Light at the end of the tunnel 21/03/2011: Mengla to Mengyang 143.21km

Note to self: I’m bloody tired.

It was a misty morning which meant it was a cool one so at least I was happy but Loon wasn’t so chuffed. We got going, this was to be our last day riding together so it was going to be emotional but I managed to persuade Loon to cycle up to Kunming with me, speaking and reading Chinese he’s a useful guy to have around. We were riding on the highway where bicycles were not allowed but the highway seemed much safer to me than the old road. The old road took a much hilly route, is much narrower but the traffic is still just as heavy with speeding trucks using the whole road and giving me a few close calls, where as the new road (which is so new it doesn’t appear on any maps we have or even my GPS or Google Maps) goes over any valley and through any hill. The road never goes up too sharply just long and gradually. The only down sides are the tunnels which are also the up side, it’s a real thrill going through especially on the downhill, one big tunnel went downhill and I raced through at 45kmph, also the tunnels are great shade from the days heat which was up to 39C today, the other down side but again source of fun is the toll gates, the challenge is to sneak through using a truck as cover, nobody seems to really care but they have to be seen to do their job so if they can they’ll stop us but once through they don’t care. At one toll gate I grabbed a tow on a truck to the amusement of the driver and left the toll people with their jaws on the ground.

The days riding really was tough today however, the roads would frequently climb up and over 1000m then drop sharply for about 7km, a head wind didn’t make this any easier but it gave some stunning scenery but left my cycling jersey with lots of salt lines. With 30kms to go the road just went up and up and up. It really was a tough end but the last 12kms we were rewarded with a never ending down hill to our final destination for the day. At this point we still thought it was our last day riding till I cut a deal with Loon that I would take a bit longer time cycling up to Kunming and he would ride up with me, goodbyes are hard on the road it’s the downside to travelling so if you can put them off you do but this will mean from Kunming to Shanghi I will have to push hard to get there before my visa runs out.