THE CHINESE TRIANGLE JINGHONG -DALI CITY - KUNMING

After 10 days of relaxing, doing day tours and organizing a visa for China I was again getting itchy feet. Time to throw a leg over the trusty steed and cycle east into the morning sunrise to Chiang Kong - the border crossing point into northern Laos. From there it was only another 250km of cycling through rugged mountain terrain to Luang Nam Tha the final stop before entering China.

Once crossing into China I planned to cycle a triangular route of 1500km through the Yunnan Province in southern China - arguably the gem of China's provinces. My journey will take me through Jinghong - Dali city - Kunming.

Enter China - The Xishuangbanna province with Jinghong as its capital. Incrediable infrastructure with super highways that have 5km long tunnels through the mountains and bridges spanning deep forested valleys. What a change from Thailand and Laos where you are either going up or going down. Talk about making cycling a pleasure. Just metres off the highways you can visit villages that still practice traditional customs - no electricity, no running water and no shops - the hub of the town being the morning market where villagers display their wares. It's like stepping back in time.

Spent two days in Jinghong just soaking up the atmosphere. It's a city of about 90,000 people but has a real lay back feel about it. Beautiful tree lined streets with sidewalk cafes but no coffee. Am I missing a good coffee to start the day - YES!!!

Well the fairy tale of super highways and tunnels came to an abrupt end once I left Jinghong and started heading north to Dali City. My tourist map of the Yunnan Province legends it as a national high class highway. It is the only road north and believe me, in places, it is not much more that a goat track - unsealed, rutted with potholes and rocks - almost unridable by bike and very unsafe as it is just wide enough for two vehicles.

The road from Jinghong to Lincarn (450km) can be catergorized in 4 stages:

1. superhighway with incrediable tunnels and bridges. distance 60km star rating *****
2. unmade mountainous road which at times is only wide enough for one car/truck/bus. distance 140 kms star rating **
3. unrideable and over very steep mountains and still under construction. distance 150kms star rating - nil
4. like riding the Tour De France over Belgium's cobble stone streets. distance 100 kms star rating *

Thank heavens for the trusty Cannondale tourer. It has passed all tests with flying colours. Thanks to Aaron at Cycle Zone in Darwin for his recommendations.

I have now climbed to an elevation of over 2500 metres above sea level. Here the mornings start off with a cool 12 degrees and rise to a pleasant 22 degrees by mid afternoon - quite a change from the 39 dgrees of northern Thailand

THE ART OF SPITTING - CHINESE STYLE (NOT GENDER SPECIFIC AND NOT VERY ENDEARING WHEN DONE BY A BEAUTIFUL SOUTHERN CHINESE LADY)

1. Draw back through the nose.
2. Clear violently through the back of the throat.
3. Then spit.

FOUR MOST COMMON PLACES TO SPIT

1. On the sidewalks.
2. In the mornng market beside the beautiful fruit and vegetable stands
3. In the sidewalk eating outlets - probably equates to a good burp.
4. On the bus - either out of the window or on the floor - nice one.

STAGE 3 KHAMPHAENG PHET TO CHIANG RAI

Bike cleaned, body rested and load lightened by a few unwanted, unused items of clothing and it's back on the road to Thailand's northern most province of Chiang Rai. My first stop was the beautiful Lang Sang National Park with its scenic walking trails and cascading multi tiered water falls with icey cold rock pools to sooth aching muscles. Lang Sang park is located in the Tak Province which is a wild and very mountainous region of Thailand with villages like Mae Ramat and Tha Sang Yang dotting the steep hillsides. These refugee camps of Hmong, Lisu and Karen villagers are mainly Burmese Civilians who have been driven across the border into Thailand

My first experience of serious mountain climbing started on the journey from Lang Sang to Mae Sot. Climbing to 2000 metre the large trucks crawled up the mountain slopes at 7 kph enabling weary cyclist to hitch a ride. From Mae Sot I followed the main route north which runs parrallel to the Burmese border passing through very rugged mountainous terrain. The further north you go the steeper the mountains become until it gets to a stage where walking is the easier option - but you are greeted with scenery to die for - streams, caves, hot springs and picturesque mountain pass viewing points - picture postcard stuff. Days start early - 6am to try and beat the daytime heat that rises to 38 degrees.

Mae Hong Song and Pai are the standout towns in the north west of Thailand. Mae Hong Song is set around a beautiful small lake which in the evening turns into a diner's delight with street stall food vendors surrounding the lake selling Thai cuisine to suit everyone's taste. It also has Wat Phea That Doi Kong Mu that towers over the town. Early risers can climb the steps to the top and watch the sun rise over the mountains - a pretty awesome sight. Pai on the other hand is the Byron Bay of northern Thailand. It's a farang hangout. Nestled deep in a valley the streets are lined with cafes, coffee shops, souvenier shops and bars.

It was in this area that I met a lovely french family that was also following the mountain trail. Bruno, Jenny and their 5 year old daughter Lilly. We kept each other company until Tha Lot where I caught the river boat down to Chiang Mai and they continued on Mae Si and then on to Laos.

From Phuket to Chiang Rai, a distance of 2565km was covered without one toot of anger from a motor bike, car or truck- pretty amazing

Now a two weeks break for a bit of sightseeing and relaxing before a move onto either China or Laos.