Western China

14 Mar 2012
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Portraits of Invisible China

Sticky Post By On March 14, 2012 With No Comments

This is Alim, he is a local Uyghur of Kashgar. We met last night when I was a bit lost and impressed by his English skills, and not to mention his adorable’ness…we’ve become fast friends.

I spent the day at the hospital visiting his grandparents. The room of women told me my headscarf “makes” me “beautiful”.

When I strange man came into the room, a husband of a roommate, his mother quickly covered her face with her own scarf and then arranged herself to sit with her back to him. I am finally understanding what this is all about. It’s not shame, but rather not letting every strange man enjoy looking at your beauty.

It’s taken a little time, a little discouragement…but I’m really beginning to love these people.

The little girl was very curious of my camera. So I took her photo and shared with her. Little Uyghur girl’s hair is kept short. Alim told me this is just based on traditions.

Kashgar, I will have to leave you in a few days…but by all means…I will be returning to work you and Hotan for everything its worth. With fresh eyes and a break from China.

03 Mar 2012
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Transmission from my tent.

Sticky Post By On March 3, 2012 With No Comments

Gotta keep it short.

9th day along the Taklamakan, 4th day along the Southern Silk Road.

The nomads are beginning to move back into their mud homes/huts out here. I can’t imagine what it’s going to be like in a couple of months. At least when I return, the afternoon sun will be to my back, rather than burning my face.

Racing for the border…

Also, yesterday at sunset, I got to ride along about a dozen wild ass…no, not my bootie…donkies. I saw some more today…they are adorable. Last week I was just thinking how I want a few for my “Gentleman’s Farm”. Jason always told me I’m not allowed to have any animals with hooves…but those are the best animals!

14 Feb 2012
Sticky Post By Posted in Photos of Eleanor, Western China, Xinjiang With 6 Comments Permalink

LOOK MA! I’m not an icicle anymore…look at the exposed fingertips!!!!!

Sticky Post By On February 14, 2012 With 6 Comments

I’m writing this from under the G30, 20km shy of Turpan.

FINALLY!!! Although I was blasted with side and head winds all day. Gotta keep this short…but, damn, it feels good to be a gangsta!

13 Feb 2012
Sticky Post By Posted in Western China, Xinjiang With 4 Comments Permalink

Tailwinds (Approx 80km SE of Urumqi City along the 314)

Sticky Post By On February 13, 2012 With 4 Comments

Lowpoint: Nearly eating shit in the am because of the snow and low visibility. I was fortunate to not wreck, and those split seconds I knew if I wrecked I would have a good chance of getting hit by traffic behind. Also, little point and shoot camera not working because of cold.

Highpoint: A tailwind I’ve never experienced in my life. AMAZING!

Tomorrow’s Banana: Maybe past these mountains.

Food Craving:Hot, homemade bread, by my momma, with butter…sliced really thick….mmmmmm, or maybe with some fresh apple butter.

The morning, first few hours, were hell. Snow. Low visibility. At 1 I stop for lunch, finally my jiucai and ji dan ban mian was the price it should be. I ponder my sanity and drive as I look out the steamed window…moisture rolling down the glass and drops from the ceiling.

The first few hours I’m still in snow but I can see the faintness of a blue sky. A few little climbs over big hills.

I see camels grazing…there is less snow on the ground…the sun is shining and I’m picking up a pretty good pace.

And then…WOW! Talk about a tailwind! I was easily hitting 32km/h on level ground. As trash comes flying behind me and an occasional tumbleweed across my path.

Not only that, the road is mostly a slight descent…some ups but the tailwind pushes me over with great ease.

But, I got hit with the side wind going over train tracks. I had to get off to walk the bike and still was nearly blown over. The wind is ice cold and freezes your face to the bone.

I started my day at noon and ended at 6 (40min lunch)…with a little over 80km in today. This is the kind of riding I’m talking about! Especially when I slept like shit because my legs were in so much pain.

My “luguan”…well, laoban wanted 30 and I said it’s too expensive. As I lift up the bike in the biting cold, he opens the door and tells me to come in and agrees to my 20.

Laobanniang is on the phone and when she gets off to come look at me she is ALL SMILES. Adorable little old lady. She points at herself and says, “Wo shi zhongguoren” (I am a Chinese person). I return a smile, bigger than hers and say, “Wo shi meiguoren” (A am an American person). Then she says, “Zhongguo he ….(I continue with her in unison because I know this line)…meiguo pengyou!” (China and America are friends).

They tell me that last night 2 Russian (man/woman) stayed the night. She told me they are walking. I told them I will probably see them tomorrow.

This may be the quaintest place I’ve stayed yet. Super cute. My table is an old, brown, steel sewing machine. No tv…it’ll be a book this evening.

I did wise up and the past 3 days I’ve been carrying my water in my jacket pocket. It’s useless to be carrying blocks of ice. Also, I think my Ortleib hooks are getting pissed at me for getting so cold. Yesterday I wrestled with one on the ground, and again today.

Notes for cyclists: Maps say it’s 312 but the road markers say 314…be aware of this. Not a lot of directional road signs either, just stay on the road that looks well traveled. There are about 3 turn offs from Urumqi that are questionable.
There are little ghost towns/rows of concrete buildings along the way…could make a good place to camp/squat/get out of the wind. I didn’t examine too much but some places had open doors. *The wind can get insane. I’ve been warned over and over about it…so be cautious. I was being thrown all over the road when it was coming from my side.

12 Feb 2012
Sticky Post By Posted in Photos of Bike, Photos of Eleanor, Police, Snow, Urumqi, Western China, Xinjiang With 3 Comments Permalink

What would YOU do at the “Center of Asia”?

Sticky Post By On February 12, 2012 With 3 Comments

I made yellow snow…well, not on the center…about a meter away. When nature calls…and well, there is an opportunity to say, “I pee’d at the Center of Asia!” – how can you resist?!

Both cameras are non-functioning in the cold. I was able to warm up the Nikon D700 to get a couple of shots and the point and shoot wouldn’t let me use the timer. Every time I would turn it off, and then back on, it would be reset.

Couldn’t help but think of my artist pal, Stephen Talasnik.

It was a ride down (then a climb) to the “Center” and even saw a frozen tear on my eyelash. No, I wasn’t that moved by where I was going…the wind was being mean to me.

I’ve been riding UP for the past two days, along the 216.
Yesterday was rough, I realized how out of shape I was.

Today, well…um.

So, after visiting the Center of Asia I continue South and I know I need to cut off to get off this route. There is no way I’m going to live through a 4000m pass in the middle of February. I am pretty sure I would freeze to death. My cameras can’t even handle this cold.

I got in close to 60km today and a hearty lunch and I’m looking desperately for the turn off. Something is very strange. There should be signs but I see nothing.

After a couple of baby climbs today, and then watching a crazy ass looking dog run a kilometer down the mountain to come eat my face off, I pulled over to the police checkpoint.

I gave in. The sun was setting an my options were bleak. I saw nothing ahead…except one or two dump trucks with coal. Not even locals.

“Excuse me, I need to find some accommodation tonight. Ahead or behind and how many kilometers.”

“Ahead, you can’t go, the road is very very bad. It’s not safe. You should go back.”

“How many km behind.”

“40”

Quick math…shit, that’s taking me back where I slept LAST NIGHT!

I can’t freeze to death…I don’t know if I could make it through the night.

“Okay, thank you.” Now, if I wasn’t freezing I would of gone on and said screw it…but this is my life I’m talking about.

As I begin to turn around.

“If you wait a moment, you can put your bike in the back of the pickup truck and we can give you a ride.”

Oh hell yes!

The bike gets thrown over some frozen vomit and I pile in with an officer and his two adorable children. Something is different about their appearance. The boy has brown hair. His name is Jerry and he is 6…Alice is 10. Their English pronunciation is fantastic and Jerry starts chatting in English from the beginning. Dad is giving Alice a speech in Chinese about how she needs to practice and she says she can’t and he repeats, very gently and even loving…”yes, you can do it yourself…you can.”

It turns out he is Hazu (Kazakh minority) and his wife, their mother, is Russian! Beautiful children.

We pass the road I should of taken to cut over and he tells me the road is bad. Still mountains and the roads are not paved. These are the roads I LOVE when the weather is warm and the locals spend their free time sitting about.

In winter…no one is around, no one to ask for directions, no one to sit with and have a picnic with. Right now, my mission is to get out of this cold. Especially when my camera is malfunctioning.

He gets me to last nights town and he offers to take me back to Urumqi…as the other route is “fangbian”.

It takes me 2 minutes to “cut my loss” and I say, “okay, lets go!”

So, here I am, on the Southern tip of Urumqi…where I’ve lived for the past 2 months.

I’ve been thinking all day if I should just cut my losses and turn back and do it. From the maps, it was showing no towns of any kind. Little villages along the way but not even restaurants.

I HATE backtracking…it’s probably my #1 of stuff I DON’T DO. But…I guess, we can say it takes more guts to cut my losses and realize I could die if I were to continue on that insane road up and over the Tianshan mountains.

Shepherd. He was looking at me strangely so I flash my big ol’smile and give him a nice American “Hello”. He returns the smile and “Hello” from his amazing 5 o’clock shadow.

I thought boys on bikes made me weak in the knees…Uyghur cowboys are a whole other story. I’ve told some people I can’t buy my naan from handsome men because I blush too much. Yeah, I need to get a hold on that one.

This is where I should of turned off to head East…this was across the road.

And, see, I told you “zhusu” walls are the best. This was next to my head. I’m trying to figure out if it’s homegrown porn and then what’s the deal with the foot print like 1 meter from the ground? Click on the photo for a larger image.

Maybe they were stomping the Hepatitis out!

31 Jan 2012
Sticky Post By Posted in Urumqi, Western China, Xinjiang With 2 Comments Permalink

December 8, 2011 – “Nowhere” to Urumqi

Sticky Post By On January 31, 2012 With 2 Comments

High Point: Arriving to Urumqi
Low Point: A day of riding in snow and ice
Tomorrow’s Banana: Rest

I wake up in my windowless room, still too warm. Collecting my clothing from my delirious strip down from the previous night, I let out a few grunts and moans of my sore back. Nothing like an upper body work out when pushing a bike up a mountain.

Laoban instructs, very kindly, I stay for breakfast. Congee, hard boiled eggs, and bread. There is something about Han breakfast I love…especially when I can find fresh “youtiao” – which translates to oil stick – and soy milk. Mmmmmm…Han breakfeast………

Anyhow. Laoban is kind enough to turn the tv onto a CCTV foreign channel. I laugh and tell him very kindly and somewhat embarrassed, “oh laoban, this channel is in French, I don’t understand French. I’m sorry.”

We are both chuckling together and he tells me he can’t understand French either! Well what do you know…this American and my Chinese friend have something in common! The next hour is spent in front of the CCTV News…which I can understand a little – context helps.

I tell him I must get going but he says I should stay a little longer. “It’s very cold right now and snowing.”

“It’s snowing?! Really???”

Yes, it’s snowing.

So after about another 30 minutes I walk down to the first floor with laoban to load up and set off. Damn it! Laoban points out that I have a flat.

Okay, do I unload the bike and find the flat or do I pump it up and see what is to come of it? I’m lazy and try not to work as much as possible. Urumqi isn’t that far away and if it’s a slow leak, I can probably make it. Also, my bike froze up last night so who knows what that bitter cold did.

I pump up the tube outside, with laoban and his friend watching me. Laoban says “goule” but it’s not enough. I know, even though my pump gauge broke about 4,000km ago. But, you know, I don’t like to hurt anyone’s feelings so after a few more pumps I decide I’ll just stop up ahead to finish my pumping. I’ve done this before, at least a dozen times.

It’s a day of heavy traffic, near white out conditions, and cold.

Around 5:00 pm I arrive in Urumqi.

There is a nice Dutch boy as my roommate. We spend the next couple of days together. He wanted me to travel to Gansu with him but I decided I really wanted to rest.

The second rest day, I could barely walk. Being out in the cold and constantly working everyday, I didn’t realize how the last 2 days kicked my ass.

Then, I was blessed with a wonderful eye infection which led to eye surgery here in Urumqi.

My Visa is on it’s way here, should arrive in a couple of days and I’ll be out of here faster than you can say “Wulumu…”

If you have been keeping up with me via this blog or Facebook…or maybe you are a close friend I’ve been corresponding with…you know that my time here has been difficult/challenging but productive on a personal level. I think I needed this time to sit down and really work through some thoughts. So I send the biggest hug to all of you – you know exactly who you are. And another thanks to all of my new followers.

Along with that, some important networking and email writing.

I had over 700 page views yesterday…that’s quite exciting. Looks like this site picked up around 5000 page views in January alone. You all are welcome to send me an email or even text me. I love correspondence and, again, thanks for the love and support.

29 Jan 2012
Sticky Post By Posted in China, Photography, Photos, Route, Western China, Xinjiang With 22 Comments Permalink

December 7 2011 – Fukang to Nowhere (10hrs of riding for 20km West)

Sticky Post By On January 29, 2012 With 22 Comments

Highpoint: Not falling in the icy river as I bash my triple outer ring against rocks and upon moving it off seeing remainders of the aluminum glittering on the rock (will file 2 teeth upon arrival to Urumqi).

Lowpoint: Pushing the bike up a 10km iced/snow pass to a dead end – oops! Wrong way! Then another 10 back (slipping) down.

Tomorrow’s Banana: Arriving in Urumqi (Although I should of arrived today.)

The weather is mild in the beginning and I decide to take a small back road to Urumqi…heading South and over some mountains. There is a disconnect on the map, but come on…I’m sure there is some way to get there. Right?

It’s a steady uphill ride along closed mountain vacation spots. If you saw the video I posted a few weeks back of the “Xinjiang Traffic Jam” of the shepherd and his flock – this was the day.

Weather begins to turn as I climb and around 3ish I’ve lost all blue skies and everything is freezing.

That was the last town I pass and the road ends at a drying up river. Well, it’s a river bed with about 2 dozen different water flow paths. I can see the road on the other side so I try to pass by jumping from rock to rock. If I fall in, I’m F*&ked…SERIOUSLY.

WHAM!!! The outer crank wheel collides onto a stone. As I’m balancing on stones, trying to get the bike…shit, I don’t even know what I was doing…just not trying to fall over into the freezing water. I made it out about 5 meters before I just realized this was completely stupid.

I back track…there has got to be a road. Earlier I had seen a cowboy cross the river on his horse and a motorcycle. Going back to there I find a little path to get me across.

Riding Kham and U-Tsang trained me really well at crossing streams, rivers and glacier melt. The first time I tried crossing water, those frozen feet taught me never to just STOP ever again. If the weather is nice and I’m concerned about the photo gear…I’ll take the shoes and socks off to cross.

After crossing and looking back.

This is the point where I’m starting to question where I am. Maps and compass and I’m still having some doubts. I should of asked the people in the town BEFORE crossing the water. Whatever, I’ll keep going on.

The ridge on the other side is speckled with homes and there is a part of me that thinks I should of not crossed the river bed. I’m not sure why I do this but I’m pretty sure I convinced myself that this way would get me to where I’m going.

Ok. Very little tracks in the road. Some villages and homes. Some shepherds. This bike is getting pushed through this range. All 10km or so of it!

I keep looking to right and see the villages on the other side on the ridge. I’m going deeper and deeper and pass another village.

Ending up on the side of a mountain with not a lot of hope ahead, I walk 3km without the bike and just a compass to figure out what the hell is going on. This newly dug up road is not taking me SW.

Try the other road 1 km back. I end up in a little valley and I know for sure this is wrong, there is no way to continue on. I go back to the last village.

I see two men and I remove my glasses and hat and let them know I’m a foreigner. They show me where I am. I have to return to the village on the other side of the water. I’m on the wrong side! (Ha! Ironic when I just wrote a post about never doubt a babe’s navigation/map reading skills. Well, this time I goofed!)

Down the mountain I’m slipping all over the place and nearly land flat on my butt a couple of times.

Damn you water…I have to cross AGAIN!

It’s near 5:30 and I only have about 2 hours MAX of daylight. There is no where to stay here and it’s freezing. I would freeze to death up here…I have to get somewhere so as soon as I get back across the water it’s a race to somewhere.

I talk to a Kazakh man at the village about where I’m going and where I’m coming from. Explaining I want that small road to Urumqi. He tells me the road is too difficult and long and that I need to return to Fukang. He points to the ridge when talking about the small road I’m looking for. Sure…okay…I’m NOT returning to Fukang and ride back up the hill to look for the small road.

With my luck…I see an empty coal truck come along and he takes these tire tracks that I would of NEVER seen if he hadn’t came along. There comes another truck and he takes the same route.

WHEN ALL ELSE FAILS…FOLLOW THE COAL TRUCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am racing light now…as I follow the tracks behind the empty coal trucks.

After a few km I’m on a “road”? Let me just say, imagine what a road would be like in the mountains that only coal trucks take…there, that’s the description.

It’s getting cold and dark…and colder. I’m starting to worry and look for somewhere to set up camp. Not just out, but abandoned buildings or hideaways under the road.

It’s all coal mining out here and I begin to go down the pass at sunset. I pass a coal mine with little concrete, abandoned, building across the road. Shit! Someone sees me and is watching. I want to set up camp in that building but it’s not going to work. The empty coal trucks go to the west, I see loaded trucks coming towards me. Continue to follow the loaded coal trucks.

It’s dark and I’m going down a nasty road. Bouncing everywhere, skidding in loose stones, avoiding the ditches and trenches. Hands are frozen and feet are freezing.

This goes on for a couple of hours, it’s pitch black.

Around 9:30, after about 2 hours in the dark…I hit tarmac. Relief. I have no idea where I am or what way to go. I’m at a fork. Which way shall I go. There is traffic coming from the North…okay…I guess this is the way I go.

EVERYTHING is frozen on my bike. I have to take extra care…she whines every time I touch the brakes and luckily my chosen route is down down down. Smooth tarmac and shading my eyes every time a car passes to keep my shitty night vision.

Around 10:30 I arrive to a little side of the highway stop…thank god. I ask a shop keeper about zhusu and she directs me. Find a nice quaint and warm place on the second floor. We lock my bike up on the first floor that has a massive pot-belly coal burning stove. My poor bike is so frozen and is crying to me for a cleaning.

I really really thought I was going to freeze tonight. Honestly. It goes down as one of the top 10 worst rides. 1-Cold 2-Lost 3-Dark 4-Frozen Bike 5-Anticipated hitting Urumqi to only take a long way around to get a very short distance from Fukang. I only got 20km West of my morning starting point…after riding in the mountains for over 10 hours! Idiot!!!!!! Masochist!!!!!!!!!!!

Scarf down noodles downstairs while the little boy practices his English along with a video on the tv.

Yeah, I was kind of worried about losing my fingers tonight. I still have all 10…because, well, if I lose one or two…how will I transmit my stories!!!!!

Waking up in the middle night soaking in sweat, wiping it from the back of my neck than I get down to my undies. Which, obviously I wasn’t thinking straight because that is a big no no in these types of places. Gross. Someone send me a home TB test!

28 Jan 2012
Sticky Post By Posted in Photos, Photos of Eleanor, Urumqi, Western China, Xinjiang With 34 Comments Permalink

December 6, 2011 – SanTai Zhen to Fukang

Sticky Post By On January 28, 2012 With 34 Comments

Morning…nice and warm room, don’t want to leave.

Who ever can give the best “What am I thinking?” title to this photo wins…um, I don’t know what…but you win. (Message privately, as some of you do, or leave in the comments.

During the ride I noticed that I’m putting in a lot of power and not feeling a lot of progress. Doh! I have a massive fender icicle. There is minuscule clearance and it’s only getting colder and colder. It’s a big black nasty block of ice.

I had ridden through a lot of open air coal earlier in the day. There were mounds on both sides of me, steam rising into the air. I’m now wondering if this is what triggered the funk in my eye.

It’s still light out upon my arrival to Fukang, and it’s a legit city. So I begin the hunt for a home on the outskirts to find the cheapest place.

Ah-ha! A total hole next to a police station, that’s perfect for a solo babe. And…the 2 flights of stairs are near 2 meter wide…I swoOOoooOOOOosh right up those with my loaded bike.

15rmb and private room…but then the whole police hassle begins.

Laoban takes my copies of Passport/Visa to the station. I have to go to the station with the real ones. Then from there we have to drive over to the main government building. I’m sitting in the back seat trying to count all the times I’ve sat in police vehicles in the past 6 months. Too much police interaction out here.

Then when all that is taken care of they tell me I can catch a taxi back. Um…I don’t think so…you are taking me back.

Home sweet home and there is a about 3 liters of black water under my bike. Ooops, sorry laobanniang.

I would love to hear from you!

Studio Address: Front Street Artist Studios

 

 

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