As I was going to leave the dusty town (after sleeping in a bit and starting way late) I noticed I had a flat tire. #$%! - but then I realize that I am indeed fairly lucky. There was a bike repair shop not one block a way. The guy fixed my intertube, patched it up, and refused to charge me. That was the end of the nice guys -- as I entered the new province and went into Shantau, I had a semi nice trip. I was even able to find a rest stop that had kau ya, (roast duck)- In Shantau I found a good hotel, but they didn't have a very good breakfast, only rice porridge and some pickled vegetables. Leaving Shantau I got lost. Way lost. Apparently you need to take the ferry if you want to go to the G324 and since that was indeed the road to my destination, I wanted to take it. The ferry was kinda fun, until I realized that many of them sink. But of course we didn't. Actually I'm thinking of taking the ferry to Hong Kong. It would give me an extra day of rest and let's face it, ferries are fun.
After such a late start out of Shantou I went into Puning. And had the worst hotel experience ever. (0k not ever, it does get worse after this, but still) Ok the first hotel I stopped in, didn't have keys so you had to get the maid to open your door. There was a guy while I was checking in who kept asking my name (apparently the only English he had) As I was getting my passport and money out he kept hovering -- I had to ask him "duibuchi" or excuse me, several times. He wasn't too happy. The door didn't lock properly and I just didn't think it was worth the money.
The next hotel I went to They tried to move my bike before I even had a chance to ask how much the room was. I wasn't too pleased. So I went on down the road. Found a fairly nice room. I didn't see the sign for the KTV. They played until 3:00 am and some of their singing was truly painful. Then the people in the KTV went to their rooms, shouting and slamming the doors. There were mosquitoes too. I overslept somewhat understandably and went on my way. I was not feeling so good, mostly because the air was hazy and there was garbage everywhere. I've been in China for quite a while and this area is just plain dirty - and I despaired of finding some open road. I rolled into a fairly nice big town around 11:30 and was tempted to stop. I should have. I did take the time to go to bai bai (temple)_ and say hello to the gods and thank them for everything, because although it hasn't been easy and although I had one sleepless night, China has been very cool.
After the very nice biggish city there was open road again. I saw flowers overtaking some of the garbage dumps and even though I know they were weeds, it still made me feel kinda hopeful. The next town big enough for a hotel (two in fact) was small and dusty- I went to the first hotel, and they didn't have any towels. No towels!! They charged 100 yuan and they didn't have any towels ( mind some of the nicest hotels are around 80 yuan). So I asked for a towel. They got angry. I didn't ask meanly I just said please give me one. They said something then got a guy who did speak some English. He said he'd give me back my money and help me find another hotel. Well, I got in the little taxi tricycle scooter truck thing, and he takes me to the bus stop. It is getting to be 4:30 so I'm feeling a bit well, tired and worried. The hotel the guy recommended was 40 km in another direction!! from the one I want to go!
So I go back to the hotel, tell them that that hotel would be not good because I want to go in a different direction, please give me my room back. He said no, and then put me in another little tricycle scooter thing to a hotel in town. The woman at the hotel in town said she didn't have a room. (I know damn well she did, it was a small town and really) I said please, it is getting late and I can't make it to the next town. She said no. I said it is bad luck to turn away a stranger on new year's day. ( although I don't think she understood me.) I want to cry about now. I go to the bus stop and see about getting a bus to the next biggish town. They are finished in that direction. So ... what can I do? I go towards the next biggish town on my bike. (the taxi tricycle scooter truck things can't go that far) I wander into another very small town and ask - is there a hotel? Well, there is. A very nice hotel. Clean sheets. Towels. And the daughter (it is a family hotel) even led me here to the Internet cafe. And it cost only 60 yuan - So I watched some fireworks, and I am about to get ready for another sleepless night (it is new year's and you know the fireworks and firecrackers are going to go on all night). I am seriously thinking of taking a detour to a port town on my map that I think has a ferry to Hong Kong.
However, as I was leaving Puning I did see something. An old woman, she was carrying a bag that was almost as big as she was. It was heavy too, she was almost bent double carrying it. I only passed her, but she did make me see something important.
Despite the flat tires, the bad hotels, the interesting toilets, the mosquitoes, my knees hurting, being tired, the mountain that would not end, the miles with nothing but cows for company, the heat, the sweat, the rain, the mud, the cold, the frustration of not being able to ask for what you want, the noise, the bad traffic, the semi-paved roads, the @##$ jerk who cut me off, the trucks that spew out black smoke, the taxi drivers that take perverse delight in giving you the wrong directions, the wanting to give up because it seems too hard, despite all that, I have it very very good.
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