Day 2, Saterday 6 January:

From Don Muang (Bangkok, Thailand) naar Kunming (China)

After that we went to our Hotel Camellia. We did find it soon. We checked in and left our bicycles at the bicyclestand under the good care of the guard. After that we went to look for the business room to send everybody an email and to work on our homepage. We quickly put our impressions of the first day on the www and now we will go to the bar of the hotel to enjoy a beer after a journey of 36 hours. And after that we probably will sleep well.

Kees busy to find out how to handle a Chinese keyboard and mouse

Restday in Kunming

This evening we had diner in the by the Lonely Planet mentioned Cooking School that was just across the street. We ordered 4 bowls with the local speciality over-de-bridge-noodles. After that we went prepare for tomorrow; our first day on the bicycle to pack our bags.

Day 4, Monday 8 January:

From Kunming to Yuxi (133 km)

Today we got up at 7 O'clock, attached our bags to our bicycles and had a continental breakfast (you know a western dish with a black coffee, two pieces of toast, an egg and a little marmalade). Not really an ideal breakfast for a hard day on the road. We said goodbye to the man that took good care of our bikes and headed for Yuxi. We left the hotel around 8.00, rush hour in Kunming. Therefore it took us more then an hour to get out of Kunming and out of the crowds. We saw some nice things on our way out. For example all the staff of a big shopping centre busy with their daily morning gym on the street. Maybe that would be a good idea for the Netherlands or another western country.

After that we went to look for dinner. We looked everywhere (incl. the red light district) but concluded that the best restaurant was just around the corner of our hotel. When we entered the local youth immediately invited us for a cigarette and a glass of Yunnan red wine. As you know by know Rob doesn't smoke, but likes to drink so we did not offend them. In the meantime diner was served. 12 barbecued sticks of meat that were prepared by the chef of the restaurant on a fire outside. They were spicy. Too spicy according the two brothers and they decided that one kind of meat was definitely dogmeat. But how can they know, although they have had some dogs as pets in Holland.

Day 5, Tuesday 9 January:

From Yuxi to Tonghai (71 kilometer)

Rising late means leaving late. Because we also had to go to the local supermarket to get food for the day we started around 09.00. We chose to take the touristic route from Yuxi to Tonghai. So first going East to Jianchuan and then South. The first kilometers we enjoyed the smog that is present in all the big towns in China (in Yuxi probably caused by the huge cigarette factories that we passed). Soon the surrounding were very beautiful (nice pine forests and great views). We had to go uphill so we had even more time to look around and enjoy it. Later we passed through an undulating landscape that was not that green anymore. However, it was interesting to see layers of coal surfacing and the accompanying industries. Maybe because of these industries also the villages along the road were less beautiful then the ones in the beginning of the day.

View on our left side

Lunch on our way from Yuxi to Thonghai

View on our right side

After Jianchuan we got the pin on our nose. They were constructing a new road. Everything was just one big cloud of dust. The combination of unpaved surface, passing trucks and the gradient made that it terrible to cycle. It was only 3 or 4 kilometers but it looked like 30 kilometers. It took us more then 1 hour to pass this construction pit. When we reached the top the road was normal again and we could see Tonghai. Although the signs told us it was still 17 kilometers the good road made it rather easy to cycle. The only thing bothering us was the headwind starting at 12 O'clock sharp, just as yesterday.

Under construction; the road between Jianchuan and Tonghai

Marcel bites dust

After the dust almost in Tonghai (on the other site of the lake)

The hotel was recommended to us by the Dutch guy we met in Yuxi. It was an expensive hotel; about 140 Yuan. But the showers were hot and just what we needed to wash away all the dust that accumulated on our bodies in the dustbowl. The hotel also had a business room with internet so that we could tell everybody at home of our progress. We took a quick shower and went downtown to wander around the alleys with their old shops and houses. We also went to see the Western Hill Park. But the steep stairs and the upcoming darkness made us decide to quit after an hour and to sit down in a nice cafe. Here we tried some different kinds of Chinese. After this stop we went back to the hotel to eat. But all the restaurants closed already and the only restaurant open was the noodle shop opposite the hotel.

Now we have to go to bed because it is already 11 pm and 6 am the alarm will go off.

Day 6, Wednesday 10 January:

From Tonghai to Jianshui (86 Kilometer)

We learned of the days before and took off early today. (a quarter to eight). We cycled a little over 80 kilometers and as our friend Fritz told us before most of it went downhill making it a rather relaxed day. The nice thing about days like this is that you have all the time to enjoy the surroundings both by looking around during the ride and during the frequent stops. Today we met our first fellow cyclists; a German couple. They were on the road for six months already, having cycled from Germany to China through Russia, a total of 60 000 kilometers. We had to confess that we were jealous. Making such a wonderful trip and having so much time for it. They were on their way to Vietnam so our ways had to part soon. Taking it easy all the way made that we arrived in Jianshui rather late. After we checked in to the Garden Hotel we went for a walk before having diner and going to bed. However, Rob went to bed immediately because he didn't feel well.

Day 7, Thursday 11 January:

Restday in Jianshui.

Day 8, Friday 12 January:

From Jianshui to Yuanyang (84 kilometer)

The first 15 kilometer went uphill. After we passed the mountain ridge we had an very beautiful descend in which we stopped at least 10 times to enjoy the fantastic views.

Above the clouds.

One of the many stops on our way down.

Frank and Marcel enjoying their first glance of the Red River.

Over the cliff. For one time we are lucky. We go all the way down to the town of Yuangyang

Day 9, Saterday 13 January:

From Yuanyang to Honghe. (64 kilometer)

With pain in our heart we left the (presumed) town of Yuanyang. As expected the wide boulevards soon disappeared and made way for dirt roads. As Frank told us when the concrete stopped: "This kind of roads are heaven on earth for mountainbikers". Soon after that he was out of sight. It is nice to see all the hilltribe people walking on the track (road would be too much honour) going to the market or on their way home. It is also nice to cycle through a totally different landscape (the river valley of the Red River) then the last days. Only we expected the surroundings to be greener, but on the other hand we guessed the Red River did get his name for a reason. The best event of the day however was saved for the final. It appeared that our stop Honghe (you know named after that famous brand Chinese cigarettes) was situated on an enormous mountain. To make everything difficult a sugar mill was situated on the foot of the mountain and the associated black smoke choking trucks made cycling a hell. Soon Frank was offered a lift of a very nice trucker and on his way up he invited also Rob and Kees to get in the back. Kees decided to wait for Marcel and to go on, Rob accepted the offer. Later in our ride Marcel and Kees would refer to this event as the day that Rob and Frank stepped down (at least 6km less but it felt like 60). We arrived in Honghe. Because it is not touristic at all it was a little difficult the find a hotel. We ended up in a real Chinese hotel were the red tape was missing (no papers to fill in). After we had installed ourselves we went for a stroll and must say that Honghe is a very nice town. Buildings from with different ages are mixed together. Something that you do not find that often. On the hill in the middle of town a nice temple is situated. Many people gather here to see sundown, enjoy the wonderful views, listen to their singing birds (that they take with them in cages) or to do exercises. We went back to our rooms in the dark and could not find any restaurant so we had to buy some food at a shop and eat it in our rooms. On the way it got rather chilly because Honghe is situated high a the mountain and so temperatures are dropping fast after sundown.

An enthusiastic supporter along the way, just before the town of Honghe.

Marcel looks forward to the last kilometers to Honghe. Probably because he doesn't know what is awaiting him

Alp d'huez is a piece of cake compared with this van maze of unpaved curves on the way up to Honghe

Day 10, Sunday 14 January:

From Honghe to Yuanjiang (68 kilometer).

What comes up must come down. Today we had a ride of 68 kilometer. The first 20 kilometers went downhill on a road surface that felt like silk. But then we ran out of luck and the part of our body that feels this transition the best had a rough time. We did follow the track next to the Red River. The landscape was beautiful. On the Red River a few bamboo rafts were passing by. On the other side of the river huge mountain ridges were rising up. When we had a break and did take a good look we saw people swarming over these mountains. We wondered if all those people crossed over these ridges each day. What a legs those people must have!

Frank looks what is the best way to cross this stream and will lose his bags in the process.

Marcel crosses more carefully then Frank. For his supporters: this attempt will not succeed and he will try again on his bare feet.

Village aside the Red River

We arrived in Yuanjiang on time. So we still had some time to take a rest at a viewpoint that looked out over the city. The hotel was nice and more important they had a restaurant. It was the same drill as we had seen before. At 6 O'clock sharp the door opened and the Chinese poured in. A half-hour after that we looked around the corner for a free table. We have never seen such a mess in a restaurant. Bones, food and also heaps and heaps of broken beer bottles everywhere on the floor. Soon a waitress appeared, she took us directly to the Kitchen and helped us out together with the chef. Pointing at the already prepared food we assembled the menu. After diner we went for a stroll and when it was getting cold we hurried back for the sheets and blankets.

Kees and Marcel enjoying their break and view over the town of Yuanjiang

Day 11, Monday 15:

From Yuanjiang to Mojiang Hanizu Yizu Zizhixian.(81 kilometer)

Even if you would be here you would not believe it. Of the 80 kilos at least 40 went steep uphill and some 20 a little bit less steep. It took us 7 hours, and at the end of the day we had the impression we would arrive at the gate of heaven. We did chose this way because we had the idea (looking at the map) that the road would be a lot less steep then the alternative route near the border with Laos. We were lucky that the road was in good shape. It makes that we not always have to look at the road and can enjoy the surroundings. It is nice to see that the plants change each time we pass a mountain ridge on our way South. The landscape looks greener and greener, also the temperature starts to rise slowly. Less nice are the big trucks passing by. They go very slowly and most of them leave a trail of black smoke behind. This hinders your breathing (even our smoker Marcel complains that this black shower is worse for his health then the shag he is smoking) starts to but as Johan Cruyff remarked every disadvantage has his advantage. Sometimes we manage to get hold of a truck and we are towed a few hundred meters. More and more trucker motels can be found along this busy road. They are manned (sorry) by pretty girls that wave us goodbye and persuade us to take a break. But we had to refuse those offers otherwise we will never reach the finishline on time. As always it was good to see our goal of the day; the city of Mojiang.... (just to long to give the whole name). In the second hotel we succeeded to get a room. They looked surprised to see somebody arrive by bicycle. Quickly we put the bicycles save in the hotel lobby. We heard a small protest but then they decided to give us a better punishment. They gave us room at the 6th floor. So our sore legs had to perform another wonder. At five-thirty we gathered in front of the restaurant but nobody was there. So we could not point at plates of other people to order dishes that looked good. We had to order with the chef directly. We just pointed at some vegetables and he made some delicious dishes. Especially the banana flower tasted very good. After diner we said thank you to the chef and some of us smoked a cigarette, sticked in a bamboo waterpipe, with him. Then we went site seeing. Only we did not come that far. The first shop was already an internet café, so we had to stop there in order to write this travelogue for you.

Day 12, Tuesday 16 January:

From Mojiang Hanizu Yizu Zizhixian to Pu-er (88 kilometer).

Kees and Rob stopped at a truckstop and waited there. After turned down the offer for a lunch by one of the girls (the chicken that was first terrorising the neighbourhood was the victim of today) they had a little conversation with a truck driver. You probably know how that works. Pointing on the map and making gestures up and down with your hands. He understood where we wanted to go in the long run (the first big town on the map was the city of Pu-er) and also were we wanted to go today. Another 10 kilometers uphill to a small town. When the last 2 heroes arrived on the top of the hill we sat down a while. Frank confessed that he had a hard time especially when Marcel suddenly stopped and announced that the would not cycle another meter today. He had to use all his tact to get him on the bicycle again.

Luckily for us the iron buffalo has not succeeded in taking over this job from his living nephew.

Frank easily reaches 80km an hour in this way. And in the meantime complaining that our driver drives his truck as a dangerous lunatic. Why didn't you just go on cycling?

Then everything went rather quickly. The trucker had finished his lunch and pointed at the empty loading platform of his truck. Kees asked Marcel if he wanted to go by truck and Marcel asked "Is it possible, is it possible that all our bicycles fit inside" After Kees assured him that he and his bicycle also would fit in Marcel immediately started to load the bicycles on the truck. The heroes with their bicycles in the back and our chauffeur went off. Kees, remembering the conversation in fluent Chinese, thought that the truck would stop in the next town. It turned out that the truck driver stopped 80 km further. Some 25 kilometers before Pu-er, just before the road would branch off and he had to go the other way. We cycled the last kilometers to Pu-er, except for Rob who soon saw a cart that he could hang on to. At the first hotel we stopped and were offered a nice room. The only disadvantage was that it was on the 6^th floor (later that evening we found out this wasn't high enough because we still could hear the voices from the karaoke bar in the celler).

Today we came some 160 km closer to the border with Laos. Some 80 by truck and 88 by bicycle. We also gained a day on our schedule.

Day 13, Wednesday 17 January:

From Pu-er to Simao and then on to Jinghong (53 kilometer by bike and 160 by bus).

Today it will be around 40 kilometers to Simao. Here we want arrive around noon to take a bus to Jinghing. This to keep in line with our journey of yesterday. We had planned this before with a look at the Lonely Planet that says that the landscape and villages along the road are not that interesting. Lets hope they are right, because it isn't a guidebook for cyclists. We can say that the plan we outlined above succeeded. The 40 kilometers to Simao were a little difficult. But that (going uphill) is something we are used to by now. The only things that need to be mentioned are the good road, the flat tire of Frank and the weather that still is rather cold. We expected it to be warmer coming as South as we are now.

When we arrived in Simao and got to the bus station we got in the bus and the bicycles on top and take of immediately. Strange thing is that our papers were checked by the police at a checkpoint. The first time in China. When we go by bike this never happens. We just wave at them and cycle on. Probably they just do not know what to do with foreigners on a bike or we are gone before they notice. We can't imagine that they have orders to let foreigners through. After arriving in Jinghong we went to the hotel and decided to take it easy tomorrow.

Day 14, Thursday 18 January:

Restday in Jinghong.

Jinghong by night: The new bridge over the Mekong

At last we had a pleasant night of sleep and could sleep a hole in the day (8 O'clock). We just strolled around and everywhere the opportunity occurred we sat down. One of the highlights this day was a cockfight in the Parc of Local Minorities. The park itself was an original communist tourist trap (probably only functioning when a bigwig is visiting town). But the cockfight was great. First the animal lovers made objections and refused to go but the others could persuade them to take at least a glance. It appeared to be a fantastic event for everybody. The cocks would disappear quickly over the boarding, after only a few glances at their opponent. The old men taking care of the little creatures had give all to catch them again. After that they tried it with another couple of cocks, with the same result. I think that the elderly keepers had a harder they than our feathered friends. We decided to leave this trap and stroll around. Looking for souvenirs, getting western haut cuisine at the local Mc Snack and Kees let cut his abundant mop of hair on the street. The hairdresser only forgot the few hairs on top.

Day 15 Friday 19 January:

From Jinghong to Ganlanba and on to Menghun (85 kilometer)

View on the Mekong an early morning impression from the bridge in Jinghong.

Ganlanba: the last time we will see the Mekong before we will pass it in order to enter Thailand.

Today we expected it to be an easy day and it was. After leaving Jinghong we followed the Mekong going South. You can't call this cycling freewheeling is a better word for it. After 31 kilometers we reached Ganlanba. We had a lunch next to the Mekong (knowing that this would be the last time we would see the river until the border between Laos and Thailand).

Nice roads, almost no cars but a lot of nice villages this day.

Nice old Dai temples in almost every village

After that we visited some Buddhist temples in Ganlanba and take a look at the houses of the minority that live here; The Dai. The old temples were very basic but beautiful. A big modern temple (given to the village by a rich Thai) couldn't impress us though.

We went to the market and had a look around and decided to go on. It was around twelve and Menglun, the next stop, was only 40 kilometers away. It was a good decision. The landscape was beautiful, just as the villages along the road and the people were very nice. It looks that the more South we get the more friendly everybody is. Therefore, we had quite a few stops. At one of these stops we bought the best pineapple we have eaten this holiday. We wanted to bring more along, but the problem is that they are a little heavy. In the evening we had an original Dai dinner at a Dai restaurant before preparing us for the day of tomorrow.

 Day 16 Saterday 20 January:

From Menghun to Mengla (104 km).

This last day in China we took (again) a good hotel because after today it is probably over with the hotels and hot water. So lets enjoy it now we still can.

Day 17 Sunday 21 January:

From Mengla (China) to Luang Nam Tha (Laos) in total 125km.

Today is the last day among the spitting Chinese. We will leave China and head for Laos. The only problem is that the ride is over 100 kilometers long and that the last part (in Laos) will be over bad roads. The first part would go smoothly. Between the mountains along a river. When you manage (as Kees and Marcel) to get the right speed (gear) around you can get to the summit of the next hill making use of the speed you gained at the last one. Rob and Frank have more problems with it and are behind soon. But after taking a rest and a picture we all regrouped. The border is father then we expected. Some 55 instead of the 40 we had hoped for.

Our last impression of China; a beautiful waterfall in the morning fog.

At the Chinese border no problems. We think they were happy we left the country. Just as we were. Not that we don't like it in China but we are looking forward to see a new country and other people. In no man's land we took some pictures in order to be able to show this event at home. Then of to Laos. We filled in the papers, got the stamps and on to the next town; Luang Nam Tha.

Nice are the baguettes in Laos and we ordered a few when we got of our bikes. Even before we took a shower (only cold water from now on). The lights go out 21.30 and we have to bed but the owner of the guesthouse has still some sticky rice with heart to eat for her favourite guests. Until late at night music is comming from the house on the other side of the road. Music of the band Carabao. Although it is a Thai band it is clear that they have also fans in Laos .

Travelogue Laos

Travelogue Thailand