First a brief summary from WuWei. The altitude there is about 5000 ft. and from there to Lanzhou, it goes up to 10,000 ft, and then back down to 5000. The first up stage is pretty gradual, and the first day I gained 2000 ft in about 60km with the help of a tailwind.
According to all my maps, there is a town at 9000 ft, which I planned to stop at the next night, then tackle that last 1000 ft the next day, and enjoy the downhill run after that. But there is a new limited access road. Still only two lanes, but smooth, and I think with more gradual grades. After I got on this, I could see the old road going through a town off in the distance and then the two roads came side-by-side for a while, but no way to get from one to the other.
A little further on the two roads went their separate ways over the mountain and I never did see a town. There might be one on the old road, but I'll never know. In fact after I coasted for a couple of hours after reaching the top, I finally came to a town with the name of the town that all the maps showed was at the top of the mountain. Anyway, it was nice riding on the new road. It was smooth, and I didn't have to use my brakes on the way down.
From this town, TianZhu, the sign said it was 140km to Lanzhou. Should I try to make it in two longish days, or three short ones? One map showed a town that looked about halfway, and I asked the English-speaking policeman who came to my hotel room how far it was. He said 100km. The next day I asked a shop keeper on my way out of town, and he said 50. Who knows? But I decided to stay on the old road in case it was somewhere closer than 100. By the time I had gone about 60km, it was getting on to mid afternoon, and I knew that I was not going to go 100 that day so I decided to stop at the next village that had a hotel. That happened in the next 5km. If I can make a distinction, it was more of a motel, very basic, and catering mostly to truck drivers. But the beds were OK, and the price was right.
As I was coming into town, I heard traditional Chinese music coming from some loudspeakers near the road, but didn't pay much attention. There are lots of loudspeakers in China. But as soon as I agreed on a price for my bed, and got assigned a room, even before I could get my helmet and gloves off, this guy came and started telling me I should go with him to drink something. I wasn't sure what, but it turned out that he was talking about tea.
We went across the road, and back about 100 yards to where the music was coming from. Turns out it was live music from the local meeting hall. The place was filled with rows of tables and people sitting at the tables on stools drinking tea, and watching the stage (a part of the floor at one end, raised about 9 in. above the rest of the floor). There standing, was a woman singing in the traditional Chinese style, with squeaky voice. She was being accompanied by traditional Chinese clickity clack percussion, with gongs and cymbals, plus the two-string Chinese violins whose name escapes me, plus a hammer dolcimer.
Besides those at the tables, there was a whole crowd standing in the back, and kids standing on the window sills, looking in from there. But when they saw there was a foreigner in their midst, they gave way and sat me on a stool in the aisle. Then my host suggested that I take pictures, so I had to go back to the bicycle and get my camera. Left helmet and riding gloves on the stool, so everybody would understand that I was coming back. And by the time I got back they had a real folding chair in the aisle, right up front. Besides the performer, I was obliged to take photos of the two groups of accompanists.
At first I thought there was some kind of traditional play going on, but the woman finished, everybody applauded (politely) and then an MC got up and announced the next person. The host said I should take her picture too, and all those that followed - finally he left, or I would have run out of film. Turns out that it was a local talent show. Whoever wanted to perform got themselves on the list, and then told the musicians what they were going to sing and off they went.
After about two more of these, people started looking at me, and the MC addressed me directly - mostly in Chinese, but with "Welcome to China" stuck in in English. I concluded that it was my turn to take the stage, so I did. I said a couple words in Chinese, then some more in English, and then sang a song. The accompanists couldn't help, but the audience clapped in time with my singing. What did I sing? I have never been good at popular songs, and don't know the full lyrics to any, but once upon another time many years ago I was called upon to do something similar at another talent show in China. The only song I could think of that I knew all the words to was "Workin' on the Railroad." It worked then, so I did it again, and it worked this time too.
After my turn was over, the Chinese took over again, and went on and on. Finally just before I was ready to leave regardless, it ended. I got up to go, but they said I should stay and eat something with the rest of the performers. I did, and then went back to the motel where it was more or less quiet and I could be on my own again.
Next day, sign said 82km to Lanzhou. I figured if I got on the new road again, I could do that without too much difficulty so next time there was a chance I did. But instead of following the same river valley with the old road, and continuing mostly downhill, as it had since TianZhu, it immediately started going up hill. Turns out this is where the planners decided that the new road should go east over two small passes to join up with the new airport expressway. A tradeoff that I guess I came out ahead on. Some climbing, but not more than half an hour each, and smooth descents on the new road. But in the end that only lasted 40km, and then it was back to bumpy roads because the expressway is not finished yet.
Maybe you are still wondering why a policeman came to my room, or maybe
you have already forgotten about that. Turns out he is the policeman in charge of foreigners, and he had a copy of my hotel registration with him. From that, I guess that most hotels pass these on regularly. But this is the first time anyone has followed up. I think they don't get many foreigners in this town, and he was just looking for something to do. He asked for my passport, looked at it for a while, and thought he had found something wrong, but after I showed him that I was in fact legal, he got ready to leave. It was then I asked him about the town on the map. I figure if he is going to disturb me, as I am writing in my daily journal, I should get some good out of his visit.
But here I am, rested and ready to move on and see what Eastern China
is all about.
And best of all, the package of things that Ruth sent to replace stuff that I didn't think I would run out of, but was going to after all, arrived at the local post office, and I picked it up earlier this afternoon.
I am not sure, but I think acess to email may drop off for a while, as I am going to take a less main route from here east. But if you feel like sending messages, I will get to read them eventually. (:-) All for this time.
Dale
