Distance covered today: 57.9k (49 on the road and several around town)
Total mileage to date: 164k
Time in saddle: 3h37min
Time from departure: about 6+ hours
The ride from yesterday took a lot out of me. I covered a lot more distance than i was planning and have not done more than 100k in a day since my first foray into long distance cycling 5 years ago. Thankfully because I stretched so far yesterday, I only had to go 50+ to make it to my next stop.
TongHai. Much nicer than I expected and also than it comes off at first glance. Coming in to town it seems very industrial, several factories and bunch of vegetable shipping depos gathering the crops for movement out of the area. But once past that it is a nice smaller town. Town center seems to be based around a small walking mall with a Chinese temple in the middle and a large mosque in the north western corner. Streets are small and the place has a traditional, authentic feel. Which I can attest to as so far the only foreigner and people seem genuinely shocked to see a white face. Not a lot of foreign tourists coming through.
I was able to find a "hotel" for 25 yuan a night. Warm water to shower was a welcome surprise although I would pay handsomely for a 马桶 (look it up).
The road today was easy to follow. Skirted around Fuxian lake and then another smaller lake to the south. After rejoining the local highway (s214) it was a 6+k climb before starting the downhill which took me most of the way into TongHai.
At the top of the hill was a tollboth and I had a foreboding sense that I might be turned away, truck access only or something. As I approached I saw a small motorbike lane and hit it hard and fast to be able to go around anyone who might try to stop me... All for nothing. The one guard who saw me looked about 15 and was more confused looking than anything else.
A nice downhill and into town for a cup of coffee and a massage. Tomorrow I will push about 70-80k to JianShui where I think I will stay for my first rest day.
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