Directed by
Jason Reid
Produced by

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SIMATAI

We finally made it!!

Actually, it was two days ago that we made it to athis epic location below a section of the Great Wall. It was called Simatai and although the resort was very touristy we were able to enjoy some of the comforts we all left in the states. Jason was able to order up a dainty looking espresso, Sean was able to find some ice cream, Ian was able to take some long undisturbed shots, and I was able to have an ‘icy’ cool cerveza. It was an absolute pleasure sitting around with the team chatting about our experiences and reactions to the tour with the Great Wall in the distance at sunset. Surreal!

What were they thinking building a wall on top of that mountain!

What were they thinking building a wall on top of that mountain!

Our fearless leader!

Our fearless leader!

One of my favorite experiences over the past week has been learning about and getting to know our terrific tour guide Doven Lu. He is a young energetic fella who shares the same love for cycling as I do. Doven always says, ” I want you to enjoy the cycling,” and that’s what we are able with him guiding the way. Doven translates, schedules, makes reservations, finds us water, checks into hotels, teaches us Chinese, picks up girls (kidding), keeps us safe, and the list goes on. He told me he chose to join this tour because he wanted to “do the extreme” and added that this 28 day tour “is extreme!” He’s a great guide, a great person, and so far he is our savior.

Tonight we’re gearing up for our 100 mile day that leads us out to the coast where there should be flatter roads and we hope less pollution. Oh, forcast for tommorrow is rain, rain, rain! Sweet?!

Kevin takes in Qin Long!

Kevin takes in Qin Long!

This entry was posted on Sunday, September 21st, 2008 at 10:57 am and is filed under on the road. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

170 Responses to “SIMATAI”

  1. lauren Says:
    September 21st, 2008 at 10:14 pm

    how amazing!! so cool to see you on such a crazy trip…enjoy every moment 🙂

  2. SleepyHead Says:
    September 23rd, 2008 at 2:13 am

    K-Pao, I highly recommend seeking out a massage parlor. Very soothing and sure to Please. You know it!

  3. Camp Jones Says:
    September 23rd, 2008 at 10:01 pm

    no doubt. why they heck did they need to build a wall on the mountain. Amazing! Doven is the man. Hey Reidster have you made the Doven/Dove connection yet? church gangsters keep on flashing the colors.

Man Zou is a common phrase in Mandarin. It is more of a philosophy than anything. Man Zou literally translates to "Walk Slow."

"Slow and steady wins the race," they say. This is at the heart of the meaning of Man Zou. Walk slowly and you won't fall. Act carefully and you won't go wrong. A slow walker is faster than someone who walks fast but always has to stop and rest. Persistence is important in learning or doing anything.

To explain a little more in depth, read this quote from The Challenge of Trekking in China by Kyle Acierno:

"I recently underwent the most thorny, intricate, and demanding trek of my life. China is no walk in the park. The county is extremely diverse, and with diversity comes complexity. There is no smooth road laid for backpackers and attempting to do anything or get anywhere can be incredibly arduous...I really needed a break and I didn't know where I would be next. I sat down to a plate of rice noodles and peanuts. A hardy meal for a hardy man. A giant of a woman served me, but with her giant body came a giant heart. With a quick phrase that I have become accustomed to, she filled me with self-assurance that I needed for the rest of my trip. ?Man Zou!? she shouted with a big smile on her face. This literally translates to ?Walk Slow?. To me this means more then just ?be careful.? To me this means take the time to see the wonders of life. The power it gave me changed the rest of my trip. From then on everything went smoothly...I learned a lot from this Trek. I learned the beauty that exists just off the beaten track. I learned that anything amazing takes time. I learned just how much you could learn from people without even using language...By taking the time to notice all the small things in life you can really appreciate who, where, and what you are. Patience, persistence, and practice makes perfect."