The map's end

Rolling into one of the towns on your list at 2:45 presents somewhat of a dilemma. On the one hand you know you can keep going for about 2 more hours. On the other hand you also don't know if there is a town big enough for a hotel within two hours biking distance. ( by 4:30 I am Tired. With a capital T. - and I always want to take a walkabout in the city I stop in because you always find something interesting and it is good for my knee). I decided to stop. Even though I had an extra rest day. After a short walk around town, I realized that the whole town was without electricity. It came back on after 8pm so I was able to take a hot shower. I also had a very good rest. I realized I had made the right decision when a) I found underwear in my size. I know - too much information- but here in China, it is a major issue for me. Even after all my biking I still don't have a Chinese size bum. and b) When I moved on I realized there really wasn't a hotel sized town within 2 hours biking distance. And there were hills (not quite the mountains I had already traipsed trough, but still.....)
I made it to the end of my map. Unfortunately I'm in a rather sleepy dusty little town and I haven't found a bookstore to by a new one. I think I'll just keep on this road until the next big enough town for a bookstore shows up. I still find the choices for the map somewhat strange. There are very small, barely a village towns on the map, and fairly largish towns that are not included. I know there is some logic to the choices, but so far I haven't figured it out.
Till my next post, be good, be happy and have fun.

truckin'

Well, Thank you Uncle David (and if I know them, Aunt Paulette) and Aunt Mary Grace. I am now well rested, soon to be well fed, and on my way tomorrow. I am so grateful that in China, the post office is open 7 days a week, and worst didn't come to worst. And Jane, don't worry too much--
Things I've learned:
1. Always eat where the locals are, the food tastes better and is cheaper, plus you can point to what you want.
2. There is very little correlation between price and quality in hotel rooms here in China. Some of the nicer rooms were cheaper. Also, NEVER get a room in a hotel near a KTV.
3. Chocolate melts. Rather obvious I know, but.........
4. Things always seem better after a hot shower and a cup of coffee. (even if it is only coffee mix)
5. As much as I love China, it needs some noise laws.

And one question-- is it bad when you start singing Chinese pop songs to yourself, even when you don't know the words?

Till my next post, be good, be careful and be happy.

bad karma

sigh. My bad karma is kinda continuing. I am ok, but I lost 100.00USD to a couple of con men from India. I feel so stupid. Thankfully they did not take my rmb (Chinese money) or my passport. I made it to a semi-largish city, got a room, and was lucky enough to run into a very very kind man who spoke English fairly well. He helped me to call my aunt, and to e-mail my uncle, letting me use his laptop when I couldn't find an Internet cafe near by. He then showed me around town and to the cheaper grocery store so I could get some coffee for the next morning. I can't believe I am so stupid!!! Aunt Mary Grace did make me feel better about it, by saying "these things happen, we're just glad you are alright."
I didn't sleep that well of course. But today I made it to Zangzhou, and found a very cheap hotel. it isn't very luxurious but it has the triumvirate of things I need: clean sheets, my own bathroom, and hot water. Tomorrow morning I will check my e-mail for the Western Union tracking number from Uncle David, and then go to China post (sorry David, but Agricultural bank is closed on Sunday, but China post isn't).
Actually I am very lucky if you think about it. I have enough money for tonight, tomorrow night and if I need it, the next night. I have my passport. I am ok. I have family that can bail me out, and I can get the money I need (although I am very irritated that I have to get the money early :( . but I do have the money I need. If worst came to worst I could probably find a school that would give me room and board and enough money for the next leg if I taught for a month. I have a safe place to stay tonight and I will be getting dinner soon. I have coffee for tomorrow morning.
Thank you Uncle David, Aunt Mary Grace and David Lu.
I will post tomorrow and tell you how it went.
Till then, be good, be careful and have fun.

And so it goes

It has been flat and nice, and I'm doing well. So when I get to one small town, past Putian, I decide I can keep going (it was only 12:00 noon)-- first mistake? So I keep going and pass several small towns with hotel/motels. Well, it is getting later and later so I decide I need to stop. I ask a police station, Nali? where is a hotel/motel? I usually have to use a lot of sign language, but it usually works. Not this time. Well fortunately or unfortunately, I ran into a kid about 15 years old he said, "follow me" I know where a hotel is - about 1 km away. Well 1 km out of the way isn't so bad. Ha. after one more hour of riding- I ask - where the hell is this hotel? - We keep going. I ask where we are on the map. It turns out we are about 15 km out of the way, and I'm not so sure I know how to get back on the main road. Hmph. Well the hotel was nice, and relatively cheap and I was about to forgive the kid after my shower. That is when the bad Chinese disco music from hell started. I want to kill that kid.
The next morning I woke up late, and a bit grumpy (not my usual start). Hmph. I make it to Quanzhou, at around 2:00. I decide to stop and take half a rest day. I can't find a hotel. I am starting to worry about getting lost in the city. I did finally find a hotel, for more than I wanted to spend. Then I found this Internet cafe. I almost didn't get on the computer though because you need a special card, and of course I don't have a special card since I'm not from here. Finally I was able to purchase a special card and here I am. I don't know what god or gods I've offended to run into this bad karma - but I will burn some spirit money tonight and hope that it goes away. At least this hotel has breakfast (although I don't really think that it is worth it, the street bouzi are so much better)
I should make it into Hong Kong in a week. (If all goes well)
To be philosophical about it all, I've been traveling a lot, and for the most part, it has been a good journey. Sandy you are right, I am having a blast.
Till I post again, be good, be careful, and do something nice for the next person you see.

Oh yeah

Leaving Ningde was actually quite easy. I didn't get lost once. I was quite happy. It was also semi-flat. I was really happy. However there was one largish hill that I had to climb, but when I made it to the top there was a very sweet, very cute, police man who spoke English and gave me water and oranges. It made my day. From Ningde to Fuzhou is 120 km. I decided to stop at 60 km. The road was pretty easy and only once did I see mountains looming (but thankfully the road curved around them). Unfortunately at 60 km there was no signs of human habitation. I of course, pressed on. I found a nice little town, and a brand new hotel about 10 km later.
The road was again mostly flat and so I was mostly happy. I made it into Fuzhou by 1pm. It is unusual for me to stop that soon, but Fuzhou was one of THE stops so I found a nice hotel and decided to explore. I found three berries ice cream, and melons on a stick. And a few markets although I wasn't really wanting to shop it was nice to go through them eating ice cream.
The weather is getting much much warmer. I'm going to have to be more careful of my skin and sunburn.
Leaving Fuzhou was a bit more problematic. I like the mid size cities the best. The really big cities are much harder to find things in and much harder to find your way out of. I asked around and one very nice young man decided it was easier to show me than tell me. He got on his bike and said "follow me"- He led me to the highway and when I tried to pay him for his time he wouldn't take it.
The road out of Fuzhou has been really nice. A few small hills and some nice scenery. I really like how here in the south they have such pretty gates into the towns and cities. Some are really beautiful.
I should make Putian by tomorrow evening.
Until my next post, be good, be happy and have fun.

In Fuzhou

I am writing from the hotel front desk. I don't want to take too much of their time, so this is brief. I'm still alive, pretty happy and will write more soon.
Till the next post, be safe, be happy, and have more chocolate

All part of the adventure

Sorry I haven't posted in a few days. It has been quite the adventure. I left Wenzhou in good time, and started on the road with the sun in my face and a nice breeze on my back. I should have known it couldn't last. I wanted to make much better time, but the road was under construction, and so it was very slow going. By now none of the signs have any English, so I don't quite know where I was going but it was on the map.
I got into the first town-whose-name-I-don't-know-how-to-say-in-English-but-I'm-glad-I-could-find-on-the-map in the late afternoon. I found a semi-nice hotel that was really quite cheap. I was feeling pretty good until I gave them my passport. This seemed to freak them out somewhat, so they called the police. The policeman had to make several phone calls while I waited, rather nervously. He asked me a bunch of questions, but I'm not sure what they were, as I couldn't understand him. Finally he asked when I was leaving and where I was going. I told him I would be leaving early in the morning and I was headed for Fuzhou. (I'm sure the town had an internet cafe, but after the brouhaha I felt it much safer to just stay in.)
I left very early the next morning. It was cold, but the road seemed flat.
I should have known it wasn't going to last.
I kept going, and then ran into the mountain-that-wouldn't-quit. I'm serious. I went uphill, and uphill and uphill and uphill. The road was really bad in places too. It had been paved in concrete and it was all broken up so that it was like a cobblestone street, but loose. I had to get off the bike and push in several places. This did not make me feel better about making good time on my trip. The road went down somewhat a few times, but it was just a ruse to give me false hope. It would go back uphill very quickly. It was very beautiful, but I still wanted it to end soon.
I couldn't find the town I was finally came to by sunset, it wasn't on the map. I found a room for only 20 yuan a night. It was exactly as you would expect for that price. (and the bathroom is something I never want to talk about again-and I'm traveling in China, so I've seen some "interesting" bathrooms)- however the people who ran the place were pretty cool. The husband had had a stroke or something, he couldn't use one hand very well, but his son was really funny and they invited me to eat with the family. I slept good though, between the exhaustion of the hill and the quiet of the little mountain village.
The next day it went much better, I went down hill much more, but not totally, and although down hill is much more fun than up hill, it is still kinda scary especially since the roads don't have any safety rails and in some places it was a straight drop. It was still beautiful. That day was much easier, but I was still in the mountains so it wasn't really easy going. I did have to push up the bike in a few places just because the incline was so steep. I finally made it to the second-town-whose-name-I-don't-know-but-I'm-glad-I-could-find-it-on-the-map. I was now 80 km from Ningde. It was quite the bustling little burg, but I didn't find the Internet cafe. To be honest I was pretty knackered and went to bed quite early. The hotel used to be quite nice, and you could tell that once upon a time it was quite luxurious. Not today mind, but once. It made me a little sad.
The day started cold again, but you could tell it was going to warm up. It was much more down hill and I even followed a river for most of the journey to Ningde. I still had to climb a bit, but the inclines weren't as steep and didn't last as long. I thought I made ok time. I was very tempted to take a bus when I was 20km before Ningde. ( I was sitting at the cross roads eating some kind of bread with green bean filling that was much better tasting than it sounds, when the bus pulled up.) but I decided in for a penny and all that, plus it was only20 more km. Most of it was flat. I should have known it wasn't going to last. There was one more steep -and I mean steep incline right before the town. I almost cried when I turned the corner and saw it.
Needless to say I made it. I'm in Ningde now, and tonight, tomorrow I will head for Fuzhou, and I'm hoping to make it in two days. I got my bike maintained (brakes tightened, gears lubed, tires checked) and I've checked my e-mail, and I do love you all. Thanks for comments it does encourage me.
I've decided that after all this, I like flat best. Although downhill can be fun, flat is really really good.
Until I post again, be good, be happy, and have some fun.