Crossing the Gobi Desert ! (Chanji – Kumul/Hami)

We left Changji revelling in our luxurious night’s stay at the city’s only 4* (and foreigner accepting) accommodation establishment. We’d also taken full advantage of the hotel’s extensive breakfast buffet by stashing ourselves a load of snacks for the road. We even tried a local speciality…

Chinese Red Bull – Dellicious 🙂

After about 20km of climbing in the hard-shoulder-cum-cycling path that we’d been using since we arrived in China, this very misty road narrowed to a tight-at-best single-track road – and we were still climbing, and there were still lorries a-plenty bombing past us, which wasn’t nice. It seemed as though the higher we got, the foggier and busier the road became. Since Stu and I have both crashed now, we’re always on edge on these types of roads. So every time we hear a huge lorry motoring towards us, hysterically smashing its horn, we nearly crap ourselves and just throw ourselves off the road. We are pathetic, I think.

We made it to the top pretty mentally drained from being so scared of getting hit again, only to be met by what can only be described as the worst headwind ever. So bad we could only push out 9mph downhill. Honestly, it was literally so strong that it threw both Stu and Xavi from their bikes. Time for lunch, and fortunately we were just passing through a village on the outskirts of Urumqi. I think we must have entered the only eating place in the village because there were no tables left, but alas, we were beckoned over to sit with the seven or eight locals in the far corner of the room. We were very appreciative of the invite, especially as they were paying for us. They just kept ordering and ordering – I think they wanted us to have everything on the menu. Oh and they were also including us in their rounds of shots every two minutes (it was this sort of vodka made with grape skins, and it was very strong!). So once we were finished eating (and half-cut), we said our thank yous and hit the road.

Guests of Honour

Me, Stu, Xavi, the guy who bought us lunch and the waitress.

We carried on (with slightly better wind) until we reached a guesthouse/café just off the side of the highway. We were, of course, bought dinner again by a table of local gents, but after we’d eaten we had to be sneaked in a side door by the manageress and a policeman that came to check our passports. This was, we guessed, to allow us to stay, and to side-step the ridiculous foreigners-must-stay-in-the-best-hotels law.

Best Buddies

The ‘Lads’

The following day, as we’d hoped, was bloody bliss. We managed to top 100 miles for the first time in ages thanks to some generous tailwind and never-ending descending. We were heading into the Turpan depression, which is an area of land in Xinjiang that is over 155 metres below sea level.

We are flying again brothers !!

But we knew we’d pay for this, and we did… Since then we’ve entered the Gobi desert.

Vast

Sunset in the Gobi Desert

Another spoke…

Flaming mountains[/caption]

This has been very tough as it’s been constant headwind and uphill everyday. It’s also a lot sparser so we never know when we’ll next have a hot meal, or where we’ll be sleeping in the evening. We’ve gone from staying in 4* luxury one night to slumming it in our sleeping bags under a highway underpass like a troupe of ho-bos – proper highlighting the contrasting lifestyle we have become accustomed to.

“Nice”

“Not so Nice”

My silhouette underneath an underpass…….

The night before Hami/Kumul we arrived at a rest area that so happened to have a few rooms available. It was 6.30pm and already pretty dark, and we’d sort of got it in our heads that we’d be camping in the cold. But no!

Home Sweet Home !

Myself and Xavi sorting out the bikes outside Chinese bedsit

And inside, to our pleasure, we saw this sign…

Ewww, so gross !!

This is because Chinese men spit EVERYWHERE, ALL THE TIME! Even inside nice restaurants or shops, they don’t care, just hock back and gob all over the place. It’s foul. We’ve had to give many a stern English look to several of these wrong-doers. We think its because Chinese men smoke so much, so they’re pretty much just hocking all the tar out of their lungs. Eurghh.

Annoyingly, since we’ve entered the desert I’ve also had a couple of spokes break again. I had a whole new wheel built in Bishkek, and it’s been problem-free until now. This is making progress difficult, and it means a lot of horrible waiting around in the cold while I fix the wheel.

Fixing spokes……….. yet again !

We’ve now arrived in Hami/Kumul (its got two names and we’re not sure why, one’s maybe an old name??), and are taking advantage of the opportunity to clean and eat properly. We’ll be heading over another stretch of the Gobi next, and with a bit of luck be in Lanzhou by the 28/29^th. Keep posted.