Plum, plum, plum… The water is warm like soup, is probably the 30 degrees even though it was dark .. What a strange feeling. The sound of the sea is one of the most soothing sounds and even on the horizon of the right and left hanging heavy clouds, flashes and lightning pound, full drama of shares – here with me nothing, drought. I'm standing on the beach in Hua Hin on the Gulf of Siam, some 200 km from Bangkok and frankly I'm a little touched. No, This is not a dream, after a few months spent on the roads of Asia arrived over the sea. Experience 1 day, 1 night, but it has. I'm not a fan of sunbathing and more and so would probably tired of me.
Coming out of the airport in Bangkok immediately fell into a dense, heavy, almost impermeable moist air oxygen. Phew ... In a few seconds I was wet and I remember why I ran away from Thailand.. This time of year there withstand hard, eh, it's not for me. Windmill in my little room the size of a cell is only grinds hot air. Is there somewhere conditioning??? Here it is, only peace would be much more expensive, well, Obed these days without.
Strange is almost 2 months found again in Thailand. 2 Flight time is almost 2 months of pedaling. I have, therefore, your traffic conversion: 1 hour by car = 1 day on the bike. 1 hours by plane = 1 month pedaling. Not bad, be useful in planning for the future.
But I like Thailand and the 1 day by the sea gives me a tiny foretaste of, what this country is identified - beautiful beaches, good food, nice people. Yep, Now after a month spent in China even more appreciate the fact, that you can communicate with almost any, I am pleased to, that no Charcha, do not spit, there were leaving me insolently and rudely on the street and do not primarily holds fuming butt in the teeth. Yep, This really bothered me in China, but nevertheless admit, with it certainly, next to Burma, the most fascinating country in this journey. In Thailand, everything is easy, even too easy. Is it so, that the longer the journey the greater challenges we are looking for?
This trip is also learning myself and some exploration of his place in the world. I already know, that in the tropics do not feel good. Dot. Looking further.
A week ago, the plan was, not to dig up the valley of the River Hong He, ie. from 200 meters 1800, So I decided to carry each other, bicycle and bicycle belongings bus. Well, From time to time, after all, you can make life easier. Making sure the previous day at the station, it will not be a problem happily arrived at all-not-so-early-morning, then the driver one by one throwing only look at my bike shook his head.
"But how? After a ladder on the roof?"I insisted.
In the Philippines, there is the most traveled my bicycle. That's a big? Well yes, small he is not. After two hours I gave for winning. There is no! Itself must climb, non-.
And all went well, until fate threw me on the path number 323. Way number 323 remember very well, because it was not the way, but some horror - road works fully, as my eye completion date around the year 2020. Pit, rozjeżdzona, dusty, skimming engines and the rolling heavily panting truck.. The only alternative to highway road turned out to be almost impassable. I found, that in total can try your luck on the highway and innocent face, staring at the horizon I passed a gate and guard booth. Relieved said hello smooth surface. My happiness did not last long - a few miles away at me waiting police car, and Mr. authorities politely reminded me the truth – besides the obvious – that the highway bike niet, but they take me to the next exit. Uff, this is good i, These dozen kilometers.. I remembered, with this myk was already by my predecessors used eg. Rysiek the entrance to Beijing boasted quite a ride bitch to centrumJ). But most important is, the seats are nice and not wlepiają. I also hope, that after 20 km rod nr 323 znormalnieje, I really wanted to get to Janshui, To my journey before nightfall - simply afraid to ride in the dark and that I never do. Well, my hopes were dashed, and fate had it otherwise. Slipper in the rear wheel and the second within a few days forced me to spread the workshop on the now famous road number 323. I wanted, I really wanted to grab some opportunity, but no one was interested in passing by. Within a 150 meters workers bustled, zerkali, wgapiali even, but none of them came.
Well, after all, there is no obligation. She wanted the blonde to wander around on a bike after China let it copes.
Tube replaced, budge, I tent to pitch here there is no chance. Around some grooves, Chunking and dark forest.. but somehow it goes. I appreciate the importance of good lighting and my bike light, powered dynamo, moreover,, is listed on the medal. Fiu, fiu, fiu! It's cool. I'm not afraid. After a few kilometers in the darkness I reach the Janshui. Next scout badge earned!
The town Janshui touted by guidebooks as one of the few in Yunnan, tone that has kept the province, authentic architecture and did not give up mass tourism. It is true. Walk I pass the old, characteristic "authentically Chinese" buildings, I visit the second largest temple in China Konfuncjańską and restored estate landowner. I am a tourist full fledged.
Time is running out, road to Kunming is still hilly and far, So again I try to transport happiness - this time I put on a train. We managed to! Mam tickets, but, but a ticket is not everything must first get on the platform. At the entrance stands a few uniformed full okarabinowaniu which already makes, I feel uncomfortable. Then, so as to be at the airport to scan all the luggage and yourself is a scanned or would be. Hmm.. something wrong? Mr. cop with a straight face tells me to open the pouch. So, yes, I got there a little almost empty gas cylinder, I am carrying are from Thailand and passionately save for a rainy day.
"You can not carry? Gee. But, sir, It is cooking! Here is the stove, such palnik, so it seems.. There is no way? But, sir, you can to give the conductor a deposit and then pick? Because I really need this. You can not ..?” Aha, it is stuffed, I zezłoszczona these exaggerated controls.
But then I remember, that very recently, Just a few weeks ago at the beginning of March, just at the train station in Kunming, where I'm going there was a terrorist attack Chinese separatists – been here zasztyletowanych 29 people and many injured. Innocent people died waiting for a train. Last month also something on a smaller scale happened in another Chinese city - made it, that the public places in large cities are controlled by armed police and military. Well enough, do not cry over this bottle.
To Kunming I reach a little earlier than planned, but it does not matter a great family of Warmshowers, who me there guests. Mam farta. I'm getting is a separate apartment, three bedrooms, two bathrooms, you can chase and play at blind man's buff. Wow! I feel like a princess or would be as it says Mira- Countess of any. But this is not the end of surprises. It turns out during a conversation, that Jonathan and Annie are working for the same organization as Suzan Nan and I met a few days earlier in Lüchun and who hosted a birthday party and her daughter are the owners of the house, in which I was! I think, it's an amazing coincidence, in 7 million city which is just Kunming meet their.
The apartment is great, but the movement of the bike after the Kunming drives me into a frenzy. The lights at intersections are obviously for decoration, that could be purple or blue, invalid - and so no one is paying attention. If someone again he blow my ear, right side wyminie, enters from the opposite, replace the road, to be the first - I swear, and I'll get slaughtered, pierce the tire, butt hole and Sears!
Surprisingly, she becomes the victim of my thoughts złorzeczących. Unable to break through the canal bike coming down the sidewalk and bike run. It is full of spaced stands, difficult to maneuver.. Inadvertently deducted pedal a woman.. sorry, I'm very sorry, but I do not care it is. Potok Chinese words, reproach and rage in his eyes. Female copies bike, grabs the steering wheel without letting me go somewhere and call. Hmmm. This is the first unequivocal symptom of aggression, what meets me in this journey. Well, let him call, what I can handle? Maybe I was the 50th person, which knocked her that day and for me to have focused. In the end, a woman forgives, but it is very unpleasant, very. Longer want to go as soon as possible.
Here we go! After resting a little bit of rowerowania, although zmęczywszy very still planning, which for various reasons were much, I'm on route. Time to start chapter China - Part No. 2. On horyzoncie 3 and 4 Yunnan and Sichuan thousand-, Tibetan village and no less than 3 weeks to move off to the next stop called "visa extension". Keep your fingers crossed!
Ps. I promise, that the next entry will mealtime J