Hi!
After writing this for the second time (well, computer ... seems they dont like me in any places) I think I can manage the chinese keyboard - at least...

Starting with the nice things (well, they lasted until 5 pm today, so quite long time)

After I planned my escape from Chengdu in three different ways and discarded two of them, i went to Dujiangyan, 60 km NW of Chengdu. Bicycle, tricycle, moped highway and "normal" street: 4 tracks for cars, 1 lane one each side for non-cars: mummies and daddies going for a walk with their children, workers waiting for the bus to come, and all kind of motorized and non motorized vehicles. well, now I know how smokers must feel... the airpollution isn't little (gar nicht mal so wenig)

Well, Dujiangyan was more beautiful than expected, I wanted to use it as a springboard (Sprungbrett) to the Mountains. And I headed for the mountains right the day after. So ... yippie!

The day began great: who else can say he has gone through an UNESCO cultural world heritage site by bike - and absolutely for free? The delusion was big: lots of lorries carrying tons of building material the quite small street uphill. not funny at all. and the caravan didn't stop! absolutely exhausted of the mountains, the heat (I did not forget the suncreme :), the humidity, the dirt, and the discomfort (Unbehagen) I stopped at about 35 km after Dujiangyan for having a rest. as this is not possible along the street (Well, sometimes I miss the finnish rest areas along all big roads) I decided to go into the next town. I sat on the border of the street, and an old woman came to me. I asked her, if I could have some water (well, it was more like "shui" than "could I have some water please..."). She took me by the hand, lead me to her house, offered me some shadow, some rice, and HOT water ... well, chinese people do always drink hot water and tea.
after this rest, I continued my way... erm ... at least I tried to. The road I wanted to take was destroyed of the earthquake "5.12". Somebody asked me before my trip (Susi, was this you?), if one can still see something about the earthquake - the answer is yes. All the lorries with building materials went there...
And finally the question: what could I do now? Detour about Wenjiang? I dont want to... too far, too much way, as I still want to see teh solar eclipse, and time is running...
In this special moment appeard my Guardian Angel Lorraine with Joseph, and asked me, if I would need help. As I decided to go back to Dujiangyan I told her, I needed a possibility to get there, and she just offered me to take me and my bike in their van. Thank you sooooo much! what would have I done without you?
All the way back was much fun, we laughed a lot, and finally we had dinner together. Lorraine works for an organisation, that helps people, whose houses have been destroyed by the earthquake. Thanks for the pictures, Joseph :)

Well, I slept quite good that night.

Next day: next plan: next stop: Qionglai. once more spirngboard to mountains. once more bicycle highway. not that spectacular. I'm just wondering about the maps: two types of roads (bicycle highway, see above, and chuckholes/Schlaglo:cher with a little street around) have the same signature.... by the appearance you cant know wich type of street you will meet.

At Qionglai once more I didn't ask but gestured someone for a place to sleep. two girls "took me by their hands" and guided me to a hotel (wich also happend at Dujiangyan(1st night). But, the service didn't end: they waited for me, while having shower, and then they took me to their home. having dinner together... Thank you Hanna! Afterwards we had a walk in the city, and afterwards they brought me to the hotel, and fetched their bike (sic!). Wow. :)

Next day I arrived in the mountains. it is soooo beautiful. once more I changed my plans and did not go to LuDing. I wanted to be there on wedensday, a thing, that would not have been possible. Before arriving at ya'an i went to the lake qingli (detour: 4km, but worth, worth, worth doing that! the first time I could be on my own!!! a thing that is not so common here in china, especially when you are from Austria ... no, not Australia, Austria: Aodili! and especially when you are travelling by bike. and especially when you travel by recumbent bike)

so I went with direction of Hongya. somewehre (I don't know the transkription of these signs) I wanted to stop, two guy accompanied me to a "hotel". beau-ti-ful. not the hotel, but the scenic spot. well, you would need to see the pictures i took.

today got up at 5.30 for taking pictures at sunrise ... more ore less ... too much fog. as in the evening before. and I guess in 95 % of the rest of the time... but that's why it is so beautiful.
I visisted the temple over there. well... pictures will follow, as soon as I find a Internetcafe, whose computer are working... trying to sort the pictures the computer crashed, and I want to avoid the loss of pictures ... so, sorry for today.

Started my trip, and while I was at the post office, the police man from the station opposite to the post, came to help me. first. then he came to controll me. I don't know why. They kept my passport number, and everything, checked my visa, once, twice, thrice, phoned someone... well and then let me go. *pfuh*

Travelling on, through more and less beautiful places, i once more got very euphoric.... and once more that wasn't good.
In Finland I fell into the soft moss. In China I fell onto the hard street (at least at the pavement). yesterday I asked myself: what is less fun than traveling with a badly adjusted gearshift? well, twoday I gave the answer to myself by myself: travelling with a bent handle bar... :( it's still possible to travel on, even if it isn't that comfortable, but I have already ideas how to manage that, and I guess chinese people are perfect in "russian improvising" (these words are meant to be understood by german-speaking persons only).

So, don't worry, I will survive this as well.

Tomorrow I will visit the big buddah at Leshan, and than I want to go with direction East, because the probability of clouds is minor the more I go to the east (as the weather proofed in the past 8 days - more clouds than 24/24h are not possible.), you know, I'm still "in search of lost solar eclipse" (for all literature fans :)

pictures - sorry, sorry, sorry - not today.

zaijian
Angi

I spend the evening translating my chinese map into english - well, it worked quite good. as I finished earlier than expected I had some time to put online some pics.

Tomorrow I start my tour - I'm going to be a traveller, as I was a tourist today :)
I'm going north-western, a little into the mountains, than turning southward with direction emei shan. than the plan is going the beginning of the three gorges to be on time outside of Wuhan, onto the mountain where I want to see the solar eclipse. I hope, this plan is realizeable, otherwise I'll watch it from somewhere else.

Don't worry about me: chinese people are very, very nice. There was no problem to go by bus (with changing) to the pandas... on the bus a foreigner asked me, if I wanted to go there, and told me when I had to go off. And he recommanded me to ask, if I can't find the way, quite angrily (no, of course not, but it was nearly schimpfen :) ).

I hope, things keep on the good side also for the rest of the time.

see you!


My first long-distance-flight - and my first jet-lag


one tea-house seen from a temple-park at chengdu


colorfoul details of an temple


giant panda at the world's first panda research and breeding base at chengdu


every midday I'm going to do like the panda: having a rest :) but not as high as him.


red pandas can be found as well


everyone who knows my appartment recognizes this hommage to :)

Hello everzbodz!

Finallz I arrived at Chengdu / I tell zou... what a journez! 31 hours of flzing and waiting, but now I am at the aim. Mz bike is alreadz put together, it works, even if it has some "beautz mistakes", same as I have. The bike from flzing, for me from carrzing mz bike through several airports...

The fist evening was quite adventurous, I alreadz used a Motorrikscha to bring mzself an mz bike (still wrapped) to a hotel, which I didnt know until then.

The first missunderstandig> I thought, he will bring me to hotel for 50 yuan, he thought, he can get me for 50 yuan in bed... well, cultural misunderstanding. *pfuh*

at the hostel I met 3 chineses, (well, not onlz three, but three special ones) thez kept mz companz for todaz in the morning, and made it easz for me to get used to chinese traffic. that is much more easier than to irish traffic, even if its much less regulated, but at least it is on the right hand of the road >( (<-- this is a chinese smilez)

well, chengdu is much bigger than I suspected (mazbe I should sometimes plan mz trips a little bit in advance), but it is impossible to find detailed maps of china with english and chinese letters... well, i need to get along with chinese letters.

I love chinese language, also because of its letters. proudlz I can tell that I can recogniye about 20 signs such as mountain, one, huge, person, exit, north, west, four, rivers, and so on (but until now I don't know wich toilet to use >( )

chengdu, however, isn't that nice as expected, even if everzwhere is written, that it should be a nice citz. well... I'm planning mz escape. (btw> humiditz is about 80 % all through the zear / mz t/shirt, that I wanted to drz zesterdaz evening, is still wet) Chengdu seems to me just a large traffic. tomorrow I will do the first ride on mz Ibex, i hope we both survive >(

So, first impressions of mz journez.
have a good daz, I'm looking for dinner now, as ist is alreadz 7pm, while zou ale looking for lunch >(

see zou!

(ps> feel free to comment mz journez / I'll appreciate this >(