September 5, 2016
to Shihenzi: just heading down the road
“What a process” Patrick says. Leaving had been almost as difficult as trying to find a hotel that would take foreigners. We’ve been trying to check out of the hotel and get our 500 yuan deposit back for over a half hour.
Finally on the road again, we go about 15kms and come to a parking gas station plaza with shops and nice restaurant in a green area. Yesterday, along the expressway, wild camping looked more difficult to find. If we had known this was here yesterday, we might have continued on and camped here rather than the hassle of hotels in China. The next one of these plazas is 76kms from this one. The landscape turned from desert-like to fertile agricultural with irrigation water interspersed with industrial.
Today was more about making mileage and beating the wind. It’s definitely fall and harvest time. Today we saw red peppers drying in the fields. The vineyards returned and there were huge grape bunches hanging from the vines.
At exit 757, we leave G30 to ride to Shihenzi on 312. Off the G30 corridor, we now went through towns and saw more of daily life. We see 100 meters of corn laid out on side roads drying, pass by huge ceramic jugs, fresh fish in tubs of water being sold by the roadside.
Arriving in town and looking for the hotel that we booked through Booking.com, the GPS led us astray. Patrick asked a local who was very helpful and we go back a few blocks and find the hotel. The staff is extremely friendly and helpful! What a difference in experience from this morning. They don’t have a metal detector, but the security guy at the front door does a cursory review of some of our bags, then allows us to push the bikes into the lobby. There is a quiet corner where they can be locked up. The receptionist and some guy are very helpful. With translation apps on their cellphones they explain we are getting a room upgrade, then escort us up to the sixth floor and our room. For 161 yuan this place is good value: you can find it on booking.com as the Hauteng Hotel, that must mean something like “white horse” because that is their logo.
Just down the road is a fried chicken place where we find chicken sandwiches, fries and soft Ice cream. Later in the evening we take a walk around town, find a take-out sushi place and even locate a Pizza Hut and a KFC. Shihenzi might be a good place for a day-off, but we already have reservations in Urumqi, so heading on tomorrow.
| Heart | 0 | Comment | 0 | Link |
Today's ride: 100 km (62 miles)
Total: 21,774 km (13,522 miles)
| Rate this entry's writing | Heart | 0 |
| Comment on this entry | Comment | 0 |