3rd June - Zhaoqing to Yongfeng

I had stayed up using the internet until 2.30am and so I did not surface till 8.30. Had a chilled morning fixing Rantu's brakes for him on is bike, fixing a bell for my bike and organising photos and blog on the internet. I also managed to get VPN working on my phone so that I will have FB etc while on the move.

Rantu has been introducing me to different Chinese dishes and so last night I bought some Kellogg cereal and we had Coco balls and milk for breakfast followed by a small bowl of porridge cooked with milk and served with brown sugar and bananas. We also had some coffee :-)


After faffing for most of the morning Rantu took me in to town so that I could buy some cable ties. These are the best thing I could thing of to use as a temporary fix for my front pannier rack. After the accident in Nepal the metal bent and it means that the bolt is not holding it properly to the frame and the whole thing is wobbling about. Cable ties work well to fix it in the short term.

I took some photos of the lovely lake and then set off.

I had listened to Rantu about theft and I decided that it would be sensible to keep a spare credit card between my cycling short and knickers. Unfortunately, I then forgot that I had done this and ended up having to fish my card out of a swat toilet with my arm all the way in to the elbow..... Not one of the nicest things I have ever done....


The first stretch of the ride was on the motorway that I had taken from Guoungzhou but it was much quieter than the stretch closer to Zhaoqing. There are mountains surrounding the road and it was quiet pleasant with views of the river all the way. There is a large project to build a bridge across the river.


After about 30km I turned off on a country road "short cut". I could tell from the shape of the road that it would be hilly and probably take longer to complete than going the longer distance on the faster roads but I fancied seeing rural China.


It was a lovely ride through the villages. There were loads of children on bikes that passed me and then turned round to follow me and say "Hello, Hello". The road was also very lovely. It did take me a while though as it was extremely hilly. I only managed about 80km this afternoon.


Just after 6 I arrived in a town and saw a nice clean looking hotel. As I am not sure yet what I can get for my money I asked to see a room. For £7.50 I could get an awesome room. I was not sure how easily I would be able to find another hotel in this small town (or surrounding towns) and so I decided to stay. In the future I know that I can bike until 7.30pm before it is too dark.

I went across the road for something to eat. The people in the restaurant were really lovely. It works well using my English to Chinese translator on my phone to communicate. They took me and showed me all of the ingredients and I pointed at what I wanted. I ended up with a complete feast! It cost £3 and left me with plenty for breakfast.


It was a very hot day today with out very much cloud cover. It does not take long before my cycling tan lines return. Each time I am off my bike I try to wear clothes that mean that other parts of my body get some sunlight and it balances off a little bit. As soon as I get back on my bike for a couple of days they become ridiculous again..... ;-)

A good first day exploring the Chinese countryside.