Sleep wasn’t so good. I was a little chilled and kept waking up worried of my bike and gear, being stolen or freezing. Every time I would wake up and see that it was still black out, I would pray for the sun not to rise for the sake of getting some more sleep.
Around 8am I can hear the rustling about next door and by 8:30, Mother is preparing something at the foot of my bed and Father has just entered to ask me how I slept. I could hear the little boy next door a few moments before, a delightful happy sound coming from him.
“I slept good, thank you.”
Today will be a short day and there is a descent to the desert basin…shouldn’t be too bad. Dress and go outside, clear blue skies but very chilly at 9:15.
“Would you like some tea?”
“No, I should go, thank you.”
“man man zou” – directly translates to slow slow go but it’s more of a well wishing, rather than “goodbye”.
I shake his hand with another “Thank you”.
He helps me push my bike through the snow and he stays behind as a continue on and over the embankment.
Black ice…lots. Smile and wave good-bye.
I have to walk for the most part until 11:30 because my hands and feet are freezing. Gotta keep the feet warm.
Arrive to Yiwu around 3 with frozen hands. Laobanniang at the hotel squeezes my hands after she sees the bright red hands removed from my gloves.