My second night out…, originally uploaded by Rich.
My second night sleeping out, no tent, in a dry creek bed on the outskirts of the Taklaman Desert, 15-16 kms past Aba.
Start: 60 kms past Yengisar, Xinjiang, China
End: 15 kms past Aba, Xinjiang, China
Distance: 151.37 km
Elevation: +350/-275 m
Time: 6′39″
Avg: 22.7 km/h
Total: 3,799.3 km
Riding/Total days: 45/89
My camping spot…, originally uploaded by Rich.
I love to camp in a desert. Beautiful starry wide skies, warm nights and soooo quiet. This was near the highway 315 about 1 kilometer away from the road…
Start: Kashgar, Xinjiang, China
End: 60 kms past Yengisar, Xinjiang, China
Distance: 144.83 km
Elevation: +345/-290 m
Time: 6′39″
Avg: 21.8 km/h
Total: 3,647.9 km (incl. 7.4 in Kashgar)
Riding/Total days: 44/88
I was really grateful for his help;), originally uploaded by Rich.
After spending a pleasant and relaxing week here in Kashgar, it is time to get going again. Tomorrow, I will leave for Tibet, it’ll take about 13-15 days just to reach it;) First, I need to cover about 250 kms to Aba and later after getting through a PSB checkpoint in one piece cross the Kunlun mountain range and the dry, cold and barren high-altitude plateau of Aksai Chin.
I have enough food for about 7 days. Some of my supplies were bought in a bazaar but most of them in a giant and well stocked supermarket in the center of the town. To my surprise, Kashgar was the best stocked city on my route sofar. I could get ‘almost’ anything here… Really;) Moreover, I wouldn’t be a cyclist if I didn’t marvel about food and restaurants here: John’s Cafe, Caravan Cafe (both expensive but good), Intizar Restaurant (amazingly good and cheap Uyghur food) and many more street foodstalls all over Kashgar, eigher Chinese or Uyghur (and even cheaper)…
Above is the photo from a GIANT bikeshop in Kashgar with a extremely friendly and helpful bike mechanic. He moved my spokes and hub to a new rim (Giant standard double-wall aluminum, Y68.00). He didn’t speak English at all but we understood each other w/o problems, at least when ‘talking’ about bike components. Btw, he was a 100% Shimano guy and had no idea about SRAM components on my bike;)
So, I’ll catch up with you guys in a few weeks… And as always, thanks for checking in;)
How do I look like???, originally uploaded by Rich.
I have more amazing photos from the Sunday’s bazaar in my flickr gallery: Kashgar Bazaar (2006). Check it out;)
Mao statue in Kashgar 2, originally uploaded by Rich.
Personal welcome from Chairman Mao;) I just had to find Bank of China to exchange my traveller’s checks an lo and behold who do I find on the main square right next to it…
UPDATE: Great news: Firstly, I was able to get the stove: PRIMUS imported from Sweden. I couldn’t wish for a better one, although at a price which was the same as in the West, if not more… (1,100 Yuans!!! Ouch!!!) Secondly, I got my rear wheel fixed. I found the GIANT bike shop recommended by Sage in Gilgit without problems. Luckily, it had a rim that fit my bike in stock. Plus, an extremely friendly bike mechanic rebuilt my wheel in less than two hours…
First of all, I’m sorry that it took me so long to post at my blog. No, I didn’t forget you guys;) Originally, I planned to update the blog in Gilgit, Pakistan but with ‘moody’ satellite connections it wasn’t possible at all. Here in Kashgar, China the Internet seems to be lot faster;)
Just give me a few days as I have some more urgent things to deal with first: 1.) Replace my rear wheel rim which cracked almost 700 kms ago but held all the way to Kashgar; 2.) Buy a multi-fuel stove, an absolute necessity in Tibet; 3.) Get FOOD, I’ll need supplies for about 20-25 days to get to Ali…
Thanks guys for checking;) Just a side note: Pakistan and its extremely friendly people were amazing, exceeding all my expectations. Really!!! China and Xinjiang province also, albeit for different reasons: Karakul Lake (at 3,700m high) with its two Pamir giants: Muztagh Ata (7,546m) and Mt. Kongur (7,719m) was a great experience just to see and admire from far below at the lake’s shores. As you probably know already, I’m a mountaineer at heart;) But more about it later…
Entering the Ghez Canyon, originally uploaded by Rich.
More detailed report coming up… But it was a tough day riding close to 200 kms through almost all seasons in one day (rain, snow, wind, sun and heat). The traffic sign said it all!!!
Start: Kara Kul, Xinjiang, China
End: Kashgar, Xinjiang, China
Distance: 196.92 km
Elevation: +420/-2,670 m
Time: 7′20″
Avg: 26.9 km/h
Total: 3,495.7 km
Riding/Total days: 43/81
Welcome to my blog where I share outdoor adventures, travel experiences and random musings from home and faraway places alike... My current plans:
1. [Summer-Fall 2010] Vagabonding alongside the Silk Route: It’ll be me, my bike and wide-open spaces of Western China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Tajikistan for 2-3 months...
2. [2011 or 2012] Motorbiking from Alaska to Patagonia: Just started thinking about it. Plan: Find a used thumper and hit back roads exploring this classic route all the way from the Deadhorse in Prudhoe Bay, U.S. to Ushuaia in Tierra del Fuego, Argentina. Plus, practice and improve my Spanish, too...
