We had a great ride going north along a backcountry highway filled with friendly helpful people along side the Danba River. It would be quite a float at a bit higher water as the larger rocks would make it hard to move a raft around, a bit too big water for a loaded IK and not many spots to eddy out to camp. Then you have the dams and big lakes to get across that at times are dozens of km long. I guess if you had the logistics with a local outfit for shuttleing around the lakes it could be done an would be a wild ride. Probably could find something on google about the river. There is also an amazing highway construction project underway up the whole valley. At one point we went thru 2 tunnels only about 100 mtr from each other and the total length was 8 km. Dripping wet, we emerged from the darkness of the MTA! Wonderful orange groves, rice paddies and fruit trees. Just a beautiful valley
We finally go to Lu Ding and tried to check into a hotel and kept getting turned down until we hit an "expensive one" at 140 yen per night. Wanting to find something cheaper we left and the police stopped us and finally let us go but they trailed us around town. Finally a diffrent police lady stopped us, thinking she was going to take us to her hotel we followed and finally were informed we couldn't ride north of here as the roads were too dangeous but they wouldn't say why. We finally just left and decided to ride out of town the wrong way and were stopped again, they wanted to see our map. We showed them and they said we could go at least as far as DanBa. So we headed out with a blustery tailwind that accompanied us for the next three days as we went norht and up. Fiinally stopped at police checkpoint we were allowed no further, actually they would letus go another 20 km but then we had no assurance that we could get a ride, or bus, to return us to LuDing. The police finally agreed to give us a ride back to LuDing yesterday an we chcked into the expensive hotel shortly before the heavy rain started. Lots of snow not too much higher on the peaks outside of town.
As sally notes below the people have been great so far but the general atmosphere in this town is not pleasant, although some of the people have been very helpful. It is disappoinment not to be able to ride the route we wanted but afterall this is China!! I'm not going to let one incident give me a negative iimpression of China overall or this area in particular. It's been a great ride so far and I'm sure the rest will be as well.
We'll try for a bus to Chengdu tomorrow and then plan to ride north to Langzhou in Ganzu province before catching the train to Urumqui. If the bus won't take the bike we'll just have to ride it and that should add about 4 days to the trip and reduce any time in Chendu.
Hopefully we'll take the bus nd get pictures sent within a week. Bottom line: all is well and never a dull day!!
Stan
So Stan and I are now the foreigners not welcome in this part of the world..that is to say Northern Sichuan. We got to with in 20km of Danbao north of Luding or ludig and reached an impass .. a police road block. After many hours and govt officials etc an even after showing them our route and map we were told the whole north of Sichuan is off limits to all foreigners for at least 6 months...and its all a secret but "political."
If you had seen what Stan and I went through to get there. A crazy freeway under constrcution alongside the most beauiful raging Danba river(under damming construction)..an outrageous system of underground tunnels, that we had to go through...rockfalls windstorms etc...this particular area has a strong Tibetan influence and we were excited about seeing prayer flags and experiencing the culture of the area.
Needless to say about now I'm not only physically drained I am emotionally drained. I feel sad and ready to get the heck out of here. Since arriving in Luding the atmosphere has changed and we are only allowed to stay at one hotel in town!! We are backin Luding after a kindly police officer was good enough to give us a ride back to a more central location not to mention it has snowed up high. We will either catch a bus to Chengdu (if we can get the bus driver to accept our bikes) or bike it in that direction and then head north.
"Why are we in China?" the question asked to us and can we see your passport asked too many times is more than enough for me to get away from this region. I am grateful for where I live and the feedom to do as I wish...keep good thoughts and prayers coming our way and to those out there whose voices can't be heard.
This email is still not a refelection on how great the general population has been here...
Sally
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