Cycling from Wuwei to Zhangye, taking the small roads.

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3 days on the bike!

Day 1 = from Wuwei to Yong Chang. I rode 5 hours and did about 70km, going uphill, facing strong wind. Grey sky. Boring scenery. I wanted to give up and hop on a train to Zhangye… I found a nice hotel room at Yong Chang just before it started raining. A day to forget? Well… I got a good work out out of it!

Day 2 = From Yong Chang to Shan Dan. 9 hours on the bike (about 160km) through amazing mountainous scenery: green fields boarded by snow-capped mountains under beautiful blue sky. I probably took a wrong turn (I travel without a GPS) but I ended up on the smallest and most beautiful roads in the middle of nowhere. I ran across very, very few cars and even fewer trucks and the whole way was so quiet, so peaceful. It was A MA ZING! The last 2 hours to Shan Dan were fun because I crossed many small mud walled villages where farmers (and sheep) waved at me. I got to Shan Dan with a big grin on my face, happy and proud to have covered the distance in a day. I slept well that one night…

Day 3 = From Shan Dan to Ma Ti Si: another beautiful ride (about 90km) through the desert and later on some green-field-areas surrounded by splendid mountains. Pictures from this 3^rd day will follow on my next blog.

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Photos

grisaille toute la journee en partant de Wuwei
I didn't take any picture of this first day on the road. It was just grey and boring...

Yong Chang
main street

she was going to her family's farm
we rode together 10 minutes

outside Yong Chang
It felt great to be close to the mountains

when suddenly a bus of tourists wave me aside and...
we ended up taking pictures for 10 minutes!