It’s getting more and more polluted
Everyday we get closer to our destination…Shanghai. The last couple of days of riding have been grueling. The mileage isn’t bad, but the pollution is getting worse as we get closer to Shanghai, the congestion on the roads is intensifying, and the noise is getting unbearable. The combination has made for some challenging riding.
On the road we have averaged between 15 – 19 mph, which is really fast for us. Yesterday, we had the pleasure of meeting our first Chinese cyclists on the road.
Fellow Chinese cyclists showing their support.
It was really cool to meet the local bike riders. One helped me pump up my flat tire on the side of the road…a very nice gesture of hospitality. We shared of travel plans and they all thought we were crazy? And didn’t understand why we would spend our holiday riding such a large distance? But, as they rode away…I think they thought we were pretty cool for doing such a long ride, and if they could they would do the same?
It is very common to see people wearing masks in this area of China.
I also noticed that most of the Chinese riders were wearing masks…and of course we are not.
Some of the highlights of the road in the China… Horns, Pollution, and “Hello!”
Kevin and Ian groove to the sounds of the horns.
The Horns…we have heard every different type of horn known to mankind. Really loud horns, meek horns, high-pitched horn, deep penetrating horns….you get the idea. There has to be some kind of horn honking system here on the roads in the China? Honk once.. to let you know that they coming closer, honk twice… to let you know that they are right behind, and a really long loud honk to let you know that they are passing? I don’t know..still trying to figure out what the need is for all this honking?
Sean trying to solve the horn honking system.
The Pollution….my favorite is when we ride past a tractor like vehicle and its is billowing out black exhaust, and as I pass..the driver shifts into another gear and a huge cloud of black soot blasts in my direction and I get a huge breath of black soot.
Skitching in China, Kevin gets a pull from one of the tractor-like vehicles?
I try not to breath when I am passing any vehicle on the road. Yesterday we saw a overturned truck on the side of the road and they were cleaning up the spill by pumping the mess into another truck. As we passed through the huge cloud of something? No one dared to breath.
"I wonder what the white stuff is?"
More and more factories as we get closer to Shanghai…we were joking about how we haven’t seen blue sky in a couple of days? And we made bets on whether or not we would see blue skies again before we leave China. When we were in Beijing at the beginning of the ride, the skies were clears and sun was shining…upon the closing of the ParaOlympics…it was like they turned the factories back on, and let the cars back on the roads…and the skies have stayed a brownish gray.
The Hello….a turn of endearment, and curiosity…I guess? While I understand that it is the only English the passers may know? Because the little Mandarin I have learned…I have learned Hello…Ni Hao. But it’s getting a little out of hand…these cars, trucks, motorcycles, and cyclists..all line up to slow down and say hello as they pass. I am just waiting to see an accident because of this welcoming novelty of saying hello to us? Don’t get me wrong…it’s very nice, and welcoming that the people even take the time to notice that we are there. The whole interaction is getting comical.
Reidster gets a taste of Chinese hospitality
720 miles behind us, Shanghai keeps getting closer….
Shanghai or bust!
October 6th, 2008 at 5:09 am
is that bulldog on the motorbike?