The sun rises very early in the north of China. Ellen says that sunrise starts at 3 am and has been setting lately at around 8. She usually starts riding around 4-5 am, stops when she can no longer see her shadow and takes a break for lunch and a nap under a tree or somewhere else suitable. Then continues on to her destination, often not arriving until just after sunset. This does not leave a lot of time for sleeping at night, after you budget in the time it takes to look for a place to sleep and finding something to eat. But last night she successfully got 7.5 hours of sleep, which is was really excited about. She’s taking it easy in Chichihar until Sunday, got a hotel room with only a small window (little light to come into the room, which is a plus for Ellen), and is eating some junk food. Ed is right, Ellen does deserve some downtime.
Prior to getting to Chichihar, Ellen says that just before the sun started to set, there were dragon flys everywhere. It was the most she’s ever seen. But the at dusk, the dragon flys were replaced by mosquitoes. Ellen stopped for a second to drink some water and the next thing she knew, there were 20 mosquitoes on her shirt. She proceeded to ride fast the rest of the way to Chichihar to keep the bugs off.
Here http://www.2wheels.org.uk/return/picasafiles/target85.asp is a small selection of the mosquitoes I killed in about 15 minutes in a similar situation in Siberia in 2004.
(Qiqihar is Siberia, I guess, really; it just happens to be on the Chinese side.)
Since those days, I’ve become quite a strict vegetarian, I don’t know if I’d be allowed to kill them like that any more. One of the few good reasons for not being on a cycling trip in Siberia/Manchuria in June.
Tailwinds!
Ed
Here http://www.2wheels.org.uk/return/picasafiles/target85.asp is a small selection of the mosquitoes I killed in about 15 minutes in a similar situation in Siberia in 2004.
(Qiqihar is Siberia, I guess, really; it just happens to be on the Chinese side.)
Since those days, I’ve become quite a strict vegetarian, I don’t know if I’d be allowed to kill them like that any more. One of the few good reasons for not being on a cycling trip in Siberia/Manchuria in June.
Tailwinds!
Ed
Horrible mosquitos!~ A great trip!
Horrible mosquitos!~ A great trip!