Bishkek to Bangkok 2023: It is what it is....

Flaming mountain

Leaving Turpan, we paused briefly at the Flaming Mountain, apparently named because of the vibrant colours at sunrise and/or sunset. As we missed both these times, it was a quick photo and then back on the desert highway. Ever Eastwards, nipping past the endless trucks, towards Hami for the night, our last stop in Xinjiang before the relative freedom of Gansu province.

More long, straight highways

From Hami we continued East and had our last couple of police checkpoints in Xinjiang, including the big one at the border. More tedious than intimidating. The intimidation was provided by a vicious cross-wind that had the bike riding at a 45° angle as it leaned into the gale; neck muscles straining as my crash helmet crushed the left side of my face. This started in Xinjiang but carried on into Gansu; what had made the wind quite so cross, I don't know; but it was furious about something?! Ironically, it only abated when we reached a massive wind farm.

Last police checkpoint in Xinjiang

Anyway, the freedom of Gansu awaited. No more police checkpoints (well, fewer) and no barbed-wire surrounding the fuel stations. We could buy petrol at will, so had much more freedom to ride as we wished.

The road toll-stations game was still in full swing, but in Gansu they seemed more inclined to wave you through, or pretend they hadn't seen you. I never paid any tolls in the province.

Dunhuang

Dunhuang was tonight's goal. The Taklamakan was behind us and we were now in the Gobi desert. Some famous sand dunes were on the edge of town, so we went to have a look. Apparently, we needed our passports to buy a ticket (everything even remotely worth seeing in China is monetized), so we returned to town to grab them and then back out to the dunes again.

The usual hordes of Chinese tourists were ever present, riding the thousands of camels on a set circuit, literally nose to tail. There were even traffic lights to stop the camel train and let the pedestrians cross the road.

Buddhist types meditating

It was a pretty place though and we'll worth seeing. The place had a "power" (I was told), and a large group of pilgrims sat in a circle on the sand to meditate; I went for a burger.

People, not ants

After the desert excursion, it was off to the night market for a feed. Overpriced tourist destination, but the food was OK and the beer cold.

Night market, Dunhuang

Then it was off to Jiayuguan and the first full day of riding free of the Xinjiang restrictions. I headed off alone and had a relaxing morning riding the virtually empty highway from Dunhuang. It eventually rejoined the main East-West highway and the return of the lorries.

Then everything slowed down, eventually grinding to a halt. I filtered up the hard shoulder past a few miles of stationary cars and trucks, to be confronted with a burning lorry. An official looking guy approached me and suggested I backtrack to the last exit and take the national road as the highway could be blocked for hours.

So, 20 Kms back west before winding along the local roads past the still burning truck to get back on the highway further along. As I did so, a woman at the toll-gate started shouting and waving her arms "no motorbikes on the highway!". I ignored her and stopped by a second, less hysterical looking official and tried to tell him about the fire; he waved me through.

In all, a 40 or 50 mile detour, but interesting and the right decision. I discovered later that the rest of the group waited for the fire to burn out and the remains of the truck to be carted away. This meant I arrived at the hotel hours earlier than the rest.

Burning lorry blocking the road

A quick stop at the "hanging Great Wall" and then back on the relentless highway slog. These long motorway days were necessary to cover the ground in the available time, but they were becoming monotonous. The scenery often lacking in this part of China. But, it is what it is; and I was enjoying the trip.

Then it started to rain about 100 Kms short of WuWei and the night's stop. Rain and trucks and motorways wasn't a fun combination. Nikolay met a random guy at a fuel stop who was driving through Gansu province for his holiday. He invited us to dinner and paid!

Jiayuguan

The beginning/end of the Great Wall

A lunch stop by a reclining Buddha temple in a town whose name I can't remember, before jumping back on the highway and ignoring the shouts and protestations of the toll-gate attendants. I win this round!

Reclining Buddha temple

Another long day, almost 600 kms and rain was forecast; could be a tough one. However it stayed mostly dry and some scenery began to appear. It was a bit cold but the lighter traffic made for a better days ride, much better than expected. A series of long tunnels punched their way through the hills. Some had loudspeakers in them telling people not to speed (I assume?!), but with the echoing in the tunnel and the distortion from the speakers, it sounded like the agonized wails of toll-booth attendants who'd be banished to the underworld for failing to stop bikers using the highways.

National Day fast approaching, flags everywhere

The new "Ancient" city

Ended the day in Tian Shui and another ancient town that had been restored to Disney-esque proportions. Pretty but...........

A few interesting bars helped pass the evening.

No comment

The following day, a diversion to see the MaiJiShan grottoes. Very impressive, but the queue of tourists shuffled toward the entrance at a snails pace and it looked like this continued all the way to the top. Deciding that the view outside looking up was probably better than inside looking down, most of the group bailed just before the point of no return. Only Nigel battled on, ignoring the queue and striding towards the entrance. Some Chinese tourists followed suit until an angry policeman turned them back; Nigel somehow got through though.

MaJiShan Grottoes

Then ever onwards through more tunnels to the most easterly point of our journey through China, Xi An. As the city drew closer, the road became a 4 lane superhighway, with the associated Michael Schumacher wannbees.

Our hotel for the night was right in the centre of the city, so fun and games with the urban traffic; dodging from the car lanes to the bike lanes and back again. Good fun.

A taxi through the gridlocked traffic to the Tang dynasty "theme park" area with its restaurants and countless Chinese tourists dressed up in period costume for the perfect Instagram moment (or whatever the Chinese equivalent is ..?)

On the rest day that followed, a trip to the Terracotta warriors was arranged. I've been twice before, but it still continues to impress. However the area around the site has now been built up into a small town and is completely unrecognisable.

Terracotta Warriors, Xi An

Xi An

Xi An in Shannxi province still allows bikes on the highway, but not in the neighbouring province of Sichuan. So we had to be off the highway before we changed province.

Leaving Xi An and it was tipping down with rain, the worst yet. I set off early as I expected difficulties getting out of the city. A long morning through more tunnels and almost constant rain was tiring, but weirdly enjoyable.

I left the highway at the designated exit and immediately took a wrong turn......this thinking for yourself will take some getting used to. Back on the right track and the rain had stopped. A slow but enjoyable ride on the national road, being overtaken by a string of Chinese bikers and just enjoying the change of pace.