Garry McGivern Travelsonabike2 is cycle touring in China on Sunday, 14th-October-2012. Urumqi to Turpan. 121 miles. Got lost coming out of the city this morning. I thought I’d be clever and go out a different way to what I came in! I eventually asked a policeman who got his phone out. He pulled a map up and then drew me a copy. He did tell me that I wasn’t allowed on the motorway, which of course, I said I knew. I wouldn’t do that! Anyway, directions in hand, I set, and found the road I wanted to be on. But it was closed, so ended up on the motorway again!
It’s All Downhill
Think I’ve been up on a plateau for the past week. This afternoon I had a huge downhill. It must have been forty or fifty miles! The wind had also gotten up, which was blowing me along. I hadn’t realised how windy it was coming down that hill as I was flying anyway. It wasn’t until it levelled off and I changed direction I felt how strong it really was.
The wind was now coming across me. Although still slightly behind me. I had to ride my bike at a 45° angle, I had a real job just staying upright. Each time a lorry came past, I’d have to stop or be blown off the road. Even stopping, I had a job to stand up! Once the lorry had passed, trying to get going was just as hard. I was just blown off the road. Once I did manage to get going again, after a couple of turns of the pedals, I was up to 30 mph, and this was on the flat, the wind was that strong. Never known anything like it. Finished the day in a dust storm, I was glad to finish today it was pretty scary stuff!
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