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Published: August 19th 2008
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Martial boys 310708
They put on a display for us Wednesday 30 July - at Shijiazhuang
Got the hotel IT team to sort out the Ethernet connection so I have internet! Lots of emails today. The programme for 3-5 August has changed radically from the printed one, we will be doing less tourism and will be in Beijing for only 2 nights instead of three. Another economy measure, no doubt.
In the evening there was a tremendous rainstorm, which rather changed my mind about eating out! Ate in the hotel’s “pizza bar” which was mostly Chinese with some rather odd pizzas (several with fruit) and some very greasy spaghetti. At least we had red wine.
Thursday 31 July - Shijiazhuang to Dingzhu, 75 km
Boring, flat, hot and humid as usual. Pollution as usual, too - everything obscured by a grey mist. We stopped at a school where the boys gave us a remarkable display of martial arts exercises. From 30 km out we were directed by the police, and there were officials in red caps and badges all along the road. Not a very good hotel; meals at a restaurant. No-one has been allowed to use any of the internet cafes here - a security measure for the Olympics? -
Peanut plants 310708
They really do grow underground it’s a bit worrying.
Friday 1 August - Dingzhu to Baoding, 74 km
Much the same as yesterday, but with police escort all the way. We arrived around noon; the hotel is reasonable, lunch was at a local restaurant.
After lunch I cleaned the bike sufficiently to look OK for arrival; in a couple of days I shall say goodbye to it. At 6 there was a gathering of the Red group to say goodbye to Pierre, who leaves on the 4th. We had a private dining room and drinks before dinner, and it was a nice evening. (All hotels and big restaurants have several private dining rooms, often when we have lunch in a restaurant we occupy all their rooms.)
Saturday 2 August - Baoding to Zhuozhou, about 60 km, and coach transfer to Huairou
The cycle ride was much about the same as on preceding days.
We arrived in a small town, loaded the bikes into the lorries and the panniers into buses, and had lunch at a restaurant.
Then there was a 3-hour bus journey to a hotel to the north of Beijing. We bypassed Beijing on one of its ring roads (there is a series of
these: the road system is very extensive, improved for the Olympics of course). Today the sun came out a bit and it was less foggy.
In the evening there was a “banquet” - not much different from any other dinner.
Sunday 3 August - Huairou to The Great Wall, about 70 km, and arrival ceremony
Today’s ride was a real pleasure. The sun came out and it was bright and almost clear. We went up a main road with hardly any traffic, with fruit sellers all the way along. The countryside was hilly and green, with mountains in the background.
We re-grouped near the entrance to the Great Wall and went through a gateway and up a winding road which got steeper and steeper, till we came out on a big terrace just below the Wall. This was the end of our Paris-Pekin ride. There was a big emotional scene, everyone hugged and kissed everyone else, and of course lots of photos. We had been asked to wear full Paris-Pekin cycling kit for a final group photo on the Great Wall, but unfortunately for some reason this was not taken. We are all upset about this. I had my Union
Jack teeshirt under my cycling top and this got quite a few photos!
There were lots of self-congratulatory speeches by FFCT and local officials, including the French Ambassador, while we stood around in the hot sun with nothing to drink. Finally we were able to go up onto the Wall and walk around and take photos. At the top of the local section of wall we found (of course) a souvenir shop - which also had cold beers. Quite a few of us had a nice sit around with drinks for a while. Pierre-Marie smoked a cigar he had brought all the way specially for this occasion.
When we got down from the Wall we packed our bikes into the lorries again and had lunch at a restaurant before getting into the buses to go into Beijing. This was another tedious 3-hour journey as we were taken to a hotel on the south side of the city.
We are now combined with the Xi’an-Beijing party, a further 150(?) people. The Paris-Pekin group tend to stick together as we have little in common with the others. They have only been here two weeks, whereas we feel like a close family after
five months on the road. We are sad that our journey is over and we shall be going our separate ways.
So it’s over, we have arrived, everyone has made it - even me.
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