Day 84 Sun 19/09 - Kunming to Xin Ba Village

Today Distance : 89.1 km        Total : 4253.3 km
Today Weather : 21 - 35C      Sunny Blue Sky
Time On Bike : 5 hr 28 min
Ave Speed : 16.2 kmh             Max : 49.0 kmh
Ave Climb : 2%                       Max : 9%
Trip Altitude : 663 m                Max : 1974 m
Today Spend : 46.0 rmb          Total : 760 rmb

From Kunming I had decided to head west to Dali (320 km) and Lijiang ( 860 km), a very challenging route full of mountains, rivers , rocks. Of course I only heard  from friends and seen the pictures on books ,magazines, and also did the Goggle Earth search, personally never been there before.So I am really looking forward to it.With some advice from Mr Cheah, the Kunming bike shop owner who had  the riding experience on this mountainous route right up to Deqen close to the Tibetan border. The morning ride out of the city was smooth and easy. Following the Renmin Xi Lu on a wide special lane for motorbikes and bicycles, weather was perfect, cool and refreshing. The 1st big town is An Ning on national road G320, a very busy road with trucks carrying either sands,earths and rocks, making the road very dusty. Luckily the dust settled once you are out of the city, with less traffics on the outskirts, the air are cleaner and scenery better, Along the roads, paddies farmers were busy doing the harvesting, manually cutting the stems on one hand can grab, and another hand using a curve knife to cut( how to call it?), another person to collect to a machine with a rotating rod to separate the rice grains from the stems. Machinery no doubt can makes harvesting faster, easier, but many will be out of jobs then.So don't teach them how to modernise. My target for today is to reach Lu Feng town, 15 km before reaching Lu Feng at a village called Xin Ba, there were 2-3 roadside guesthouses, they were cheap,usually cater for drivers to stop for a night rest. I had many experiences staying at these cheap guesthouses during my Beijing2paris tour. The price is quite standard from 10-15 yuan. True enough it cost only 10 yuan when I stop to enquire one, the young owner also owns a tire repairing workshop. Self service, I was told to pay up and go up stair to choose which room you want.No room key to lock from outside but a latch to lock from inside. No problem after all I am the only guest around in one of the 4 empty rooms. Surprisingly with such low rate,the room is quite clean with double beds and a small tv. I might consider staying more of such guesthouses in the coming days.

                                                        Dusty ride out from the city

                                                       Fresh air and great scenery

                                                      Clean and quiet country road

                                                         River,mountain and rice field

              Road sign reminder on many steep,bent and narrow sections ahead

           The tree on the right - " I look skinny.... but I am one head taller!!"

                          The toll gate in China always looks very artistic

                                  Donkey cart transportation - Slow and steady

Golden paddies field

                                            Hard labour with a stress on the back

              Separating the rice grains from the stem with a motorised roller

                                              Many hands speed up the work

                                         Extracting " some mineral " from this special hill

                                          Recumbent taking a rest before a downhill

                                                       Attracted by the red earth

                                                  And a beautiful red earth corner

                                            One of my most satisfactory shots

                                        15 km short from the original target Lu Feng

Xin Ba Village

Roadside guesthouse 10 yuan