Bicycle Touring to Australia: China, Yuxi to Yuanjiang
My latest bicycle touring to Australia update: cycling through China, Yuri to Yuanjiang. 94 miles. Hard riding, quiet roads, spectacular scenery, forest fires, and I’ve passed the 4000-mile mark!
It’s been tough going today with some long climbs, and it’s felt as if I’ve spent most of the day going uphill! But the reward at the top of the climb was spectacular! Just when I thought these hills would never end, I’d turn a corner, and the landscape would open up, and I’d be looking out over the lush green mountains of Yunnan.
Despite it being a hard ride today, the roads have been very quiet. Most traffic goes on a new motorway that carves its way through the mountains. Sometimes I’m cycling beside it. The next, I’m looking down on it as it disappears through another tunnel.
There was a bit of a worry at one point this morning. I could see and had been smelling smoke for quite a while, but never took too much notice of it. But then, when I rounded a corner, I could see a forest fire on the other side of the valley. Few, that’s okay then. But then, as I cycled on, the fire had spread to my side of the valley. Thankfully, the central part of the fire was above me, although a few patches were burning right next to me on the road! I don’t think there was any real danger, though. None of the people in the villages closer to the fires than I was were taking any notice!
A Long Day
It’s been a long day. I didn’t finish cycling until gone eight o’clock and in the dark! And for the time I’ve spent cycling, I’ve not covered a huge amount of miles. It’s these hills. It takes me so long to drudge up them! And then I can’t even fly down the other side. The roads are too bumpy and unkempt! One thing, though, I passed the 4000-mile mark today!
Another cheap hotel tonight it’s only cost me £7, and these are proper hotels. They do have some strange things in the rooms, though! Both the hotel yesterday and today have had condoms in the rooms! So if I get lucky, I’ll be okay! They’ve also had cigarettes and Chinese pot noodles. Also, a spare pair of pants for both him and her tonight. But no mini bar!
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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