Distance: 106.9 km
Time in saddle: 5h12m
Time from departure: 8h30m
Max speed: 62.1
(assuming my bike computer is on point, and I know its close)
The first day of the trip. Started out with a solid plan. Spent the day before researching some websites, asking for some local advice and using my maps to plan a route with what I thought were good distances to cover in the beginning. Not to far, 60k and look for a hotel depending on where I was.
Did not follow that plan at all. About 15k south of Kunming I cam across 4 guys cycling and after speaking for a minute learned we were both heading to the same place. But they were going to be taking a different route. So for some reason I still cant fathom, I decided to stick to my plan and go my way.
Immediately I was second guessing my choice. They were local, they spoke Chinese, they were people to talk to and be around. But choice made, I continued on.
The roads were great, and the GPS worked like a charm. Somehow I got off route, but was able to keep going, when in doubt go south. Its my motto until Sa Pa. Then its, when in doubt head westsouthwest. Doesnt have the same ring.
Then by chance or luck, serendipity, fate ( you can choose your word) I can came across the same guys taking a short break. On the wrong road (from my plan) and there they were. I joined up with them immediately. Turns out one of them has done this ride before. Has a hotel in mind, which turned out to be 40RMB with hot water. And overall were good people. Never missing the chance to join in with other riders again. They did however push a little farther than I was planning. In typical Chinese fashion the leader said its only a little farther several times. That turned out to be about 25-30k. But, hotel is good, view is great and in two days I think I can cover what I had planned for 3 and take a day to rest.
Day one, success. Tired. Legs are sore. Ass hurts in places I never really felt before and that I believe will only get worse before it gets better. Some new challenges not thought of before in mind (like, squatters all the time I knew before, but I forgot the village squatter stank. What do you do with your bags when you need to answer nature? most of the new problems seem to revolve around the bathroom).
I really hope everything I read about it taking two weeks to really get into the flow of things. Otherwise I need to start going a lot slower.
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