China Day 18 – Chengdu Free Day

While most of the other tour participants went to see the Panda Sanctuary in Chengdu, I decided to give that attraction a skip and just walk around downtown Chengdu instead. A late sleep in since it was a free day and more needed journal updating in the morning making this free day quite a productive one.

By the time I left it was nearly lunch time, and I took a walk to the nearby Jinli Ancient Street tourist attraction. Lots of food and decked out for photos and tourist trinkets, I did not feel it was the right spot to take a lunch break so after a walk around just observing more tourist from different part of China doing touristy things, I took a bus a few blocks away to the people’s park.

Jinli Ancient Street - Chengdu

Jinli Ancient Street - Chengdu

Jinli Ancient Street - Chengdu

My instinct usually works when finding unique food in a new place and I somehow found the local lunch place which was packed with people and runs very old school ushering customers and pushing out orders as fast as they could so they could sell more meals within the limited lunch break.

I got a nice local Pork Trotter which was herbal instead of spicy. I never did expect that since I was in Chengdu and in Sichuan province where everything was perceived to be spicy but then here, I am enjoying a local intangible cuisine that is not spicy.

Lunch in Chengdu

Local Pork Trotter Lunch

Local Chengdu Restaurant where I ate

After lunch it was a walk in the park, and I kept an eye out for the marriage section of the park where there was hundreds of bulletins post for eligible male and female looking for a life partner. 

The people’s park turns out to be a nice escape from the bustling and modern city of Chengdu. A lovely place to take a stroll just watching the locals past time drinking tea in expensive tea house enjoying music and opera or even a nice little ear cleaning routine.

Chengdu Central Park

Locals Enjoying Tea at Chengdu Park

The famous Marriage Market in Chengdu 

From the park, I took a walk to the center of Chengdu not knowing what I would find but was surprised to see a wide-open space surrounded by futuristic museums and a statue of Chairman Mao. The contrast in every other block in Chengdu downtown is striking, and I had barely left the first inner ring.

Continuing the stroll, I ended up in the touristic shopping pedestrian street and while I just walk around observing the people, somehow out of all the modern and big international brands, I spotted the small little shop selling pancakes Chengdu Style. Intangible Cultural Heritage Pancakes. Join the queue and more food was always good.

Downtown Chengdu

Downtown Chengdu

Downtown Chengdu

Intangible Cultural Heritage - Chengdu Pork Bun

The last stop was Anshun Bridge which supposedly a scenic bridge to take picture, but I guess we had seen quite a few of those going through China making the Bridge just another one in China. After that I ran out of time and headed to the meeting spot for dinner with the whole crew.

Anshun Bridge 

I have not met Bing for more than a year, and he had not changed a bit. It was my first time meeting Merry who supported us always via email and group chats and for once it was a rare gathering of almost all the tour participant for a meal. Only Ugo opted not to join as he was not feeling too well.

I kept joking around mostly but had some good catch up with Bing. I wanted a job so bad with his crew. Hire me please, no money involve is necessary, only petrol food and lodgings is all I asked but it has to be legal, a work permit so none of us get into trouble. 

Bing reply was I needed to find a nice China girl to marry first so he can hire me. Work permits in China for foreigners are tough to get apparently.

Travelled on: Oct 2024

China Day 17 – Langzhong Ancient City to Chengdu

All three of us set off almost at the same time. Tsevtan pushed off first but went hunting for Coffee in Langzhong while I set off second and hit the national road going for the more tricky small countryside road that www.drivechina.com recommended for motorcycles. John set off last but he had a big African Twin Bike which could run faster.

My plan was to go for lunch. A good lunch break makes the whole journey more tolerable even with a long tiring ride day. John and Tsevtan was surviving on adrenaline for most parts in China always skipping lunch and having only coffee and snacks. 

Today was also the first time that www.drivechina.com had a lunch optional detour stop so I was 100% sure I was doing that stop.

From Langzhong to Chengdu

From Langzhong to Chengdu

The roads in the morning were through vast amount of countryside farmland. Beautiful cannot be used enough in China to describe the things we see every day. Information overload was more the appropriate words and while certain things become numb, the sensory bliss is somehow never ending.

The AMAP navigation though did bring me to some weird roads through the countryside and at one point I decided to really check the map to see where I was going. AMAP was trying to shove me along crazy winding and small road detour just to bypass a city in the mountains which I of course decided to ride through saving me a good 30 minutes.

From Langzhong to Chengdu

from Langzhong to Chengdu

It took me four hours to get 160km to the lunch detour which was at Santai County Tongchuan Ancient City. Small and not so grand the ancient city was still a sight to see for a good quick walk through. I thought I would be alone but a quick checked in with the whatsapp group and I found Etaine and his family having lunch there as well.

John & Tsevtan quickly send me private message as well to meet up and for once we all had lunch during a ride day together. In fact, it was John & Tsevtan first time eating lunch in China during a ride day. 

Tongchuan Ancient City

Tongchuan Ancient City

They could understand now why I was always stopping for lunch sacrificing time riding in the nightfall later. That food to boost the energy makes the last stretch more bearable.

Tongchuan Ancient city was also weird that most of the buildings were empty and locked up. It felt like a new Ancient City just built and ready to be sold to the highest bidder before opening up the tourist attraction.

While I know that China tends to re-construct almost everything and label it as restoration works, this one felt really weird since almost everywhere in China are built upon Ancient City if you think about it. The main difference was if the city was somehow able to retain its authentic structure throughout the test of modernization.

Riding from Tongchuan to Chengdu

Chengdu University 

Downtown Chengdu

Anyway, after lunch we rode on towards Chengdu. The roads were not as interesting as the morning route and quickly it became a pace and rest kind of ride. John blast off with his big bike and Tsevtan decided to be lazy and follow me instead of working hard trying to navigate.

Reached Chengdu at night and almost repeated the steps of check-in, food and crash but this time we all knew there was a full free day the next day so while both John & Tsevtan woke up early to catch more Panda sights, I stayed in to update the journal and chill around downtown Chengdu.

Travelled on: Oct 2024

China Day 16 – Hanzhong to Langzhong Ancient City

We all know the drill this time after being in China for nearly two weeks now. The plan of hitting the Highway for the first 100km then entering Sichuan Province though the national road was thrown out the window very fast as I reach the toll gate.

The guards and Toll attendant was waving at me from far away as I approached and I knew it was not going to happen. Joe our Guide with Ugo was actually at the toll gate and as I stopped beside them, Joe could not help me as the rules had change and as suspected, no motorcycle on highways anymore in Shaanxi province.

Going up - Into the Clouds 

Getting Higher into the Clouds 

I had been traveling entirely on national roads since Henan province and while it is actually nice routes to do road trips, the pace was punishing and every biker was feeling the fatigue building up. 

Some of the bikers that were major complainers of Highways being too boring in the early days of China are now converted worshipers. They all now had this mindset of playing hide and seek with the toll guard to try and sneak into the highway every chance they could get.

Riding above the Clouds 

That left me and my roommates Tsevtan & John that mostly do national roads and enjoying China tired and exhausted. So back to G108 route and this time we went through a smaller countryside route that took us up into the mountain ridge top, riding along the ridge passing village and small towns among the clouds.

It was spectacular and one of those kinda of moments that required weather to cooperate, and we rode through the spine of the mountain in mystic foggy dreamlike. As usual, I spend way too much time taking breaks and by now there was no doubt or even any more motivation to reach the destination city before nightfall.

I would sacrifice the last 50km to be ridden in the night just past sunset so I could enjoy the whole day more pacing out the ride instead of focusing so hard not to die due to speeding to make up a little time. We did manage to see a little of Langzhong Ancient City at least this time as it was a compact Ancient city and our hotel was just at the entrance.

Langzhong Ancient City

Langzhong Ancient City

Langzhong Ancient City

In China, after a while temples become numb and after even that, Ancient City become something just to find food to eat. The feeling of whoa, ancient city with scenic rooftops completely built in haphazard cobbled stone or wooden structure faded with the sheer number of similar Ancient City that we visit in China.

The minor nuance of the Han style or the Qing Style or the Ming Style Ancient City is lost to us who can’t tell the difference between one or another. 

Hence the repeated cycle with one extra step. Check in Hotel, snap a photo of the streets along the way to food and then back to the hotel to crash into bed setting the alarm for the next day’s ride.

Travelled on: Oct 2024

 

China Day 15 – Xian to Hanzhong

Xian to Hanzhong was a good 340km and I had a feeling that motorcycle could not use the highway anymore in Shanxi. I went for the national road path looking forward to the winding and twisty path that was shown on the map which was a very separate route from the highway, hence once committed there was no hopping back out other than going through.

Route 108 which I would ride for two days in a row was a beautiful road through the mountains and valleys twisting an unimaginable number of turns until I felt a little dizzy myself even as a rider. The temptation to stop every five minutes to take a picture and just enjoy the sights was always dangerous.

Route 108 from Xian to Hanzhong 

Route 108 from Xian to Hanzhong

Route 108 from Xian to Hanzhong

It was a six hour journey today without breaks and every break would eat into daylight and eventually I would have to pay the price later. I am now a season traveler in China I think but even knowing the outcome and punishment that would come later, I took way too much scenic breaks in the beginning.

At midpoint, was a mini detour to see Panda at Foping Forest Reserve Panda Valley. The ticket cost us RMB 50 with another RMB 10 for the shuttle bus and viola we managed to see two Panda. Still a Panda is a Panda.

Foping Forest Reserve Panda Valley

One Panda 

Two Panda 

Paying the price of a relaxing early start, I had to really go for the distance the second half of the day. The roads were punishing at this stage going more twisty but less scenic. It was a enjoyable ride but not one that was possible to be captured in photos. It was either dangerous to stop, or just too large an image to capture even if managed to stop.

Rock cliff overhanging the roads with deep ravine river flowing on the other side made me loose concentration a few times from the twisty road. It was hypnotic in a way but just as the sun was coming down, I was now out of the Valleys and had to ride through small towns all the way to Hanzhong in the night.

Hanzhong City 

As usual case with many cites now in China, I reached Hanzhong and can say that I have been to Hanzhong but barely understand nor visited the city. Checked into the hotel and out to the nearest restaurant before heading back to crash into the bed setting the alarm for the next day’s ride.

Travelled on: Oct 2024

China Day 14 – Xian

An unexpected additional free day in Xian was due to one of the participant Abrar having to do a visa run during the 28 days tour through China. Somehow the miscommunication on the itinerary or maybe due to constant minor tweaks of the itinerary, the crucial day 14/15 fell short of a rest day so Abrar could not fly.

Yassine wanted to keep the itinerary to have more days in Beijing which was also a fair valid point so as both parties pushed www.drivechina.com for making that minor mistake. They came up with an ingenious solution for the whole group. Add another day to the tour for free and that was how Xian had a proper free day.

I was not really bothered to go crazy sightseeing in Xian. Tsevtan wanted to explore on his own so in the morning while he pushed off, I stayed back in the hotel just updating the journal and did much catch up on bills and chores. Just before lunch, I hit the streets to explore the old city of Xian randomly.

Xian Bell Tower 

The random drift ended up being the recommended guide route for some reason. There must be some invisible force at work here but I was shocked to be somehow ending up in a straight path to the bell tower and then saw the drum tower from the edge of sight and walked there to have a look and then saw the crowd of people somehow flowing into this one street and carried me along to the Muslim quarters of Xian.

Xian is colorful for sure and most of the people live their lives among the crazy amount of tourist visiting every year. I kinda like this city for there was enough space within the chaos and the silent moment amass the hectic life movement of people doing business.

Walking from Bell Tower to Drum Tower - Xian

Drum Tower Square 

Local Trinket Peddler - Xian

Xian Drum Tower 

I wandered from the south through the middle of Xian all the way to the north gate, winding left and right but somehow drawn to the north gate wall. There it was a 50-yuan entrance ticket to visit the wall and on top I rented a bicycle for another 45 yuan. I had barely cycle 100m and stop for a photo when I notice at the edge of my peripheral vision that someone was trying to take my bike.

Bei-yuan-men Muslim Culture Street - Xian

Bei-yuan-men Muslim Culture Street - Xian

Bei-yuan-men Muslim Culture Street - Xian

Turned around and there was Tsevtan trying to “borrow” my bike as he said. Looks like we would be exploring Xian together after all or at least the fortress wall. He rented a bicycle as well and it was a slow going ride around back to the south Gate tower. There I exited the wall not bothering to really complete the loop and Tsevtan followed.

I broke off with Tsevtan as he headed back to the hotel for some rest and I just continue to wander some tourist trinket street and finally ending up in Starbucks for a good coffee and rest.

Xian Wall - North Gate Tower

On Top of Xian Wall

Bicycle Rental on top of Xian Wall

By evening I took the subway to see the Golden Crane Pagoda and some fountain show which in my opinion was a waste of time after seeing the first five seconds.

McDonalds for dinner and back to the hotel to sleep and rest up for the next day ride. This was the simple enjoyment of Xian free day. No rush to see things and just a loose walk around enjoying the slower pace not riding for the day.

Subway in Xian

Golden Crane Pagada - Xian

Travelled on: Oct 2024