to another Poplar Grove Camp: met another cyclist!

September 3, 2016

We eat our cereal instead of the offered breakfast that goes with the room. It’s just too early for us to face dumplings and noodles.

“Isn’t that a cyclist ahead of us?” Patrick says and speeds up to catch up. We’d gone about 25kms when we catch up with James a Swiss-Italian who's family runs a garage in England. We ride along together for the next 25kms telling each other our stories. James had met Pierre, the Frenchman we met in Karakol Kyrgyzstan. He had to go to Almaty to arrange a Mongolia visa, but it sounds like we might reach Urumqi at about the same time. The road is much the same, the expressway is a corridor that China has created to get people to pass through but not spend much time. There are few exits, the road bypasses most towns. We need to stop for a food break and James continues on.

At 60 km there is a gas station with shop. We catch James just finishing his break. Our plan today is to go about 90 km, James is pushing to get to Urumqi and has been doing 150-200 km days. We say goodbye again.

Reaching 90kms there is potential place to camp, but the wind has been kind to us and we decide to press onward. There is a gas station that is closed on our side of the highway, and we see James again returning to the road. We catch up again.

The distance on road signs sometimes doesn’t match up, but the distance sign in the middle of the road with the distance to Shanghai seem more consistent. Around distance marker 3900, the new expressway ends and traffic is diverted to the old road. We see a stand of poplars and think this might be a good place to camp. Once back onto the expressway, we would be back to looking for a culvert that would be accessible, since the freeway is fenced with barbwire and some culverts also blocked off with fencing. James continues on again as do we once we check the spot and find it not a good place.

This was fortunate. We passed through a town and many restaurants, so we stop for a noodle dish. Another 7 km, there is a side road leading to another poplar grove. We decide this is about as good as it gets. We are visible if you’d be looking for us, but people seem to mind their own business in China.

We meet antother cyclist! James is headed for Urumqi, on to Chengdu and Shanghai. A lot of desert is ahead of him.

The G30 follows a short section of old road while the new is under construction. We pass through a town and find a nice lunch.

This guy is walking around China. Just as we pull up a car has stopped and hands him treats. He passes on a couple of bottles of green tea.

Our poplar grove campsite for the night. Not hidden very well and within hearing distance from the road.

Today's ride: 121 km (75 miles)
Total: 21,609 km (13,419 miles)

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