I awake well rested around 9:30.
When I go around corner to the WC, in the part of the town that’s crumbling to the ground, there is already company in the two women “ce suo”. She exits and I can hear her and another woman whispering about me, from about a 1 meter distance. Can I please use the bathroom in privacy, let alone having to listen to you two clucking gossip about me, in a not very welcoming tone.
Back at my room, laobanniang brings me some bread and congee. I keep it heated on my stove. Not too anxious about the day because I know have a steady 8km climb out of this town…a fair incline. Enough to make me not want to go.
I leave behind the Hami melon they gave me and some grain, that’s not rice, that didn’t work for my sweet porridge last night.
Push the bike out the door at 11:30, the sun is bright, sky clear, and not too chilly. The rock man and his son are there, the son helps open the gate for me. I give the man a hug goodbye, not really the Chinese woman thing to do, but hell…I needed to meet this fellow last night. A nice American style hug, smile, and thank you.
2km out of town is lined with coal trucks, on both sides of the road. China has seasoned me and I know after lunch, these trucks are going to be riding behind me.
The 8km out isn’t too bad, after a good rest and food…it feels good. Truck drivers obviously go slack jawed and stare at me with the typical, “it’s a foreigner”. On the way up and out, Stone man pulls up and gives me his written phone number on a band-aid. Yes, it’s a wrapped new band-aid…not a used band-aid. I was really kind of hoping for a lift, no go, and his truck is well loaded anyhow.
Up the climb and on the edge of town, I strip down to two baselayers and NO GLOVES. Damn the weather is good.
I’m looking ahead and see about a steady, slight, 10km ride to the mountains, covered in snow. Why do I EVER think it’s still going to be warm where there is snow…really? Ellen?! Come on…it’s not like that!
With one potty break, I’m pretty stoked on my steady speed and ride up out of the basin. Around 1pm all the trucks begin barreling from behind. See! I do know what I’m talking about. The wind draft nearly sweeps me over a couple of times.
If I do well today, I’ll complete a mini mountain pass and I hope to find a luguan before getting to Balikun. I assume I won’t get to Balikun until tomorrow. It’s a near 85km ride, and if I have a pass, it may not work out.
At the beginning of the pass, I have to throw all my clothes back on.
Especially the little rides down with the frigid wind blasting against my face.
I’m out here with only an occasional truck. I do a see a few Kazakh men with their extra thick pants and their funny looking big hats. There is a Kazakh woman walking along the side of the road, from seeing other places, I’ve noticed they are collecting coal dropping off the truck.
Around 2, it’s beautiful up here – covered with white snow and blue sky. On occasion, I can see motorcycles riding through the fields herding their flocks.
There is a shepherd on his horse, coming down from the hill to my right. There is another shepherd to my left. As I pass through the two, I look at the one man on my left who has just lounged on the snow. He looks at me and I smile and return it with a “Hello!”…he follows me with his eyes. Perhaps I should of stopped…but I’m freezing and I’m racing against the sun, like everyday.
Just a view from the top.
There are a couple of hours of riding over the pass. My face freezing, hands, and feet. I have to get off to push the bike for a short while to get feeling back into my feet and fist my hands up into the palm of my gloves.
As I descend the pass…appears to be an ocean of snow ahead. This picture does no justice to what it look like from the top of that mountain.
About a 10-15km descent…FREEZING. Minimal traffic of trucks.
There is a town at the base, the sign reads 18km to Balikun. I know it would be cheaper to stay here for the night so I look around.
Men are selling animal skins at the 1 intersection of town. The roads are muddy and sloshy from ice and snow melt. It almost appears as if a massive rain storm just rolled through, except it’s cold.
There is an old 3 story brick building off the main road. The “bingguan” sign is barely holding onto the exterior and there is a local grocery on the first floor. It looks pretty damn hopeless, especially with the busted glass and it looking abandoned on the 2nd and 3rd floors. I’ve surely lived in worst places then this fine establishment. The town is hell…a brown, muddy, sloshy, cold mess. I can deal with cold, or wet…but not both.
I have my hat, hood, and sunglasses on and my face is covered over my nose.
Let me state, that my Chinese friends have told me that Chinese people are very helpful and kind to foreigners, but not to other Chinese. This moment confirms this.
I speak in Chinese and ask her if this is a bingguan. And she completely ignores me and I excuse myself and ask again. A short and rude response. Never have I had this happen to me. I asked her if she could help me and she wanted nothing to do with me. Screw this, 18km and I’m going to get a decent dinner and place that isn’t going to give me pneumonia.
God, hell of 18km. I was warned that Bali is one of the coldest places in the area. It’s getting colder. My hands are frozen and my feet frozen. I always do this, race into town completely frozen in hopes to beat frostbite. Yeah, now I race to beat frostbite.
It’s a beautiful ride in, passing little Kazakh establishments and one village.
I arrive to Balikun.
First local hotel won’t allow foreigners.
Second, which they recommended, is over priced AND they won’t allow my bike inside. I don’t even mess with that anymore…no bike no go.
Third, a little more than I wanted to spend but they help bring up my Nelly fully loaded and I can stash her behind the desk.
Top floor, no other guests, heat…HEAT!…and a shower.
I eat instant noodles and cookies for dinner…and that chocolate bar. After the surprise in my noodles it’ll be awhile before I eat much of anything.
Out of the desert and couldn’t be happier. Well, I could if it wasn’t freezing up on these mountains.