July 2009 Archives

How does one sum up a cross-china-three-week-cycle-tour armed with 489 pictures, hundreds of stories, thousands of memories, and one, only mildly traumatized traveling partner? I guess we'll find out. That which follows is the story of he Blue Biatch and the Red Rager. - well, the stuff we agreed to tell our parents about, anyways.

For the last three weeks, Jenn and I embarked on easily the craziest thing I've ever done.  Ok, ok, I've definitely done worse; but they are, or have been, single and secluded events, which were then subsequently followed by calmer moments (albeit brief).  This trip, however, was honestly a twenty-plus-day-non-stop-death-wish. It all really got started here, in JiaYuGuan, Gansu province, known as the 'mouth' of China; the Silk Road being the throat into this vast and complex belly and body.

Over three weeks we traveled almost the entire width of China by bicycle, foot, bus, car, taxi, flatbed truck, motorbike, three-wheeled car, kabuki cab, and train.

Armed with a Chinese-only Atlas, a bike, helmet, gas mask, camera, toilet paper, two pairs of shorts, three shirts, and one bra each (don' ask about the rest) - we never got sick of the Chenglish; were overly sensitive to 'helloooo!', drank all consumed calories in beer at the end of every day; speculated on the future of china and in turn the world; had our pictures taken a few thousand times but only signed a number of autographs.

Ate and drank things you don't want to imagine and things you could spend and entire lifetime never getting enough of.  We often rocked an average 30kms and hour on our bikes and felt like machines after 100+km days; then struggled to stay upright on a 3000ft climb whilst throwing up all morning (oh, wait, that was just me).

Stared at into submission; stared at into frustration; cared for like family, yelled at like felons, ordered around like animals; and served hand over head over foot  in order to try to please. 

Met one belly-buddah-baba, a family who'd never seen a camera, let alone mp3 Oakley sunglasses, a mouse, a man with a stick yelling at the white devils to get out of his town, a man who'd never seen foreigners eat with chopsticks, and women who felt the need to teach us how to shower properly.

Lived like queens in moments and then pushed ourselves like slaves in the next; spent too much money or time on some things and not nearly enough on others; and only came near to killing each other a few times (which is saying a lot for two independent-to-a-fault strong minded girls like us).

Saw things most people in the world can't imagine; took part in others most Chinese have only heard rumors of; and paid to see cultural relics any country would beam with pride to have. Buddhist temples, 1,000-year-old Tombs, hairy hay trucks and hanging monestaries - we were into anything unknown, unseen, unconquered.


Cycled along the great wall, Silk Road, yellow river all in one week - rolled on through the Hexi corridor, past the Gobi and Tennger deserts, hiked one of he world's most sacred mountains, and I got to see my first real wild camel in the next!


Yes, we got lost more times than I'd like to remember - roads just end; are closed without warning; massive 6 lanes highways come out of nowhere; and the signs erected in order to notify users of such things are essentially nonexistent.

I tried my best at tour guide and translator, food and culture connoisseur, history buff and rationalizer of all Chinese backward logic (including and certainly not limited to the 'un'cultural revolution, 'communist' party, walking backwards, the one child policy, and split-pants). Jenn tried to her best a letting someone else do things for her for once; and not having to know everything all the time. Sometimes we succeeded, but more than often we failed.

Because of all this, it wasn't just traveling. It wasn't just cycle touring. It wasn't just learning. It wasn't just viewing things and leaving them slightly less ignorant.

 
Instead, it was experiencing; listening; changing; ebbing and flowing; cursing, pushing, falling and getting back up. It was more than most could handle, and less than either of us have been through before. It was a lesson or more in gratitude; another in compassion; letting go; loving, holding back, coping, and putting our big girl pants on. And maybe, just maybe, we learned a few other things on the way too.