Bicycle Touring to Australia: My First Day in China,

My latest bicycle touring update, cycling to Australia, and it’s my first day in Kunming, China. I put my bike together first thing and went out for a ride to make sure everything worked okay. And I’m happy to report that not only am I getting good at dismantling the bike. But reassembly is also getting quicker and easier! What a different place Kunming is to Dhaka! The streets are immaculately clean and much more like roads back home. The roads are so quiet, well, not really, but compared with Dhaka, it’s like riding in the countryside! So different to what I’ve been used to for the past month!

The people seem to be a lot more reserved. They don’t stop and stare like in India and Bangladesh. They don’t tend to make eye contact either, and they’re certainly not as curious, or maybe that’s just me! The smells as you walk around. It’s like being permanently in a Chinese restaurant! And the taste of the food is gorgeous. It’s nothing like the Chinese food we have at home, even though the smells are the same.

Food is so cheap, and there’s such a variety. Lunch cost 60p for beef, chicken and rice, and dinner tonight cost £1 for some noodles. Although I haven’t got a clue what I’m ordering, there’s no English anywhere, and nobody speaks any English either. I think I will have to learn how to use chopsticks, or I’ll be going hungry! I think I managed okay tonight, well with a bit of coaching from some locals and the chef! I’ve not seen any other cutlery anywhere! I think I’m going to like China!

Tour Information

It’s been years since I took this ride, but the memories (and the data) are all archived:

• Photos: See my photos on Flickr
• The route: View my journey around the world
• Videos: Check out my YouTube videos
• Tour page: Ride overview

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