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Me and the Nanning Cycling boys.
They all look so professional!!! Well, I have finally left Yangshuo and am now in Nanning. I took the bus from Yangshuo to guilin, followed by a train journey to Nanning. Damn, I was feeling rough after sitting up all night drinking spirits in the bar with Eric.
I used most of my remaining RMB to pay for my room in Janes, and since my passport is in Nanning at the Vietnamese embassy, I couldn't change any of my dollars. Damn! I arrived in Nanning at 9pm and went to the parcel company to pick up "Ark" my means of transport for this trip. The dude gave me my bike and told me because it was in storage for a week I had to pay an extra 20Y. This left me with 32Y to my name, or about 2 quid, not enough to get a room anywhere in Nanning even if they would accept a photocopy of my passport to register. I tried one hotel, telling them I would give them a deposit of 500$ US and would return the next day with RMB and my passport, but I just got the typical "Mei Banfa" or stone wall no way. So, with no room at
Eric in Yangshuo
Sitting on the side of the river after a memorable day watching Eric climb and riding our bikes through the countryside. The 10-15k ride was my only traing for the trip ahead!!!! the inn for Mark and Ark, I decided to go and sleep in one of the many parks in Nanning and get accustomed to roughind it as the trip is starting tomorrow anyway.
On the way to a park, I met up with a group of professional cyclists from Nanning who were all out on a training ride. I started to ride beside them and we got talking. They invited me to finish their training ride with them, which I did with great pleasure for the last 10kms or so. We then went to their "clubhouse" which turned out to be some seats outside a men's clothing shop that one of them owned. We parked up our bikes and began to become properly acquainted over some cold beers and a few plates of the local delicacy, river snails, cooked in garlic and chilli. Very tasty but also a nightmare to try to get the little meat they have out of the shell. They were great people and I felt that now my trip was going to be blessed, based upon this chance encounter. After guzzling down 4 beers or so, I made my excuses and told them I had
Bike at home before leaving
Ark fully packed up and ready to go.... to go set up camp. A few offers of accomodation were offered but I didn't want to impose and I really felt like gettting the adventure started with a night in the park...How wrong I was to choose this path....
I arrived at a park beside a lake which was amazingly beautiful and laid out my camping mat and sleeping bag in a scenic spot. It was very muggy in the hot Nanning evening, but there was a wonderful breeze coming from the lake, like natures air conditioning. I lay there and smoked a cigarette whilst watching fireflies dance around the reeds, and looking up at the clear stars. It all started so well! So, i drifted off into a blissful sleep for about an hour, till I was awoken with a presence in my camp. There was a very strange young man who appeared to be sniping around my camp and when he saw I had awoken he sulked off like I had ruined his fun. He was definately up to no good but I have no idea what. So now I was awake and God had switched off the A/C. I realised that there was about a gazillion mosquitos flying around my camp and they were taking chunks out of me. The biting I can handle, but what I cant stand is the infernal Bzzzzz Bz! around my head. I wish I could communicate with them to say, "look, anywhere below the knee is fair game, I won't kill you if you bite me there, but above the knee there will be trouble."
Alas, I can't speak mosquito very well so I gave up trying to sleep and tried to move around the park but everywhere I went was the same. I'd just start to get to sleep then "bzzzzzzz bz" Around 4am I realised there was no way I was getting to sleep here and went to an internet cafe, where I kicked back in the seat, put a few episodes of 'Seinfeld' on and fell asleep before Jerry had even cracked his first joke. I awoke at 8.30 with my faceon the keyboard and drool on the side of my face. There is no way the trip will start today...
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cindy
non-member comment
be strong as always
AS I know, you are such a nice person with a strong heart. you always can figure out how to get out of the troubles. I am sure you can get whatever you want after the trip with the God's help. when you feel a little lonely,plz remember you have so many friends beside you.