20km Never Felt So Far - From the Compound to the World - CycleBlaze

June 4, 2022

20km Never Felt So Far

Recovery Ride #4

The feeling of getting out of lockdown felt tenuous, not certain.  The news reported several local cases 'in society' and they were reverting back to early March tactics of quarantining close and secondary contacts as well as sealing off partial areas.  Was this whole thing going to rebound again?   And if so, what was the point of the past 60-day lockdown?  All this was happening on only the first two days of 'freedom'.  

At our compound, the gates were still closed and you had to check in and out with the guards by scanning the 'location code'.  As well the software to register my covid tests was not working.  Many people would question why my tests weren't updated when in fact they were.  I didn't feel safe in this compound.  Now that's an understatement of the century.  It was fitting that my wife and I would visit her parent's place in the suburbs.

We took a taxi but I was blown away at how far this short 20km distance was.  It might as well have been in another province.  This underscores the separation that the lockdown had done, as many people had not seen their relatives for over two months.  I brought my passport and valuables with me in case they would lock the downtown compound again.  Hopefully not but you can never know.  We would be much safer in the suburbs.

Room with a view
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Besides this, the Montague folding bike had been stored here since pre-lockdown and it needed some fixing up.

The Montague needed a lot of work done. Not ridden since February
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I fixed up the bike reasonably well by myself but it'll need to get taken to the shop for more repairs.  It was time for a short 20km tootle around the suburban neighborhoods.

Time for a much needed coffee. International chains just reopened today
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Delivery packages for an absolutely massive compound. I could only imagine what the logistics were like at the height of the food shortages
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Now that's what I call a compound! 30+ blocks, estimate over 5000 people living there. On the plus side, if you were allowed 'zoo animal' status, you could plan a network of compound bike rides and runs within the confines that could span many kilometers. But there would be new covid cases every day and you'd likely be confined to your apartment anyway.
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The weather was perfect for this ride.   This was technically a holiday so more people were getting out and commerce was notably increasing around the area.  The large Starbucks stop was heavenly with the hazelnut latte.  The way it works as always, you need to scan the location code to enter the premises and then it's still takeout only. 

The bike riding felt effortless and while I could easily crack way more than 20km I wanted to ease into it slowly. 

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Don't look at me, you've got testing to do
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Construction sites were always a hotbed of covid cases. Many dorms were boarded up
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Bread in ample supply. What a sight! One slice of this (not a loaf) sold as much as $20 at the worst of the food shortages. It's a nightmare I never want to see again
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Friends even told me I'd be crazy not to stock up on bread now while it's available again.   They are all sounding the alarm for an immune return to lockdown.  It's a terrible way to think after only day 3 of freedom but who can blame them.  It's PTSD mentality we're all suffering from now.

For those expats who are making an immediate break from China, my advice is get to the airport now while you still can.

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Today's ride: 20 km (12 miles)
Total: 276 km (171 miles)

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