2 Wheels 4 Girls

High Point: Arriving to Urumqi
Low Point: A day of riding in snow and ice
Tomorrow’s Banana: Rest

I wake up in my windowless room, still too warm. Collecting my clothing from my delirious strip down from the previous night, I let out a few grunts and moans of my sore back. Nothing like an upper body work out when pushing a bike up a mountain.

Laoban instructs, very kindly, I stay for breakfast. Congee, hard boiled eggs, and bread. There is something about Han breakfast I love…especially when I can find fresh “youtiao” – which translates to oil stick – and soy milk. Mmmmmm…Han breakfeast………

Anyhow. Laoban is kind enough to turn the tv onto a CCTV foreign channel. I laugh and tell him very kindly and somewhat embarrassed, “oh laoban, this channel is in French, I don’t understand French. I’m sorry.”

We are both chuckling together and he tells me he can’t understand French either! Well what do you know…this American and my Chinese friend have something in common! The next hour is spent in front of the CCTV News…which I can understand a little – context helps.

I tell him I must get going but he says I should stay a little longer. “It’s very cold right now and snowing.”

“It’s snowing?! Really???”

Yes, it’s snowing.

So after about another 30 minutes I walk down to the first floor with laoban to load up and set off. Damn it! Laoban points out that I have a flat.

Okay, do I unload the bike and find the flat or do I pump it up and see what is to come of it? I’m lazy and try not to work as much as possible. Urumqi isn’t that far away and if it’s a slow leak, I can probably make it. Also, my bike froze up last night so who knows what that bitter cold did.

I pump up the tube outside, with laoban and his friend watching me. Laoban says “goule” but it’s not enough. I know, even though my pump gauge broke about 4,000km ago. But, you know, I don’t like to hurt anyone’s feelings so after a few more pumps I decide I’ll just stop up ahead to finish my pumping. I’ve done this before, at least a dozen times.

It’s a day of heavy traffic, near white out conditions, and cold.

Around 5:00 pm I arrive in Urumqi.

There is a nice Dutch boy as my roommate. We spend the next couple of days together. He wanted me to travel to Gansu with him but I decided I really wanted to rest.

The second rest day, I could barely walk. Being out in the cold and constantly working everyday, I didn’t realize how the last 2 days kicked my ass.

Then, I was blessed with a wonderful eye infection which led to eye surgery here in Urumqi.

My Visa is on it’s way here, should arrive in a couple of days and I’ll be out of here faster than you can say “Wulumu…”

If you have been keeping up with me via this blog or Facebook…or maybe you are a close friend I’ve been corresponding with…you know that my time here has been difficult/challenging but productive on a personal level. I think I needed this time to sit down and really work through some thoughts. So I send the biggest hug to all of you – you know exactly who you are. And another thanks to all of my new followers.

I had over 700 page views yesterday…that’s quite exciting. Looks like this site picked up around 5000 page views in January alone. You all are welcome to send me an email or even text me. I love correspondence and, again, thanks for the love and support.

I know that some of you, dearest readers, have already taken a ride over to the “dark” (enlightened) side. This is meant for ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES and hope it brings a couple of smirks. I refuse credit for the opinions expressed here…blame it on the damn bike and 16,000+km.

So, what does it mean when one truly realizes this, that I and perhaps you are a selfish jerk? Of course this is a repeating idea that swiftly runs through your thoughts as quickly as those white concrete km counters. Jesus, what’s the deal with that in China…do I really need one EVERY KM!? Sometimes I feel like it’s a big ol’ “Cao ni!” But when this is your reflection in that cracked, nicked, toothpaste splattered mirror you look in every couple of days? Your new identity sprouting…

You are considering going on a long journey on a 2 wheeled contraption powered by your own strength and will power? Well, let me say this…you won’t end the way you started. You have left your family, friends, and “comforts” to search deep within yourself…for something? I place comforts in ” ” because you will learn these are not comforts at all but rather shackles into modern day slavery.

Be prepared to murder that “old self” 10 times again, over and over. Watching her slow death and riding away as fast as your little sunburned calves can push you. We are stripped to the barest of our souls, shedding the skin we have hidden in for too long of a distance.

You will find yourself ripping away from the past and stumbling into a new future. Where the only sure thing you have, every day and moment…is the present at its purest. Don’t think to much, my dear selfish jerk…just let it fly with you.

You will face some rough headwinds, they will make you doubt everything up to this present moment. You will meet steady and strong tailwinds that will lead you into an unknown, don’t push ahead with fear, but rather anticipation.

What you will find is greater than anything you could ever imagine…but don’t set out with any type of expectation or fantasized idea of what it will be. You will only be disappointed and possibly stunt the opportunities that are hidden over passes, behind dunes, along rivers, in nomad’s homes…just go!

The heart will grow heavy at times, near tripling the weight of your worldly possessions that have been shoved into 4-5 bags. You guard those items with your near life, but what do you do to protect your heart? Too often we forget about this piece of important luggage and then when we least expect it, it rises into our throat and we can’t gulp it down with a swig of plastic tasting water. No matter how hard…even with a big bowl of noodles or 4 naan and a bottle of wine.

This is my first warning to you, dear reader, if you have been entertaining the thought of becoming a selfish jerk.

“Ignorance is Bliss”?…let me think about that and get back to you.

Until then…TAILWINDS!!!!!!!!!!!! wheeeeeEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEeeeeeeeeeeeeee hold on…this jerk is back out there in less than 2 weeks.

Highpoint: Not falling in the icy river as I bash my triple outer ring against rocks and upon moving it off seeing remainders of the aluminum glittering on the rock (will file 2 teeth upon arrival to Urumqi).

Lowpoint: Pushing the bike up a 10km iced/snow pass to a dead end – oops! Wrong way! Then another 10 back (slipping) down.

Tomorrow’s Banana: Arriving in Urumqi (Although I should of arrived today.)

The weather is mild in the beginning and I decide to take a small back road to Urumqi…heading South and over some mountains. There is a disconnect on the map, but come on…I’m sure there is some way to get there. Right?

It’s a steady uphill ride along closed mountain vacation spots. If you saw the video I posted a few weeks back of the “Xinjiang Traffic Jam” of the shepherd and his flock – this was the day.

Weather begins to turn as I climb and around 3ish I’ve lost all blue skies and everything is freezing.

That was the last town I pass and the road ends at a drying up river. Well, it’s a river bed with about 2 dozen different water flow paths. I can see the road on the other side so I try to pass by jumping from rock to rock. If I fall in, I’m F*&ked…SERIOUSLY.

WHAM!!! The outer crank wheel collides onto a stone. As I’m balancing on stones, trying to get the bike…shit, I don’t even know what I was doing…just not trying to fall over into the freezing water. I made it out about 5 meters before I just realized this was completely stupid.

I back track…there has got to be a road. Earlier I had seen a cowboy cross the river on his horse and a motorcycle. Going back to there I find a little path to get me across.

Riding Kham and U-Tsang trained me really well at crossing streams, rivers and glacier melt. The first time I tried crossing water, those frozen feet taught me never to just STOP ever again. If the weather is nice and I’m concerned about the photo gear…I’ll take the shoes and socks off to cross.

After crossing and looking back.

This is the point where I’m starting to question where I am. Maps and compass and I’m still having some doubts. I should of asked the people in the town BEFORE crossing the water. Whatever, I’ll keep going on.

The ridge on the other side is speckled with homes and there is a part of me that thinks I should of not crossed the river bed. I’m not sure why I do this but I’m pretty sure I convinced myself that this way would get me to where I’m going.

Ok. Very little tracks in the road. Some villages and homes. Some shepherds. This bike is getting pushed through this range. All 10km or so of it!

I keep looking to right and see the villages on the other side on the ridge. I’m going deeper and deeper and pass another village.

Ending up on the side of a mountain with not a lot of hope ahead, I walk 3km without the bike and just a compass to figure out what the hell is going on. This newly dug up road is not taking me SW.

Try the other road 1 km back. I end up in a little valley and I know for sure this is wrong, there is no way to continue on. I go back to the last village.

I see two men and I remove my glasses and hat and let them know I’m a foreigner. They show me where I am. I have to return to the village on the other side of the water. I’m on the wrong side! (Ha! Ironic when I just wrote a post about never doubt a babe’s navigation/map reading skills. Well, this time I goofed!)

Down the mountain I’m slipping all over the place and nearly land flat on my butt a couple of times.

Damn you water…I have to cross AGAIN!

It’s near 5:30 and I only have about 2 hours MAX of daylight. There is no where to stay here and it’s freezing. I would freeze to death up here…I have to get somewhere so as soon as I get back across the water it’s a race to somewhere.

I talk to a Kazakh man at the village about where I’m going and where I’m coming from. Explaining I want that small road to Urumqi. He tells me the road is too difficult and long and that I need to return to Fukang. He points to the ridge when talking about the small road I’m looking for. Sure…okay…I’m NOT returning to Fukang and ride back up the hill to look for the small road.

With my luck…I see an empty coal truck come along and he takes these tire tracks that I would of NEVER seen if he hadn’t came along. There comes another truck and he takes the same route.

WHEN ALL ELSE FAILS…FOLLOW THE COAL TRUCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am racing light now…as I follow the tracks behind the empty coal trucks.

After a few km I’m on a “road”? Let me just say, imagine what a road would be like in the mountains that only coal trucks take…there, that’s the description.

It’s getting cold and dark…and colder. I’m starting to worry and look for somewhere to set up camp. Not just out, but abandoned buildings or hideaways under the road.

It’s all coal mining out here and I begin to go down the pass at sunset. I pass a coal mine with little concrete, abandoned, building across the road. Shit! Someone sees me and is watching. I want to set up camp in that building but it’s not going to work. The empty coal trucks go to the west, I see loaded trucks coming towards me. Continue to follow the loaded coal trucks.

It’s dark and I’m going down a nasty road. Bouncing everywhere, skidding in loose stones, avoiding the ditches and trenches. Hands are frozen and feet are freezing.

This goes on for a couple of hours, it’s pitch black.

Around 9:30, after about 2 hours in the dark…I hit tarmac. Relief. I have no idea where I am or what way to go. I’m at a fork. Which way shall I go. There is traffic coming from the North…okay…I guess this is the way I go.

EVERYTHING is frozen on my bike. I have to take extra care…she whines every time I touch the brakes and luckily my chosen route is down down down. Smooth tarmac and shading my eyes every time a car passes to keep my shitty night vision.

Around 10:30 I arrive to a little side of the highway stop…thank god. I ask a shop keeper about zhusu and she directs me. Find a nice quaint and warm place on the second floor. We lock my bike up on the first floor that has a massive pot-belly coal burning stove. My poor bike is so frozen and is crying to me for a cleaning.

I really really thought I was going to freeze tonight. Honestly. It goes down as one of the top 10 worst rides. 1-Cold 2-Lost 3-Dark 4-Frozen Bike 5-Anticipated hitting Urumqi to only take a long way around to get a very short distance from Fukang. I only got 20km West of my morning starting point…after riding in the mountains for over 10 hours! Idiot!!!!!! Masochist!!!!!!!!!!!

Scarf down noodles downstairs while the little boy practices his English along with a video on the tv.

Yeah, I was kind of worried about losing my fingers tonight. I still have all 10…because, well, if I lose one or two…how will I transmit my stories!!!!!

Waking up in the middle night soaking in sweat, wiping it from the back of my neck than I get down to my undies. Which, obviously I wasn’t thinking straight because that is a big no no in these types of places. Gross. Someone send me a home TB test!

…as I prepare the last 2 entries to arrive in Urumqi.

Feist’s “Metals” album is getting a lot of play right now.

2 weeks until I’m out of Urumqi and head towards the Altay region and “try” a Northern crossing into Kazakhstan.

Morning…nice and warm room, don’t want to leave.

Who ever can give the best “What am I thinking?” title to this photo wins…um, I don’t know what…but you win. (Message privately, as some of you do, or leave in the comments.

During the ride I noticed that I’m putting in a lot of power and not feeling a lot of progress. Doh! I have a massive fender icicle. There is minuscule clearance and it’s only getting colder and colder. It’s a big black nasty block of ice.

I had ridden through a lot of open air coal earlier in the day. There were mounds on both sides of me, steam rising into the air. I’m now wondering if this is what triggered the funk in my eye.

It’s still light out upon my arrival to Fukang, and it’s a legit city. So I begin the hunt for a home on the outskirts to find the cheapest place.

Ah-ha! A total hole next to a police station, that’s perfect for a solo babe. And…the 2 flights of stairs are near 2 meter wide…I swoOOoooOOOOosh right up those with my loaded bike.

15rmb and private room…but then the whole police hassle begins.

Laoban takes my copies of Passport/Visa to the station. I have to go to the station with the real ones. Then from there we have to drive over to the main government building. I’m sitting in the back seat trying to count all the times I’ve sat in police vehicles in the past 6 months. Too much police interaction out here.

Then when all that is taken care of they tell me I can catch a taxi back. Um…I don’t think so…you are taking me back.

Home sweet home and there is a about 3 liters of black water under my bike. Ooops, sorry laobanniang.