Of Rattle Snakes, Wall to Wall Carpets and Dead Cows

We have done six riding days since the last rest day. All these days had their own shades of hell. This is except for a 158km day where there was a marvelous tailwind. The gods of the winds then got into a bad mood and it changed to not so marvelous head winds.

The last province of China is called Inner Mongolia. There we rode for two days before a border crossing into the real Mongolia.

We meandered through even more non discript Chinese towns where the population got less and less.These towns had names like Zhangbei, Xianghaungvi, Sonid Youqi, Erlianhaote and Ulaan-Uul. Not recommended to go there for your honeymoon.

In China the nights were still spent in hotels.Various grades of sleaziness, but all with at least one star. Hopefully the star was not given for the wall to wall carpets where one could contract any registered or non registered disease known to mankind. These carpets are also used as ashtrays. An old Chinese custom.

The landscape turned more and more desolate and the traffic got less. We are now in the Gobi desert. The one I saw from the aeroplane window. In hindsight it seems to be the more favorable way to experience a desert.

This cow didn't wait for the rain.

One day just before lunch when I was half asleep from exhaustion I rode over a rattlesnake. He was relaxing on the tarmac when the rider in front flattened him with two Shwalbe Marathon plus tires. Milliseconds later my one tires went over him. By now he was a bit irritated coiled himself and attacked the bottom of my sandal. Luckily he missed. 

The border crossing went smoothly but took half a day. This was in a town where the Trans Siberian Railway crosses so they have a Taxfree shop with recognizable chocolate from Denmark and recognizable vodka from Sweden.

Once in Mongolia we experienced our first camping night in the Gobi Desert. It has of course not rained for many years in the desert but it did of course rain on our camping night and for most of the next morning. This was greatly enjoyed by the camels and sheep but not by myself and my fellow campers. 

The riding day into the rest day had to be shortened because of various degrees  of hypothermia experienced by most riders.This was caused by zero temperatures high winds and rain. The Canadians dealt better with this than the two South Africans brought up in Semi Tropical conditions. By the time we got to lunch I could not feel my hands and feet anymore and therefore had to pedal with my knees and change gears and brake with my elbows. 

Two South Africans and one American warming up from hypothetmia.

But now it's a well deserved rest day in a very nice hotel in Sajnsand without wall to wall carpets and a bar where they serve Gin and Tonic with real lemon. I had one just in case of Malaria.

Typical rest day scene.