Four Bags and a Bicycle: July 2011

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Conquering the Gobi

Introducing desert Jenna, action figure set to be in stores by Christmas.

A small village along the railway.

I made out better than this guy.

Another small town complete with water!

Great set for a cheap horror flick.

I guess this guy had enough.

I did not ask how much love for 95 grade for fear intentions might get lost in translation.

Mongolian countryside complete with a ger.

Scenery finally begins to change.

Mounds of rocks and flags signal the top of a short climb.

Hi Mr. Khan!

Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Mongolian Border to Sainshand

Its a desert alright!

These guys led me to water.

My first Mongolian sunset.

This was there idea not mine and I do not think
the horse was too fond of it.

Fetching water!

Camels!!!

Just me and the horse in the early morning.

Firstly there is free internet access (I missed facebook) and there is a giant desert here and apparently there is no water in the desert, which makes for tough cycling as one might imagine. Lonely planet refers to the Gobi as one of the harshest environments on Earth, I agree with them on this one. All I manage to think about on the bike is water and when I try to think of something else it usually ends up being ice cream, rivers, or lakes. However, there have been a couple random wells that I have found either by following the herd of horses or being whistled over by a nomad or I have stopped at a random ger and asked for water and they provide it for me. I am not sure these people know how much I appreciate there water.
At this point I think I am a bit crazy, but the feeling of camping with no one for miles and watching the sunset or sunrise in complete silence is pretty spectacular, its far better than watching it from a crowded train. Basically my main goal everyday is to survive and I do it well I must say. I pack 12 liters of water on my bike along with food provisions like peanut butter, jam, bread, tuna fish, oatmeal, and noodles. This all makes for a heavy load, but when I think of dumping things I say "Jenna its a f***ing desert, you need this stuff!" The animal skeletons are also a reminder.
I am currently in Sainshand and will continue my journey north where it becomes less deserty, but its a bit hard to motivate yourself to go back in the desert where there is nothing for miles and miles. Oh well I signed up for this and I can't wait to see my next town equipped with lots of cold things!!

Monday, July 11, 2011

China Recap

China provided me with a little bit of everything and I had mixed feelings about leaving. The route from Litang to Chengdu (Suchuan-Tibet Highway) provided amazing and not so great moments. The amazing being the Tibetan people, fellow cyclist, the scenery, and climbing heights that a year ago I would have laughed if someone told me I would climb 4000 meter mountains and love every minute of it. You may have noticed two other "lawai" (white people) in my photos, they are John and Emily (my support team) from Oregon. The picked me up off the streets of Litang and invited me to join them on the road towards Chengdu. They are awesome people who have been on the road for over 18 months you can check out their adventures at www.atourownpoace.com. The most trying parts were the muddy,dusty, potholed roads, rock slides, trucks, and army convoys. When all these elements were combined it made for trying days and moments, but I managed them all without ever throwing my helmet at anyone or anything even though I wanted to a few times :)

As my visa began to expire in China I was forced to take a train from Chengdu to Hohhot. Trains are usually booked in the summer so I had to take third class. The ride was 43hrs with people spitting on the floor, throwing trash out the window, and packing the aisles. It was that bad and made me ready to get out of China. I eventually did make it to the border with hours to spare both cycling and riding buses. Public transportation reminded me why I am choosing to cycle as much as possible, being trapped on trains and buses is like having your freedom taken away. Despite the hectic last week of racing out of China I truly enjoyed myself there and would cycle there again without a second thought.

Special thanks to couchsurfers Bill (Dali), Dhane (Chengdu), and Jenny (Hohhot) for welcoming me into your homes. Also, to all the friendly people along the way who helped me out or just welcomed me with a smile!!