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May 30, 2005
Cross Your Fingers
Dequin, China
Total KM 3879
Elevation 3300 M
"Always do what you are afraid to do."
-Ralph Waldo Emerson
It was difficult 3 days to get here, but just a small taste of what's in store for me between here and Lhasa. I had a small climb the first day (broke a spoke due to all the food I am carrying) and then a long downhill down to 2000M. The 2nd day included a 30 km climb which was mostly on a cobblestone road. Yesterday I continued the climb on the rough road to reach a series of 4200 M passes. The only side effects of the altitude was my feeling of giddiness on the mountain passes. A Tibetan "medicine man" tried to sell me this pepper-like vegetable for 30RMB on the top of the last pass. At first I thought he just wanted me to try it, but then he told me the price (8 RMB = $1 US) and I broke out in a fit of laughter. I think it was a combination of things that made me laugh. For one - the altitude- second - his clothing, loads of people here wear old, somewhat ragged suits and derby hats - and lastly it was the fact that (for once) someone was offering me Chinese medicine that wasn't specifically meant for men (must I spell it out? e r e c t i o n s)
Now I have about 1450 km of bad roads, night-time checkpoint dodging and some serious mountain passes - 4500 to 5000 meters.
Tomorrow I will be joined by an English cyclist on my journey to Lhasa. Yes, I am aware that the Chinese authorities aren't exactly know for their humane treatment of criminals, but being caught in a closed area (ie. Eastern Tibet) without the proper permits typically only mean a smalle fine and being sent to an open area. For more information on the Yunnan to Lhasa route - go here. It's somewhat interesting even if you don't ever plan to visit this area. If all goes well I should be able to update in about 2 weeks (in Bomi) or a month (in Lhasa.)
Good luck Tyler!
Posted by tyler at 02:32 PM | 1 Comments
May 25, 2005
You Dirty Cheater
Zhongdian, China
Total KM 3673
Elevation 3250 M
"After you've have done a thing the same way for two years, look it over carefully. After five years, look at it with suspicion. And after ten years, throw it away and start all over." -Alfred Edward Perlman)
I took a bus (sort of) to get here, yes I know it's cheating, but I only have a two month Chinese visa and they are near impossible to extend in Tibet- so give me a break, eh?
Actually, the bus broke down halfway so I started asking people how far to Zhongdian, 25km said a local man, 30km said a road worker. No big deal. I took my bike out from the luggage compartment,started assembling it by the side of the road and I was off in no time.
It ended up being 65km... Thankfully it was mostly flat.
Zhongdian is a nice little city, there are a few snow capped mountains in the distance and it would be very quiet here if it weren't for all the taxis driving around, honking their horns constantly - looking for fares. The cool mountain air is a welcome relief from the 40 degree celcius sweltering heat of S.E. Asia. I've been spending my time here sorting out gear, buying supplies and acclimatizing to the altitude. Actute Mountain Sickness, altitude sickness, is not something to be taken lightly. AMS occurs because less oxygen reaches the muscles and the brain at high altitude, requiring the heart and lungs to compensate by working harder.
From here I will be heading north east to towards the Tibetan border.
Posted by tyler at 02:14 PM
May 23, 2005
Replacement Parts
Kunming, China
Total KM 3545
Elevation 1300 M
"Always borrow money from a pessimist, they don't expect to be paid back."
I replaced both crank arms and bought new pedals. I need to stock up on some food for my jaunt across eastern Tibet. I'm really suprised how modern things are here in Chinese cities - everything except the toilets.
Posted by tyler at 12:08 PM
May 21, 2005
Everything you had
Pak Mong, Laos
Total KM 3541
"Everything you thought you had, has gone from worse to bad."
I found a new pedal in the market today, it had a dragon on it and I'm heading up to China so I thought it was a sign. Seeing as my right crank arm was totally stripped I had to find a repairer to fix me up. We ended up using a small piece of sheet metal to act as a shim to keep my pedal somewhat in place and then a hole was drilled through the crank arm and the axle of the new pedal. After that a nail was pounded into the new hole and sawed off. Most cyclists would cringe at the thought of drilling through their expensive crank and fitting a cheap plastic pedal but I was loving it. The repair shop consisted of a small picnic table full of old hand tools underneath a bamboo hut. The drilling was done using this antique, hand-powered drill press which was mounted to a rusty truck rim. The guy who was helping me did own an electric drill but there was no electricity during the day in this particular village. The repair went smoothly and I was ecstatic! It should be neough to get me the 180km to China and get a new crank and pedal. WRONG- I packed up my gear and got on my bike. BOOM! On the first pedal stroke - I kid you not, the first - the new pedal broke into about 5 pieces. The steel axle was still firmly in place - due to the stellar repair job earlier- but the plastic pedal was total useless. I wasn't about to go and drill the nail out and fit another cheap plastic pedal. When's the next bus to China?
Posted by tyler at 04:21 PM
May 20, 2005
No
Pak Mong, Laos
Total KM 3540
I've replaced my broken pedal with a used one complete with rusted threads! I had no other choice. I knew I was stripping my crank arm when i was installing it but I figured it would lock in place. I did 117 km today and my pedal eventually fell off around 5 km from my destination.
Posted by tyler at 04:15 PM
May 16, 2005
Broken :-(
Luang Prabang, Laos
Total KM 3423
"You can tell whether a man is clever by his answers. You can tell whether a man is wise by his questions".
Naguib Mahfouz
I'm here in World Heritage listed city of Luang Prabang. I have a slight problem with one of my pedals. The problem being that it is broken and now completely worthless, excpet for maybe as a doorstop. I won't be able to find another one of the same quality unless I take a bus 12 hours down south to Vientianne, which is something that I really don't want to do. I'll just buy a cheap plastic one here and then replace it in a large city in China. I'm taking a rest day or two here.
Posted by tyler at 05:29 PM
May 14, 2005
M ONE FIFTY
Where am I? not sure, Laos
Total KM 3333 (wierd...)
"You have not converted a man because you have silenced him".
John Morley
It was another tough day, up and down all the way, and very few flat stretches. I was feeling depressed, sore and I couldn't seem to unlock my energy stores, so I caved in and bought an M-150. It's an energy drink, described as "Red Bull on acid" by this cyclist that I keep bumbing into here in Laos. I'm a lush when it comes to caffine, I rarely have it in my system, so immediately after I drank down the bottle a complete 180 transpired. I coudln't get the smile off of my face, I was laughing and singing as I raced up the steep mountain roads and I had this nervous twitch in my neck which caused my head to continually jerk back and forth towards my left shoulder. Fun stuff.
Posted by tyler at 05:15 PM | 1 Comments
May 12, 2005
Money, Money, Money
Kasi, Laos
TOtal KM 3235
"While money can't buy happiness, it certainly lets you choose your own form of misery".
It was pouringrain this morning, so I had a valid excuse to sleep in. My first pit stop was for water and the lady overcharged me and then she had the nerve to try and shortchange me! I pointed out that the water only came to 6000kip and that I had only recieved 13,000 from a 20,000 note. Apparently it wasn't enough that I was being overcharged. I suppose overcharging and then shortchanging a foreigner would have been a much better story to tell her grandchildren, but she was busted and she knew it. She reluctantly went back into her money box and pulled out another 1,000 kip.
A few hours down the road I a young kid walking down the road offered me a piece of the strangest fruit I've ever layed eyes upon. He handed it to me and I put it up to my mouth as if to ask to instructions on how to eat it. Do I eat the whole thing or peel it? There was no response from him. I take a bite and immediately spit it all out. Ohh, you definitely need to peel it. He then showed me how to peel it and I tried it again, not bad. He then put his hand out and asked me for money. Once again people, I'm not a walking bank.
Just before dark, I checked into a guesthouse, took a shower and then ahd a bowl of noodles (with pigs blood) from the restaurant next door. I was away from Kylie, my bicyle, for maybe an hour, it was locked up in front of my guesthouse. When I went to check on her I discovered that someone had stolen my CATEYE headlight off the handlebars of my bike. That was my only light! I sent my Maglite home from Bangkok because I felt it unnecessary to carry around two flashlights. I've become really weight-conscious lately. I shouldn't have left it there, unguarded, for so long but this was a really small town, with very few people walking around, and I had thought that Laos was safer than this.
Posted by tyler at 10:27 PM
May 11, 2005
Lets go
Vientiane, Laos
Total KM 3175
"When you have completed 95% of your journey you are halfway there."
-Japanese Proverb
I've got my Chinese visa in hand and I'm ready to start going again. I'm going to be getting into the mountains in the next few days. The first major pass is at 1400m, really not that big considering that I'll be tackling 5000m passes in Tibet. This will be a little bit of training I guess.
I've just uploaded lots of new pictures, mostly of the songkran water festival. You can find the new pictures here, here and here.
Posted by tyler at 05:35 AM | 1 Comments
May 10, 2005
Leg Cramps
Vientianne, Laos
Total KM 3175
"If you think you can, you can. And if you think you can't, you're right".
I am back in Vientianne and I went to the Chinese embassy today (the staff are back from their little vacation...&*^&%$) and I should have my visa in hand tomorrow morning. The 3 hour bus ride to get here was unpleasant, I would rather take a day and cycle it. The highlight of the bus ride was when we stopped and they loaded a scooter (motorcycle) onto the bus. It sat next to me.
Posted by tyler at 04:34 PM
May 08, 2005
Tubing
Vang Vieng, Laos
Total KM 3151
" Go to Heaven for the climate, Hell for the company".
-Mark Twain
I going to stick around in this town for a few days, I don't want to stray too far from Vientienne because I'll have to take a bus back there to get my Chinese visa once the embassy opens. It's about a 3 hour bus ride from here down to the capital, I can handle the 3 hours but I don't want to be stuck on a bus, back tracking, for much longer than that. I went tubing down the river today, stopping every few minutes to replenish the beer supply. It was loads of fun.
Posted by tyler at 04:19 PM
May 06, 2005
Come to Laos Watch Friends
Vang Vieng, Laos
TOTAL KM 3151
"Do not take life too seriously, you will never get out of it alive". (Elbert Hubbard)
Vang Vieng is a nice little town, set on a river bend, with incredible limestone outcrops as its backdrop. There are numerous caves in the area or you can rent inner tubes and get dropped off a few km outside of town so you can drift back while sippin' (read: chuggin') Beer Lao. The main drag of town is somewhat of a mini Khao San Road, with loads of restaurants - serving Lao, Thai and Western food- and guesthoues - I'm paying 20,000 kip ($2 US) for a room with fan and bathroom in a really clean, colonial style hotel.
Speaking of Khao San Road, the last time I was in Bangkok I wandered into this sports bar with a climbing wall. A freaking climbing wall in a bar! 70 Baht a go, but they let me climb until I fell. The bar is called "Cave" or "The Cave." It's down a small soi (lane) off Khao San Road, look for the girls in the really short Flintstones-like dresses. As with anywhere, the climbing is at your own risk, and drinking a few 7% Chang Beers, strapping on a harness and hooking onto a rope isn't a very smart thing to do (I didn't, I was sober) especially when your "instructor" is telling you to try and climb the overhang that is above the anchor bolt. I'm not a climber, but I remember my climbing friends telling me not to climb above the anchor bolt while toproping.
Several of the restaurants here in Vang Vieng offer special "Happy Happy for Fun" menus, which include such delicacies as "Special Mushroom Tea" and "Happy Pizza." Can you guess what the special ingredients are? But by far the wierdest thing here is the presence of 3, almost identical, backpacker restaurants. What's so strange about that you say? Well, nothing, actually there are about 15, almost identical, traveller eateries. No, the wierd thing is that these 3 in particular are in a constant state of showing the TV show FRIENDS. The floors are raised above the ground and the tables are cordoned off in a corral style with the cushions all facing the TV so the patrons can sit and watch Joey pick up chicks, Phoebe be a dumb blond and Rachel have a baby out of wedlock. I partook for 7 episodes, a large, piping-hot baguette, an omlette, a mushroom and onion stir-fry with rice and a lemon shake.
As a cyclist in South-East Asia it's somewhat of a joy to go to the more touristy places of a country because it means I don't get stared at like a freak with 5 heads (there are 2 adults, 3 kids and a chicken on a motorcycle built for 2 and THEY are staring at me? There's something wrong with that...) but most of all it's a pleasure because of the plethora of exquisite food on offer.
Come to Laos - watch Friends. Is there something wrong with that? Maybe, but tourism isn't responsible for it. It's the materialization of the world that should hold the blame. Most people in the worls bore themselves to sleep in front of the TV every night, so why should those in remote settlements (this place isn't remote, I'm talking about a different scenario) in Laos, Thailand, Tibet or Mongolia be deprived of the same "pleasure?"
Posted by tyler at 02:50 PM
May 03, 2005
Baguettes
Vientianne, Laos
Total KM 2938
"Life is a state of becoming, and death is merely a part of the process."
- Jane Roberts
I've been waiting around for 3 days- arrived on Saturday, Monday was a holiday- and I finally went to the Chinese Embassy today- CLOSED. It'll be closed for another week. I'm going to slowly start cycling north tomorrow, and then catch a bus back to Vientianne next week. I really like it here, very peaceful and chilled out. I've met some really good people and so far I've eaten 6 and a half feet of baguette sandwiches.
Posted by tyler at 05:17 AM | 3 Comments
May 01, 2005
Laos
Vientiane, Laos
Total KM 2899
"A ship is safest when at port, but that's not what it's meant for."
Once again, my lack of planning has come to haunt me. I arrived here (Laos) yesterday (Saturday), today is National Labour Day so tomorrow is a holiday - which means the embassies will be closed. I need to get my Chinese visa here in Vientiane and I am hoping for at least a 2 month visa. If I only get a one monther than I won't have enough time to cycle to Lhasa and down to Nepal through Tibet. There's no point thinking about it now, I'll cross that bridge when I get there. More bad news, the visa will cost more and take longer to process than I had anticipated.
Laos marks a new beginning for me. It is the first country of this expedition that I have never visitied before, and it will be the first of many. Now, from here all the way to England are new countries for me, places that I've never been before.
My first introduction to Laos, the 23km from the Thai border to Vientiane, was allright. The road was horrific, the traffic light but a little erratic, the people friendly and would actually talk to me instead of just staring at me, faces aghast.
Vientiane is an incredibly laid back city and must be one of the quietest capitals in Asia. Not a skyscraper in sight. I kept waiting to hit the central part of the city and than upon the consultation of a map, I realized that I had rode right through it already. All in all it seems like a nice place.
Posted by tyler at 11:30 AM