We Made It!!!!

Sorry it has taken me so long to post this but things have been a little hectic since finishing and to be honest I was making the most of being finished! But here are the final instalments of the daily blog...which will be followed up in a couple of weeks by some retrospective thoughts from home I am sure.

07-Nov-08: First Signs to Beijing
China: Anyang – Rest Day

Our final rest day before Beijing was pretty low key. The story of the day comes from my hunting down a massage as per usual...I presumed a single doorway across the road from the hotel, marked by an illuminated and familiar image of a foot (ie. to denote foot massage), to lead me to a massage parlour. Beyond the doorway was 2 flights of stairs in a dingy stairwell which ended with another unmarked door. Behind the second door was a long hallway which looked like that of a hotel. I pushed the door open and immediately thought to myself ‘I am not so sure this is a massage parlour’ but just as I was about to back out I was greeted by a couple of young girls who confirmed my mimed query about a massage. And so I took them up on their offer.

As I walked inside I noticed a young couple inside a room through a doorway to my right which looked very much like a hotel room...I was beginning to be more sure that massage was not the only service offered in this establishment. I was led to another hotel style room containing a queen sized bed, a single bed and a television and was handed a towel and a pyjama style outfit. After having a cold shower and changing I made my way back to my room down the hallway, passing by a couple of seedy looking fat men in towels on my way. I was joined in my room by a young girl and given a very legitimate and good 90 minute massage. So I left happy, but still certain that the place offered more than just massage!

By accident we found a Peking duck restaurant for dinner and were treated to the whole fine dining experience. Our duck was expertly carved by a chef in front of us and the meat was then rolled up with plum sauce into little crepes by our waitress displaying expert command of chopsticks in completing such a task. It was a very tasty and enjoyable meal all around.

08-Nov-08: Holy Smokes
China: Anyang to Xingtai
133km, 6h 22min ride time

Today was a typical ‘in China’ riding day. The highlight being our post ride venture to find a ‘wang ba’ (internet cafe)...after a couple of failed attempts to enter internet cafes but being turned away it dawned on us that all the power in the street was out. And so we decided to wait inside the doors of one cafe which appeared to have just restored power. As we stood there watching the staff randomly flick switches in an attempt to restore power, there was a loud bang followed by a faint sizzling sound as cloud of white smoke started to surround a nearby computer monitor which had blown up. At this stage we presumed the cafe to be currently closed for business and went back to the hotel!

09-Nov-08: Crazy Game
China: Xingtai to Shijazhuang
115km, 5h 21min ride time

Manon put it well when she likened riding through these cities in China to playing a computer game, with obstructions and challenges being thrown into your path every few seconds. And I think that pretty much sums it up!

10-Nov-08: Medical Mistreatment
China: Shijazhuang to Boading
141km, 6h 31min ride time

Biggest news from today was Mr Mu, our lunch truck driver, hitting a local scooter rider. Ben who is trained in first aid was on the scene and treated the young lady when the accident happened. Apparently she had numbness in her lower back and tingling in her arms so Ben calmed her down and held her still, only to have the ambulance park 30 metres away and yank the patient up by her arm and make her walk to the ambulance!!! Mr Mu and our lunch van were taken by the police at lunchtime and not released until very late in the evening. Poor Mr Mu was very shaken up and upset by the whole episode.

11-Nov-08: Penultimate Day
China: Boading to Goabeidian
65km, 2h 59min ride time

Today was a short riding day, highlighted by an evening briefing on visas and the schedule for tomorrow. Visa’s are looking a little uncertain...with a few unable to get required extensions and quite a few of us on the group visa which needs to be split into individual visa’s in order for us to leave the country separately...will be interesting to see how it pans out!

12-Nov-08: Military Control
China: Boading to Beijing
95km, 4h 45min ride time

The schedule for our final day went as follows:

7.00am – Breakfast
10.30am – Lunch
10.45am – Convoy to Beijing Departs
12.15pm – Photos at Tiananmen Square
1.00pm – Drinks and Nibbles
2.00pm – Slide Show
2.30pm – PBS Visit for Visa extension people
3.00pm – Check In to Hotel
5.00pm – Bus Pick Up
6.00pm – Peking Duck Dinner
7.30pm – Peking Opera Highlights
9.30pm – Bus Return

So our final day instead of allowing us to savour the moment was rushed through from start to finish in Military fashion. Quite a few of us that followed the schedule and ate breakfast at 7am were late for lunch, not being able to ride the distance fast enough to keep on schedule. The whole day was a real anticlimax with no real opportunity to celebrate in a relaxed setting. However, nothing negated the fact that we were finally done!

I always envy and am very grateful to those who are able to sum things up in prose or song and during dinner both Joan and Jost presented their works in summary of our journey...

Melody: I left a little girl in Kingston Town
Written by: Dr Joan

In Turkey we had hills galore
And we huffed and puffed and huffed some more
Bud food was good and weather fine
With bright blue skies and sunshine

Chorus A
But I’m sad to say
I’m on my way
Won’t be back for many a day
My heart is down
My head is turning around
For the Silk Road ends in Beijing now

Georgia was the next in line
But for her we’ll still have to pine
There was a war and bombs and tanks
That we missed it all we must give thanks

Chorus B
But I’m glad to say
I’m on my way
Won’t be back for many a day
My heart is light
My soul is taking a flight
For the Silk Road ends right here tonight

Azerbaijan was a mix
Of bus and bike and toilet stinks
Baku will remain the place
From which forever we will race

Chorus A

Turkmenistan is a strange country
Where no one seems so very free
Ashgabat is a Disneyland
But the desert just filled us up with sand

Chorus B

Uzbekistan was flat, flat, flat
And the Plov and Shashlyk kept us fat
Cotton grew in endless rows
As we pedalled on the Silk Route Road

Chorus A

Tajikistan went by in a blink
But the borders made our spirits sink
Ferghana Valley was very lush
And the new Mercs sped by in a rush

Chorus B

Kyrgyzstan with its mountain height
Made our legs got heavy but our hearts grew light
Such magnificent scenery
But the roads as bad as they can be

Chorus A

China’s still a mystery
Which astounds and shocks continually
From desert plains to mountain shrines
From the bustling cities to the coal mines

Chorus B

Here we are in Beijing
After things that made us cry and sing
The Silk Route will be forever one
Of the wildest things we have ever done

Chorus A

Melody: The Wild Rover
Written by: Stewart Sinclair / Jost Rovers

Well I’ve been a keen biker for many a year
And I’ve ridden my bicycle here and there
But this time I’ve ridden much more than before
And I never will cycle the Silk Route no more

So it’s no nay never, no nay never, no more
Will I cycle the Silk Route, no never, no more

Through many a city in many a land
Istanbul, Ashgabat and Samarkand
To Osh via Kokand and also Kojand
To Kashgar and Dunhuang the Beijing as planned

So it’s no nay never, no nay never, no more
Will I cycle the Silk Route, no never, no more

At the borders for hours and hours we’d wait
And the conflict in Georgia would not make us late
We’ve slept in the desert no showers and hot
No different to some of the hotels we got!

So it’s no nay never, no nay never, no more
Will I cycle the Silk Route, no never, no more

I’ve cycled the rough road and also the smooth
And I’ve dodged the policeman at every toll booth
I’ve repaired the flat tyre, put lube on my chain
But I never will cycle the Silk Route again

So it’s no nay never, no nay never, no more
Will I cycle the Silk Route, no never, no more

I’ve cycled the mountain, the hill and the plain
I’ve revelled in sunshine and frozen in rain
In camps by the highway I’ve put up my tent
And warm nights in hotels I’ve happily spent

So it’s no nay never, no nay never, no more
Will I cycle the Silk Route, no never, no more

At breakfast each morning Ben described the way
And usually Shanny had something to say
Doc Joan took good care of our medical needs
And Miles made a banquet from road-kill and weeds

So it’s no nay never, no nay never, no more
Will I cycle the Silk Route, no never, no more

I’ve cycled to Beijing from Istanbul
With memories fond my head’s completely full
And so I’ll return home with tales in great store
But I never will cycle the Silk Route no more

So it’s no nay never, no nay never, no more
Will I cycle the Silk Route, no never, no more
So it’s no nay never, no nay never, no more
Will I cycle the Silk Route, no never, no more!!!