The last time I visited here, we were going to ride around Mongolia.
Well, it was frigid and there would be intermittent rain – BESIDES the hell of a wind. I can deal with wind when I know there is a town ahead, because you can’t camp in this type of wind. We moved about 30km in about 3-4 hours.
We passed an Italian that had crossed over from Russia and he had a mountain bike. The road would disappear and the terrain would be trying.
After sitting on the side of the road debating, feeling defeated, we turned around.
I woke up with a cold, and lied in bed, stuck in Ulaanbatar for a week. We decided to take a train back to Hohot/Huhehaote (bad idea).
What I learned about cycling Mongolia – I was very ill prepared. My advice:
1-travel North to South, the wind is hell.
2-extreme weather, pack accordingly and drop the panniers and add a cart (food, lots of water, winter gear, 4 season tent, etc.)
3-mountain bike necessary
4-a gps device to give you coordinates OR a satellite phone OR be fluent in Mongolian/Russian
5-a high tolerance for drunks and boiled lamb…lots and lots of boiled lamb
I lost a considerable amount of weight because of my sickness and the awful food.
Would I like to attempt Hell-golia again. Sure. Better prepared. You bet.
It’s been awhile since this so my feelings aren’t so hurt, but I did feel like a failure. I have to remind myself that being an explorer sometimes means having to turn back. Jason was even less prepared and the last thing I wanted to do was drag him out to the middle of nowhere – just to send him back with hypothermia and a broken bike.
Oh, don’t let anyone tell you that Mongolians know English – bull.
We were lucky to find a man at the train station, that reminded of my dad. (There is a possibility that American Indians came from the Mongolian region). He spoke enough English to speak to some random dude because we had to fill out paperwork for customs.
I was afraid of this but didn’t want to admit to it.
It took 4 hours and a lot of paperwork, footwork, and money.
Well….when we finally arrived in HuHeHaote, you could of found me crying in the train station. Turned out that we had to get off at the border to take care of paperwork for our bikes. When was my luck going to turn…really? God, can you hear me???
We have to go back to the border.
No train tickets, only 2 trains a week. Go get bus tickets and we are approached by a private driver – we can leave that day! 125rmb a person,he even helped us find a bingguan for 70mb.
So, if you have ever lived in China – you know the drill. Guess how long it took to take care of the paperwork?!?!
Literally, 3 minutes and 4rmb!
We go back to HuHeHaote the next day.
With all this extra time there, we pass the time at a video arcade.
The bikes arrived – safely. Found a shop to repair my derrailleur – only one cog ring doesn’t work now – rather than 3.
Nothing too noteworthy since leaving HuHehaote – oh, Jason replaced my point and shoot camera with a Canon S90 – it’s pretty friggen awesome!
We did stay in a prostitution hotel, and was awoken twice by our neighbor being serviced. Prostitution here is strange, to say the least.
Route 110 from HuHeHaote sucks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The first day to BaoTou, we looked like coal miners. The coal mining and the trucks loaded with this was flying everywhere. We have had only 1 day out of 6 (left HuHehaote last Thursday am) where we weren’t rinsing grey water off our bodies.
3 days ago, the side wind was so bad it was blowing Jason and I all over the road. It was a dangerous wind. It always happens after 5pm and of course was coming from the North….
Except today!!!! We are traveling South and have a hell of a headwind.
I finally exited Inner Mongolia today and landed in NingXia.
Yesterday, as we are riding along the Yellow River, you see a strip of sand (that we are riding through), then a stip of green, the river, another strip of green, then MASSIVE SAND DUNES!!!
Hey China! You are turning into a giant sand box. There are hundreds of dried river beds that once branched off from the river. I’m riding through imagining what this part of the country looked like 200 years ago. I bet it was the land of milk and honey…seriously.
Hey China! Quit strip mining, at least have some beautiful mountains in your sandbox.
The pollution has been outrageous since leaving HuHeHaote and traveling West. Grey skies and the sides of the road are grey/black from the coal particles. I really can’t imagine what my pink lungs NOW look like.
I’m now 50km North of YinChuan. I got yelled out today because I took pictures of some men striking outside a power plant. Jason translated the signs saying “Goverment workers are people too”. I got surrounded by a bunch of men and just deleted it just to get them off my a$*. The last thing I need is the cops arriving.
Well China…now that you are #2 in GDP, you are going to have to face up to a lot of stuff. And this announcement is very loud and EVERYONE knows about it. Even the poor government workers barely making a living wage.
Good luck with that.
Don’t think I’m hating…I’m really glad to be back in China. The food, the language – THE PEOPLE. I LOVE THE PEOPLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Even the prostitutes…they haven’t really been given another option to make a
Ellen – I’m very proud of, there is no such thing as failure or mistakes – just detours on your way. Always look ahead. You’re doing great
Ellen – I’m very proud of, there is no such thing as failure or mistakes – just detours on your way. Always look ahead. You’re doing great
Hang in there Ellen! I’m glad you’re back in China at last.
Hang in there Ellen! I’m glad you’re back in China at last.
All grist to the writer’s mill!
Keep going Ellen, it might be hell out there sometimes but think of your audience. You’ve a duty to keep us entertained!
All grist to the writer’s mill!
Keep going Ellen, it might be hell out there sometimes but think of your audience. You’ve a duty to keep us entertained!