang (unfortunately).

I embarked on a slow ride around Erhai Lake and met friendly people along the way.
There is massive development going on here as it seems that the Erhai Lake area
is a place for the well-healed to invest in property.

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The grounds of a fuel station.

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The area offers a fascinating contrast of old and new and an interesting variety of ethnic groups.
There are now good restaurants on the perimeter of the lake and, I believe, quite a few Guest Houses.

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A fatal 'oops'.

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This confident little character and Mum and Dad were selling drinks from the road-side.
I sat with them for a while but Dad wanted me to enjoy his 'beach side chairs' rather than sit on the concrete steps.

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Scooters can be rented at lake-side outlets too.

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It is best to time your ride to be beside the lake during late afternoon to sunset.

I enjoyed a wonderful, relaxed day riding and walking that area.

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'Oops!'

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Back to Da Li.

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(continuing ... some TLC for the QQ)
 
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Thanks all for your words of encouragement.

'Yes', of course it was all legal Tim.
I had a guide and a license. (nudge, nudge, wink, wink)
And 'yes' I am still very much looking forward to UK.
 
30th April


' Today's mission is to find a repair shop which will locate and repair the steering problem which has plagued the QQ
since I first sat on it back in Shangrali La. Can't be that difficult.'



I rode around Da Li for more than an hour looking for a major motorbike shop but to no avail.
I eventually found a tiny repair shop where the mechanic suggested it was a front wheel bearing problem but he didn't have the necessary tools.
He indicated I continue along the same road.

I pulled up in front of a tyre shop where a chap clad in green 'Federal' overalls came running out with an air hose.
'No, no ...I need mechanic.'
'Oh, continue along to the end of this road.'

In perfect English!

My new best friend eventually hopped onto the back of the QQ and directed me to the bike repair shop @

N 25.60013
E 100.24234


What's more he remained there while the front wheel was taken off and two wheel bearings were replaced within 20 minutes for 35 Yuan.
Excellent service. (The guy back in Shangrali La had dismissed the possibility of the problem being bearing related and only wanted to tighten
the steering head nut, then rode the bike and said it was ok).
But all the way from SL the bike handled like a snake and I didn't trust it.
Repairs had to be done today.

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We rode back to the tyre shop then I rode around town for a while to check the repairs.
'It's a new bike!'

I returned to the tyre shop to chat with my new friend and was invited to join him, Mum and Dad for lunch.
Mum was making some dumplings.
That was the most enjoyable meal I had in China to that time.

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The son was a Uni graduate but felt compelled to assist his parents in their tiny tyre shop.
Business was good, with many taxis calling in for quick repairs.

'OK then, I'll ride around the area dropping nails onto the roads. That will be my way of saying 'thank you'.'

We talked about where I had been and where I planned to go next, which was a place I had recorded as 'Shaxi'.
It didn't show on my GPS and my new friends had never heard of it, so the son went to an Internet cafe and printed off a Chinese language map for me which he transcribed into English.

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'Ahhh, it's 'Shaxiguzhen'! Just up on the G214 and left into the mountains. Easy.'

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I thanked my fine hosts and rode around town a bit.

Federal Tyre Shop @

N 25.59941
E 100.23924


The chain was too loose so I returned to the bike shop for an adjustment.
It had been stretched, so two links were removed.

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Somehow I damaged the darn knee again and decided to rest it tomorrow, delaying my ride out through the mountains to Shaxiguzhen.



1st May


Rest and recovery day.


I have learnt that, in my hotel, this character means,
'Turn the hot water on before you go to sleep if you want a warm shower after you wake up.'

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'Ah, it's so crowded here because of the 3 day 'May Day holiday'.


'No, I've had enough of the RnR bit. Need to get out to Erhai Lake again and investigate some of those little villages.'

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Lunch at Zu first ...

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... then out to the lakeside villages.

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'Oops!'

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And, back near the city, a wedding was in progress.

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And that night, at the Zu, I made a shocking discovery.
The fish are 'cleaned' on the footpath where people have been walking and throwing cigarette butts and spitting !!!!!!

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(continuing .... no more fish meals and to Shaziguzhen)
 
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Nice pictures 2 Wheels!
Can you explain us a bit more on the bike, or maybe Phil can? NOTE LATER, found the trip report of Phil in China, nice buy!)
Is this the one?
 
2nd May


To Shaxiguzhen.

It was actually a very slow ride due to the number of townships and the volume of slow-moving trucks.
I mostly trundled along at 20kph! Dusty too.
And complete lack of signage when it is most required.

However, the ride was saved by three Chinese riders who had stopped beside the road and who beckoned me to join them.
They all spoke good English and invited me to have a meal with them.
They were heading to Da Li.

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Noodles were cooked and consumed in light drizzle. Freezing cold too!

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Onwards, through more small and dusty towns.

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Aha, a modern sign post and in English; although the distance was way wrong.

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Entering the historic township there's a beautiful monument to the tea trade.

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('Tea Horse' research to be added)


And the old place is wonderful.

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Tea Horse Road - Wikipedia



The ride back in the rain was slow and treacherous, but at least the steering was now ok.
(Well, mine was!)

'Oops!'

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There, again, is major highway construction going on in this area.


That was 10 hours in the saddle and I arrived wet and very cold and sure that pneumonia was not far away.

Still no Westerners seen since Lijiang Old City.




(continuing ..... hot shower)
 

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What can I say? Ron. Absolutely amazing pictures with a good sense of humor. You did take some of the best shots of people which I certainly missed. Wish you had toured longer.
 
Thanks Jah.
It was a pleasure to meet you at last and a big 'thank you' for your help and hospitality in Kunming.
Read on my friend, you get an honourable mention.

And if I can help with that Tasmania/Victoria idea, I'd be pleased to do so.
 
3rd May


Soaked under the warm shower as much as possible last night and managed to avoid pneumonia.

Cruised around Da Li and spent a few hours with the friendly and hard-working people at the vibrant market,
where I received many smiles and 'Hello's.

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No, it's not raspberry jelly!

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Then I spent time planning the next stage of the ride down to Chu Xion.
No way could I pronounce this place correctly, so no-one was able to offer advice.

Incidentally, 'Kunming' doesn't show in a search on my GPS map but 'Kun Ming Shi' does.


(continuing .... Chu Xion or bust)
 
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4th May

The easy day yesterday worked wonders.
The 'gammy' knee is much better and I avoided pneumonia.

I said my 'goodbye's to my new friends and headed out from Da Li towards the highway and on to Chu Xion.

Nearly two hours later I was still trying to escape!

All attempts to use my GPS to get out and onto the road to Ch Xion sent me to the same Tollway gate on G214;
where I was continually denied entry!
They simply do not allow bikes onto the main roads.

I was continually caught up within the hundreds of stinking and slow-moving trucks also trying to escape town.

'OK, stay calm and return to my friends at the tyre shop. They'll put me on the right track.'

And they did!

'Here's a map with Chinese and English I have made for you.
Go to Fengyi first and then take the small roads'.


Easy.

Their map got me onto a old winding, bumpy, treacherous and slow road which led through many old villages.

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'Actually, despite the discomfort, this is a good way of seeing real rural China rather than from a highway.'

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These are the roads bikes are not allowed onto.

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I had stopped at one small village to confirm that I was indeed heading in the right direction and three guys
on motorbikes arrived and beckoned me to venture forth with them.

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We all stopped a bit further down the track, in the drizzle, and introduced ourselves.
Apparently this is a 'one destination' road and they were headed for Chu Xion Shi also.
Wonderful.

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These guys could not have been more friendly and helpful.
One was an architect and spoke good English, although he said he had not spoken it since leaving Uni.

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They gave me a couple of bottles of water, some snacks and even paid for my tank refill at the next stop!

They rode extremely carefully, advising me on how to brake and steer in the wet and slippery conditions that we would later encounter.

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'Wow, how bad would this be if I hadn't repaired the steering back in Da Li!'

As darkness fell at 8-30ish we called into a road-side restaurant (which I wouldn't even have noticed) and my companions
bought a significant meal for us all.

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Spectators at the restaurant.

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These guys were aged from 42 to 55 years and one proclaimed, "I hope I'm still riding when I'm old like you!"
Gee, thanks mate!

The leader and the trail put on their reflective jackets for the ride into Chu Xion Shi.
One even called ahead to book a good hotel for me, however when I replied that the 240 Yuan was too expensive for me he made another call
and found one at half the price and it was 'four star'!
Brilliant.

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We arrived without anyone sliding off and they helped me check into the Hotel and made sure the room was satisfactory.
I offered to treat them to a restaurant but one had parents here so that's where they went.

Hotel @

N 28.53760
E 100.32824


So, what had started as a disaster finished up a real pleasure.

That was a 12 hour ride!


(continuing .... to Kunming)
 
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“I hope I'm still riding when I'm old like you!”...and riding through wonderful destinations such as this and producing such fantastic ride reports.

I like the www. rideasia .com rice bowl, did it arrive at your table like that. And you found Kohlrabi, something I've never seen in SE Asia.

Thank you Ron!
 
5th May


Good sleep, lousy breakfast (the two staff in the dining room were actually asleep when I arrived!)

Check out time and they actually tried to charge me 160 Yuan for using what they call a 'Mini Bar', which consisted of water and noodles!
Why do they do this? It's ruining the reputation of travel in China.
I had consumed absolutely nothing in the room and insisted so then walked to the QQ which had been securely locked by a security guard.

I left at 8am for the easy ride into Kunming, wanting to get there early enough to meet up with Jah at 'Active China'.

Again, bikes are obliged to stay on the secondary roads.

It started off nicely, then deteriorated.

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'Oops!'

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This was a horrible ride and became worse of the outskirts of Kunming.

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Being Sunday, 'Active China' wasn't open so I planned to get a different hotel fairly close to the office.

I eventually found The Seagull Hotel, located near a lake and in a good area, with fine restaurants @

N 25.04775
E 102.70056

Again, they wanted a deposit!

'OMG, not this charade again; I'm not in the mood. Don't they know I'm knackered from an 11 hour ride and all I want is to unpack and clean up. Just give me a bloody room!'

I paid a small deposit 'for the key card' and went to my assigned room #606 which hadn't been cleaned from the previous inmate!

Back to Reception for a different room.

Eventually got my act together and went out to find a nice restaurant, which I certainly did and enjoyed an excellent meal.
Beer 18 Yuan here and back at the Zu in Da Li it was 6!


A good sleep and no door banging or car horns.

I found this card under the hotel door.
Think it's a laundry service.

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6th May


I called Jah who soon arrived at the Hotel to escort me to his office where I would return Phil's bike.

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I followed him through the Kunming traffic and got the impression we weren't going the correct way,
as we were cutting through car-parks and zooming down narrow lane-ways.

'Oh, he probably knows where he's going; just trust him. You're not about to be kidnapped.'

'These bikes aren't allowed in the city, so we have to avoid the police!', says Jah.
'Oh, so yesterday I probably shouldn't have stopped beside those traffic police to ask them for directions into the heart of Kunming city then?'


Jah had just returned from riding New Zealand with his wife, which he thoroughly enjoyed, so we spoke of many things for a couple of hours and then he invited me to a superb lunch at a place I would never have known existed.

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Those few hours with Jah were delightful and helped me enjoy the 'Big Smoke' more than I had earlier.

Oh, I discussed the hotel deposit farce with Jah and he knew of it because it is a common complaint with Chinese guests as well.

I hadn't had email contact since arrival, so Jah set up his computer so that I could assure some people that indeed old '2wheels' was still alive.

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Very fortunate to have done so to because there was an email from my travel agent informing me that my China Eastern flight back to Chiang Mai on 8th May had been cancelled!

No worries, Jah made a couple of calls and got me on a half full flight on 7th.


The little QQ, its keys, documents and a whole heap of unused spares and tools were handed over to Jah.

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1,294 kms travelled.


I left Jah and his sister to go about their work at 3pm and got a taxi back to Seagull then hobbled around the lake area. This is indeed a nice area in which to stay.

Oh, I saw a Westerner today!

So now I have time to contemplate what had happened since I first arrived in Yunnan.


* I found the touring to be quite demanding and learnt to at least double the number of hours anticipated to get from point A to point B.

* The scenery is mostly not spectacular at this time of year (extended drought too), mainly because so much of the vegetation has been denuded to make way for gardens.

* It is extremely cold!

* There is a lack of signage, the roads I took were mostly in poor condition and trucks own the roads!

* 'SinoPec' fuel is very readily available.

* Beware of the hotel 'deposit' game.

* Be independent with your communications (I simply must upgrade)

* A Chinese to English phrase book (electronic?) would be advantageous.

* A smile, humour, patience and showing respect always brings good results.

* The environmental and personal noise, together with the smoking and spitting can be a bother.


But my best advice for a solo rider and/or a first-timer is to use Jah at Active China.

Adventure Travel-Trekking, Hiking, Cycling holidays in China - Active China




By doing so you will have the advantage of a cultural interpreter, a language interpreter and excellent English speaker, a person who knows China and its people 'like the back of his hand', and a person who can avoid problems or get you out of a problem if one does occur.



7th May


Thirty five minutes and 78 Yuan to the airport.

I arrived very early because I wanted to be absolutely sure there were no more 'stuff ups' with China Eastern.
There weren't and I got a boarding pass early.

So I got to know Kunming Airport quite well!

Pep talk.

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Enjoyed a coffee and a small bowl of what was meant to be 'corn soup'.

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Boarded the 737-700 for a nice flight above the spectacular lightning clouds over Laos and into Chiang Mai 65 minutes later.

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Thanks Phil G for making this possible for me.
Despite the challenges I enjoyed the overall experience.


The highlight for me?
Erhai Lake at Da Li.
 
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I will have to read this at least 3 more times, absolutely superb Ron ... We can talk tonight about the problems the bike has! I'm glad to see it got you back to Kunming safely.
 
Superb trip report.. Incredible pictures and locations..

Just moved WAY up my todo list.
 
Great stuff, I'll be reading it again.
Good acclimatisation for the UK weatherwise - Summer seems to have ended.
And if you get to Ireland the road conditions and need of a translator are not dissimilar.
T.
 
Great report and catchy title Ron :RE so where are those virgins !
 
Great report !!! Brings back memories. Was very impressed by your terrific people photos. When I went basically nobody really wanted their photo taken, I remember wishing I had a telephoto lens...
I really liked Litang, some university girls wanted me to stay there and teach English. The " old town"in Shangri La is not really that old......... And yes I remember it was a bitch to find the correct road out of Dali to head to Kunming that motorcycles could go on. :-)
Pretty low miles for a wheel bearing failure. Well, that is better than all the spokes breaking
like on my QQ bike..
 
Thanks razino, Bob and Robert.
Fascinating (and challenging) place.
The little QQ held up well considering the punishment it took on some roads, albeit at very slow kph.

Robert, these days with digital cameras offering 'instant replay' I find that function is a good way of soliciting portraits; instant playback.
 
Trying to figure out the error in Ron's track recording settings on his Garmin Montana GPS, after pulling his tracks off.


Below is his route from Shangri-La south to Dali



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Below is his route from Dali south east to Kunming where he left my bike



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Yep, I can't work it out Phil.
Only straight lines (mostly).
e.g. it doesn't show the track I took around Lake Erhai nor the ride to the snow out from Shangrali La.
Most of my riding certainly wasn't in a straight line!

Anyone else have some suggestions?
 
Brilliant report, Two Wheels,
I would say you had fun assembling those nice pixels!

I am on my way, as soon as I can get these windows cleaned..

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Don.. any idea what happened to Ron's montana settings?


Brilliant report, Two Wheels,
I would say you had fun assembling those nice pixels!

I am on my way, as soon as I can get these windows cleaned..

<img src="http://www.rideasia.net/motorcycle-forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=17238"/>

Never sent from an I-Phone
 
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