Last Days in China

Taking up where Sally stopped in Zhange: Lonely Planet says Marco Polo stayed for a year in Zhange and I'd bet that it probably was nicer when he was there, after the 160 km on the bus it was another big busy city. After the solitude we experienced for most of China we decided that there really was no reason to stay in more cities than necessary and since it was about noon we decided to catch the next bus to points north. Almost as soon as we got off that bus we were on another bus to Jiayuguan, a 4 hr ride on rough roads. A nice local lady got us a room in a cheap hotel and we were not bothered by the "Hotel Police". During the bus ride we discussed various options: continue on or return to North America were the top vote getters. We still wanted to check out the rest of the Hexi Corridor and we were a good 1700 km from Urumqi which was to be our last major stop in China all along. We really wanted to take the train but the "booking office" was no help as far a bikes and told us we needed to go to the train station. So we rode across town to the station only to find long lines, no English spoken, and the lines moving slow. We knew that there was an18 hr. "sleeper bus" ride available to Urumqi but after our "sleeper bus" in Vietnam we were a bit leary. After a night of limited sleep we hit the bus station @ 6:00 and were on the bus shortly after. 18hr later, and actually a pleasant ride: bus was not full, few smokers who did move to the front to smoke, all friendly folks, we pulled in Urumqi about midnight and got a room in a hotel next to the bus stop. During the ride we confirmed to ourselves that we just didn't have it in us emotionally or mentally to continue with Central Asia. The Hexi Corridor was a dark, barren, gravelly desert. We experienced cold winds and the occasional break from the flat expanse by going thru hilly/mountainous terrain. However it would not be a fun place to ride a bike as it is VERY dry and water scarce and often a long distance between small, poor villages. The deserts of the American Southwest have a much more varied terrain and much more vegetation. Up the next morning to find a nicer hotel, with computer in the room, and make plans to leave. Not knowing where we were made it interesting to figure out how to get to the part of town we wanted to be in but we finally got close and a local man, street cleaner actually, showed us this place. Nice place but the keroke bar really kicks in betwen 11 pm& 3am and rocks the whole 6 story concrete building, we are one floor directly above. After many hours thru the day and night trying to find a reasonably priced plane ticket leaving in as few as days as possible we were getting frustrated by getting kicked out of websites, advertised fares no longer there, credit cards not being accepted. Finally I wrote my cousin and asked for her help. She got hold of her ex and he had many of the same problems but after countless emails between us as we both were searching we finally got our ticket home. So we have had several days in Urumqi which is a large city with many different ethnic groups which results in a wonderful change to our diet. Apparently a few years ago there was some rioting by different ethnic groups so it may not be quite as "calm and peaceful" underneath as it appears to us. We have had, again, a wonderful experience with the local people. We have gone to the nearby park on top of a big hill a couple times, rode across town (Chinese people here really have no idea of how to drive compared to other cities) to check out the Urgur Market. Not quite what we expected as it has been rebuilt into a big mall; not the old time market one expects to find in an old silk road trading area. Just another big Chinese shopping center!! Also a ride out to the airport to confirm our flights and find out what was required to check our bikes. We were repeatedly told just show up and pay money, no box required. In an optimistic mood we returned to the hotel. Thinking it was all to simple and since we change air carriers in Bejing to Delta, and being leary that Delta would decide they would not take a bike not boxed up, we decided to get a box at a local bike shop. So today we rode back to the shop and confirmed they will save us a box and we'll pick it up tomorrow on the way to the airport. So, we leave tomorrow night for Bejing. After an 8 hr layover and 11.5 hr flight from Bejing we arrive in Seattle at 5:30AM. We leave at 8:50am on the 1st and arrive at 5:30am on the first so at least we arrive younger than when we left China!!! We'll spend some days in Seattle / Tacoma with good friends and then hit the road for 6-8wks of riding in the Pacific Northwest or even further east, as well as including Vancouver Island. We have had a great trip, met many many wonderful people everywhere we've been. We have seen some beautiful countries, had wonderful experiences and even now we long to return to Central Asia, possibly in the late summer/fall of 2013. I don't know that I can say the trip has been "life changing" but taking a trip by bike, to us, is the best way to explore a country, to experience the people, the culture, the sights and smells. It is a slow way to travel and although we had some tough sections physically the real challenge is in the way you approach each day. Keep an open mind to what you may encounter, don't plan to far ahead, don't research your route too much (although we probably should have done more in a few instances) and enjoy the people; they are what make the trip so memorable.