I want to ride my bicycle....

So I've decided to restructure my blog a little bit, to more simplify the recounting of my adventures and better suit the reader's interests, as I can only imagine the names of these towns (which I've phonetically translated into English words) mean absolutely nothing to everyone. I think the easiest and most effective way to relay where I've been and where I am in the world is visually (as no one can deny the effectiveness of picture books).

So here we go (let me know what you think)

4.12.09 - I left Pu Er (the last place that I posted from) after a much needed rest day and charged some towards Dali. I stopped for lunch just before Toe Swee and had one of the most interesting experiences of my trip. First of all, most Chinese men wear sports coats no matter what the occasion. Weather it be a day working in the fields or just lounging around the house. So I pulled into this little house/restaurant and the family immediately took to me (grandmother and all). The father (decked out in a sports coat) immediately hands me a glass of clear liquid. Well...the clear unassuming liquid turned out to be some form of Chinese bootleg moonshine and he looked like he'd been getting after it since breakfast. So needless to say a few cheers later, before my food actually got to me, I was rather enjoying myself, trying to shoot the breeze with minimal amounts of Chinese is extremely hard. So I scarfed down the awesome food, said goodbye to one of the coolest Chinese families and pressed on, however the enjoying it part didn't last past the next gigantic hill. I ended up logging 123 km that day and ended up in Maentza at a beautiful camp spot.

4.13.09 Today I logged my first 100 mile day (163 km) and felt really strong all day, maybe it was the lack of moonshine? I still climbed some 1500 meters (4900 feet) and was still without Team 7 but had a strong feeling that they would come coasting down the hill at any moment.

4.14.09 Logged 135 km

4.15.09 I arrived in Dali after yet another trecherous climb. It's kind of like Vegas' little Chinese sister. Located high in the Cangshan mountains and miles from anything, Dali is a huge city surrounded by mountains that tower over the city, making it resemble a minature doll town. It's beautiful and better yet, I learned how to order delicious plates of pork! Today is day 12 since I left Team 7.

4.16.09 I arrived in old town Dali, which is only 15 km north of the new town. I checked into a hostel, dropped my bags and jumped on the bike to explore the town. As soon as I jumped on my bike, I noticed some people from a distance that looked vaguely familiar. And low and behold, having breakfast at a German restaurant was the rest of Team 7.

Reunited after 13 days of solo riding!

4.17.09 So we headed towards Tiger Leaping Gorge, where we were to take a few day trek. And it was awesome. I would highly recommend it to anyone heading to China. Here's some pictures....

This is the guesthouse we stayed at....absolutely beautiful

Here's my China progress as of today (we are currently at Snow Mountain).

I've cycled some 1300 miles and gained some 65,000 vertical feet.

So everyday is pretty much an epic adventure. I really don't mind the gigantic hills that I climb each day, which is good because I'd be a grumpy mess in this terrain. A ton of huge hills, 14 bowls of noodle soup, a little more Chinese to add to the vocabulary, and a ton of smiles each day. My recipe for success. My legs and buns are becoming solid steel bars.