As I really hate hauling unnecessary weight around while travelling for decades, only a cheap Olympus TG-3 Tough http://www.getolympus.com/us/en/tg-3.html
A lot of credit needs to go to our 12 year old son (he joined the Beijing > Tibet (Amdo) > Shanghai stretch of the Summer 2015 road trip). He is big into Final Cut Pro, Adobe and other photo editing software besides bicycles, skateboards, motorbikes....
Mate, what can I say, kids fearless and very switched on and go with the times as everything is electronic nowadays even at schools.The video footage he puts together for us and his mates (motorbiking, bicycling, skating, etc.) had many adults dropping jars while watching on a big TV screen….
Xiahe (Labrang) has all sorts of accommodation (backpackers, hotels and hostels), several types of cuisine and restaurants like Gesar Restaurant, Snowy Mountain Cafe, Nomad Restaurant, Tsewong's Cafe, Everest Cafe but the real standouts after spending a week in the Xiahe (Labrang) region are NIRVANA BAR + RESTAURANT = http://www.nirvana-hotel.net and the outstanding resort at the Sanke Grasslands near Xiahe (Labrang) called NORDEN CAMP = http://www.nordentravel.com
Nirvana Hotel, Restaurant & Bar was started by Wandhikhar and Clary van Meijel. Wandhikhar is a Tibetan native of Xiahe, a small town located in the Tibetan autonomous region of Gansu province, China. Clary is from Holland. She came to Xiahe more than 10 years ago , met Wandhikhar , and never left again. In November 2013 the Nirvana Restaurant & Bar was opened. It was an immediate success. In August 2014 the Nirvana Hotel was opened and more info via the Nirvana Hotel website = http://www.nirvana-hotel.net
The Norden Camp is an opportunity for the visitor to experience Tibetan culture and outdoors in style and comfort. It is situated 20 minutes out of Labrang, the famous Tibetan monastic town in the Tibetan Autonomous Kenlho Prefecture, Gansu Province, China. The site, a winter grazing area for local nomads is a stunningly beautiful area that covers 11 hectares, borders a meandering river and is the home of hares and marmots, foxes, gazelles, many birds including pheasants. The camp is covered in flowering bushes, trees, and a carpet of flowers in summer. From May, the flowering plants and bushes bloom in stages; pink, then yellow and multi colored flowers that continue to bloom into October. More info via the Norden Camp website = http://www.nordentravel.com
Had many "yuck" burgers around the world but the simple and super tasty YAK BURGERS prepared and served at Norden Camp (Sanke Grasslands) are out of this world, lets not forget so is the local yoghurt with honey and the fresh salads....
NORDEN CAFE (facing the Labrang Monastery, great spot in the afternoon sun), great coffee and cakes...
For Tibetans, jewelry plays an important, traditional role in dress, spirituality, and life. Tibet is a Buddhist nation, which is reflected strongly in its jewelry. Tibetans use jewelry as a means to keep them close to deities. Jewelry protects as well, having amulet properties. In contrast with India, where a piece of jewelry is valued for the preciousness of the metals and gems that go into making it, Tibetans value their jewelry based on its color, size and symbolism.Tibetan silver jewelry has a rustic, almost unfinished look to it. In contrast with the perfectly symmetrical and flawless appearance of, say Italian silver jewelry, Tibetan silver pieces are individually made in a process that usually involves hammering and chiseling. No one will ever confuse Tibetan jewelry as having been machine mass produced, and herein lies its simple beauty! Tibetan jewelry, including silver and gold jewelry, also tends to be much larger in size than the jewelry made in most other countries and regions. As for materials, Tibetan jewelry is usually made of copper or silver, although gold jewelry is also produced.Tibetan jewelry also makes extensive use of gemstones. Of course, turquoise and coral are favorites, but rubies, sapphires, agates, coral, amber, copal, carnelian, garnet, lapis lazuli, amethyst, and jade are also used. Yak bone is also a popular material for jewelry making.
Labrang Monastery བླ་བྲང་བཀྲ་དགོན་པ་ is the largest monastery in the traditional Tibetan region of Amdo in Gansu province. Established during 1709, Labrang had approx. 4000 monks during its peak times but now only has around 1500 monks. Labrang is considered the cultural heart of Amdo Tibetan culture along with nearby town of Rebkong. Labrang is one of the “Great Six” Gelukpa sect monasteries of Tibetan Buddhism. Large quiet courtyards, bright awnings flapping lazily in the gentle breeze; dark halls and temples, blood red columns and dimly gleaming gods occasionally incandescent in shafts of light; the buzz of monks in prayer. A huge golden stupa, glowing above the flat roofs, dominated the town from a hillside across the river where we sat and contemplated the scene. High above, sharp ridges, sawed away at a cloudless sky.
Like all sacred Tibetan sites, Labrang has a Kora, a sacred path winding for over 3 kms around it, and this was the first part of our walk. Starting from the western end of the main street, walking clockwise as custom requires. As always, there was a throng of pilgrims on the path, mainly from the Amdo region, the surrounding area of the Tibetan Plateau. All wore the traditional blanket-coat, mostly off one shoulder or even off altogether, arms and “upper” hanging limply from the waistband. Mothers, faces burned dark brown by the relentless sun and wind and already heavily lined, padded along patiently, stooped under heavy packs, snot-nosed children trailing from each arm.Great chunks of coral and turquoise hung from heavy silver chains in their long, delicately braided hair or from their necks. Tiny, wizened grannies, almost bent double, heavy ropes of grey hair hanging down their backs, shuffled along, beady miss-nothing eyes assessing everything about us as we tramped past. Their taller menfolk staggered in front of them, braided hair hanging below wide-brimmed felt hats, knives in their belts, curly-toed leather boots scuffing the dusty path. Their lives may be unremittingly tough, but they were putting on a good show.....
Labrang (Xiahe) has a resident goat that answers to the name 'Nigel'. He roams around the monastery complex and the main street in town. He is generally happy to have his photo taken, but be sure not to get too close as he may lash out with a headbutt. If you are invading his personal space, the telltale sign is that he bears his teeth; which many tourists mistake for an obliging smile, do not be fooled....
More pictures taken while riding and strolling around all over Labrang Monastery བླ་བྲང་བཀྲ་དགོན་པ་ ,the largest monastery in the traditional Tibetan region of Amdo in Gansu province. I rather enjoy these moments as no reasons to be anywhere else at all, short durations of time with no real purpose just looking around the area with no plans to go further and nothing really to do....
Mate, always helps to have some trusty reliable contacts. Got tons more and better pictures but not putting everything on public internet forums for the world to see for various reasons.
Private viewing with a BBQ among friends and families planned soon over at the Shanghai home base garage, just in case you pass by Shanghai during your multiple country crusade.
Out there in the lovely motherland (PRC) are plenty of bike owners that talk a lot and write a lot, just don't believe some dribble written on the internet, the real proof is in the pictures as they say more than a thousand words in my personal opinion... going ridin' ~ seeya around...
While hiking, cycling and cruising around the greater Labrang / Langmusi region, we definitely made some Monks happy, had a great time with very friendly people and all our bikes have been blessed...
Time came around to get back to our home base in Shanghai as the extensive Summer Road Trip 2015 unfortunately was over, once again cruising around the Tibet (Amdo) region was awesome and brilliant, I'll be back ~ nuff said'...
Some days you wake up, settle in at your computer desk, drink some coffee, read some on the internet and type a bit... Some other day you get a phone call from a good riding mate to head out of town, riding gear and bikes (MTS-PP / GS12ADV) loaded and lets rock n' roll On Any Sunday style to the greater Simingshan area (Zhejiang) for a day of spirited fast mountain cruising...
Lets just name todays post = On Any Day #1....
Simingshan National Forest Park, Yuyao, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China
On Any Day #2....quick weekend run over to Qiandaohu (Thousand Island Lake / Zhejiang) for some motorbiking and cycling Qiandao Lake (Thousand Island Lake), a man-made lake located in Chun'an County, Zhejiang Province, China, was formed after the completion of the Xin'an River hydroelectric station in 1959. 1,078 large islands dot the lake and a few thousand smaller ones are scattered across it.
The lake covers an area of 573 km² and has a storage capacity of 17.8 km³. The islands in the lake cover about 86 km². Qiandao Lake is used to produce the Nongfu Spring brand of mineral water. It is also home to forests (over 90%), and islands. Its most popular islands include Bird Island, Snake Island, Monkey Island, Lock Island (featuring supposedly the world's biggest lock), and the Island to Remind You of Your Childhood. The lake has made Zhejiang a popular area for tourists. As a result, housing development has increased in the area since the late 1990s.
The dam creating the lake is located at 29°29′01″N 119°12′48″E and is 105m tall with a crest length of 466m. Xin'an Dam was the first dam constructed in China with a height greater than 100m and its power plant has an installed capacity of 845 megawatt.
Visiting the annual BMW Motorrad Days on Saturday (19/09) held around the Qiandaohu area (Chun'An County) but we did not make it over to the China BMW GS-Trophy....
The "Distinguished" Mooncake Day Ride ~ riding along the coastal Shanghai area over in Pudong / Nanhui with a quick breakfast at the Crowne Plaza Hotel next to Dishui Lake.
China's Mid-Autumn Festival is celebrated on month 8 day 15 of China's lunar calendar (Mid-Autumn Festival 2015 is on September 27). The Mid-Autumn Festival is the second most important festival to Chinese people after the Spring Festival. Every year, when the festival comes, Chinese go home from every corner of the country and the world for family reunions. Chinese people believe the full moon is a symbol of peace, prosperity, and family reunion. On Mid-Autumn night the harvest moon is supposed to be the brightest and fullest of the year, so the festival is also known as the "Day of Reunion" and the "Moon Festival".
October 2015 Run to the Simingshan area near Ningbo, always great to leave the big city called Shanghai in the rear view mirrors and head over to the Zhejiang province mountains once again.....
Road food besides the usual snacks like Beef / Kangaroo Jerky and muesli bars.....
Chinese Farmers Style Meal for lunch....
Carried some chilled Australian Wagyu beef and Grain-Fed Angus beef along and perfectly cooked on a Teppanyaki flat-top grill table ~ dinner food porn at its best....
Road food besides the usual snacks like Beef / Kangaroo Jerky and muesli bars.....
Chinese Farmers Style Meal for lunch....
Carried some chilled Australian Wagyu beef and Grain-Fed Angus beef along and perfectly cooked on a Teppanyaki flat-top grill table ~ dinner food porn at its best....
URBAN ENDURO in Qingpu ~ including a Starbucks pit-stop next to the Zhujiajiao town bridge.
Qingpu district is the westernmost district of Shanghai municipality; it is adjacent to Jiangsu and Zhejiang Provinces with the waterside town called Zhujiajiao (Zhūjiājiǎo; literally: "Zhu Family Corner"), an ancient town located in the Qingpu district of Shanghai. The population of Zhujiajiao is around 60,000. Zhujiajiao is a water town on the outskirts of Shanghai in the Qingpu district, and was established about 1,700 years ago.
Archaeological findings dating back 5,000 years have also been found. 36 stone bridges and numerous rivers line Zhujiajiao, and many ancient buildings still line the riverbanks today. Zhujiajiao (chinese website): http://zhujj.shqp.gov.cn
"Shakedown Run"....departing Shanghai late November 2015.... A shakedown is a period of testing or a trial journey undergone by a ship, aircraft or other vehicle and the team before being declared operational. Statistically, a proportion of the components will fail after a relatively short period of use, and those that survive this period can be expected to last for a much longer, and more importantly, predictable life-span.
Yangshuo (Yang Shuò / 24°47′N 110°30′E) is a popular tourist county and city near Guilin, Guangxi province. The small city is surrounded by karst mountains, winding rivers and beautiful scenery. It serves as a fantastic base camp for further exploration, and motorbiking away from the touristy areas. Been here last some time in the late 90's as a good mate was working on a large project in Guilin..... The area around Yangshuo is renowned throughout China, if not the whole world, (even making it into the backdrop of Star Wars Episode3), for its karst landscape where there are hundreds upon hundreds of limestone hills dotting the countryside. The beautiful scenery here is a common subject of Chinese paintings as well as the inspiration for poetry. There are several popular areas for karst landscape sight-seeing which can be covered by river cruises, bamboo-raft cruises, cycling, trekking and combinations of the various transportation modes.
My Yangshuo base with a great river spot for relaxed afternoon snacks = Yangshuo Mountain Retreat (Yulong River Road). http://www.yangshuomountainretreat.com
Jiuxian village near Yangshuo is an ancient village where civilisation started to take place during the Tang Dynasty (618–907). Jiuxian village itself was established around the 16th century ahead of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) and counts as one of the few remaining villages around Yangshuo China with remainders of both grey brick mansions and mud brick farm houses.The village is certainly worth exploring, among the many courtyards you will find an ancestral hall and the small cobbled alleyways will lead you in between the cluster of old traditional dwellings. While the preserved architecture is a photographer’s delight, the natural surroundings are stunning as well.
Secret Garden Boutique Hotel looks like a nice cozy hideout and would be on top of my personal list for future visits to the area as far away from the touristy Yangshuo city district = http://www.yangshuosecretgarden.com
Liugong village, situated right on the bank of the Li River south of Yangshuo, is one of the least visited ancient villages of the area with over 800 years of history and some unique preserved buildings including the Moon Pavilion and Home of Senators.
Yangshuo region most renowned feature is its dramatic karst terrain. Rising sharply at odd angles, limestone peaks look like giant teeth growing out of the green plain. Karst topography is characterized by many caverns and sinkholes that form by the dissolution of limestone or other carbonate rocks. Florida and Virginia's Shenandoah Valley are good examples of where karst can be found in the United States. However, the topography looks completely different from that in China, thanks to conditions that exposed China's karst and eroded its softer limestone faster. The specific conditions for forming the magnificent topography of Guilin "are fourfold," according to Ray Beiersdorfer, a geologist at Youngstown State University in Ohio. "First, you need hard, compact carbonate rock. In Guilin / Yangshuo region, it's Devonian limestone. Secondly, you need strong uplift, in this case provided by the collision of India with Asia to form the Himalaya. Third, you need a Monsoon climate of high moisture during the warmest season. Finally, the area must not have been scoured by glaciers, which this region wasn't."
Two types of karst landscapes predominate around Guilin / Yangshuo area: fenglin or peak forest (isolated towers) and fengcong or peak cluster (linked-base towers). The two types may have evolved sequentially from peak forest to peak cluster, or they may have evolved simultaneously. Beiersdorfer described this landscape, which he saw during a recent visit to China: "China in general and the Guilin / Yangshuo area specifically boasts some of the most spectacular karst topography in the world".
Karst mountain ranges make a great backdrop while riding around the greater Yangshuo region ~ just following my nose, good thing it's not crooked...
Through the karst mountains and the Seven Star Peaks made my way along the winding hilly roads. The landscape was inundated with kumquat trees. Covered in plastic wrap to protect them from the cold morning dew, the kumquats were juicy and delicious–unlike from any supermarket. While stopped on the side of the road taking pictures, a passing farmer stopped and offered some cumquats. They were the most deliciously sweet kumquats I ever tasted. He explained that the farming areas around Baisha town were known as some of China’s largest kumquat producers.
Next stop, a visit to this fascinating Qing-dynasty (1644–1912) stone village Shitoucheng, perched on top of a limestone peak, is an unusual foray into the countryside and makes a great day trip for those looking for an off -the-beaten-track adventure. The village was once a garrison town and the ancient gates and walls are mostly still intact. It’s a steep 30- to 50 minute climb up the hill from the village ‘new town’ to the ‘old town’ where the wall begins. Once at the top, it will take another 4-5 hours to walk around to all 4 of the old main gates but just walked a section of the area as dressed u (protective biking gear / heavy boots).
Fuli town, located about eight kilometers east of Yangshuo County, is a quiet old townwith a history of 800 years, and particularly known as the artistic town of the area with its typical colorful fans and scroll paintings. Along the cobbled alleyways that connect the center you will find plenty of small factories making painted paper fans. Watch the intricate paper fans being made and hand painted in this sleepy old town set on the banks of the Li River. It is a town with two faces. On one side is the new town which is developed rapidly along the main road, the other side is the old town center located on the bank of the Li River. The old town still has nearly all of its old houses which you can peek into and see the simple lives of the local people.
The Yulong River is a small tributary of the larger Li River in Southeastern Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region that runs through the major city of Guilin to Yangshuo. The Yulong starts in Northern Yangshuo County near Litang and runs for over 35 kilometres through small villages of the Yulong River Valley, including Litang, Chaolong, Yima and Gaotian town, before emptying into the Li around the town of Ping Le. Yulong is a shallow river of around 5 meters maximum depth and an average of 25 meters across. As it is not located near any industrial areas, it is clean enough for swimming, though some brownish surface foam is visible in eddys, probably the result of phosphate runoff from local villages.
Unlike the busy Li River, it has no motorized boat traffic and relies completely on bamboo rafts to ferry passengers downriver. This has become a popular tourist activity, with passengers beginning their journey at the Yulong Bridge, a 400-year-old stone bridge. As the local government has improved local roads through the Yulong River Valley, biking has also become a popular tourist activity, as there are many quaint villages along the river, some offering bed and breakfast accommodation.
The Yulong is prone to sudden flooding, which is one of the reasons why there are not more places to stay close by. Local people have built breakwaters (weirs) every kilometer or so to allow their animals to cross the river, though many have fallen into disrepair. During the dry season (November–March), it is possible for people to walk across some of these weirs; otherwise it is necessary to hire local people to ferry passengers across for about RMB 10 per person.
The Yulong River Valley is very fertile, and its low-lying terrain is excellent for rice fields. In recent years, farmers have planted more cash crops such as pomelos, tangerines and mandarin oranges, which bring in more income than rice. The valley is still agricultural, with few services or businesses outside of the small villages. The valley is accessible from the main Yangshuo highway through the village of Yi Ma, north at the Yulong Bridge and south at the Gong Nong Bridge. The river is approximately 7 kilometres south of Yangshuo town proper.
Both XingPing and Fishing Village are often confused as being the same but while XingPing used to be fishing village (as all riverside towns used to be really) the real Fishing Village that made its international fame with a visit of Bill Clinton in 1998, is located on the east bank of the Li River, a 30 min. bamboo ride south from XingPing in the direction of Yangshuo. This ancient fishing village was founded during the Ming Dynasty in 1506. In this fishing village all traditional houses have been very well preserved and the special architecture of the buildings make the Fishing Village a very interesting place to visit. The main characteristics of their fishing techniques includes the use of bamboo rafts instead of wooden boats and cormorants to catch the fish.
What used to be sleepy riverside village, Xingping village has actually grown to Xingping town of which the old center can easily be explored in about 1 hour. Xingping has a long history and many buildings date back to the Qing and Ming dynasties. On local market days the town comes to life and can get quite busy with locals from the surrounding villages coming to buy and sell their produce. Restaurants and coffee shops sell the local specialty, beer fish, and local handicrafts which range from really cheap handmade jewellery, to joints of pork carved from local stone to crystalline honey which beekeepers will chip straight from the hive for you!
Xingping is the major starting point for the most scenic stretch of the Li River, which runs north and upstream to the small town of Yangdi. The scenery around Xingping is magnificent and you can take a walk out of town on a nice path which crosses a tributary of the Li River and takes you onto a smaller road that runs along the river. After about a 30 min walk from Xingping you will reach the spot where you can see the scenery immortalised on the national 20 RMB note. If you continue along this path you will get to the tiny village of Langshi. There you can board one of the small motorised rafts for a Li-river bamboo cruise up to Yangdi and afterwards by bus back to Yangshuo or to Guilin.
Huangyao is an ancient town with a history of thousand years, and reached its prime during the reign of Emperor Qianlong (1736-1795) of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). Huangyao is situated in the northest of Zhaoping, Guangxi, China, by the lower reaches of the Li-River about 150km from Yangshuo. The name of Huang Yao came from the family names of the locals who were mainly Huang and Yao. It has been known as a mini-Guilin for its typical development of karst topography, covering an area of 3.6 square km. Many of the buildings are in primitive simplicity with blue bricks and black tiles. Here you can see more than 30 temples, ancestral halls and pavillions all well preserved. With fabulous mountains, caves, pavilions, temples, ancestor hills, old trees and tablets, every corner of Huang Yao town shows typical Chinese features.
While cruising the greater area was invited to join a wedding during the passing wedding party and the traditional Dragon Dance troupe tried very hard to drag me along.....
Final dinner at Yangshuo "The Brew" (Austrian owned and managed), to satisfy that longing for a decent burger we all get after being on the road for certain amount of time ~ The Brew should be your only stop in Yangshuo....
It was a sleepy village two decades ago, when foreign climbers and cavers began frequenting nearby formations. Today domestic tourists vastly outnumber foreign visitors as very common all over the motherland. Let's take a real quick last look at Yangshuo downtown, now full of bars, restaurants and huge developments going on, would I come back again, most probably not as rather remember the old images from days gone by ~ the great 90's in Red China.....
Quick pit-stop over in Guangdong...Guangzhou (also known as Canton, and less commonly as Kwangchow) is the capital and largest city of Guangdong province in South China. Located on the Pearl River, about 120 km north-northwest of Hong Kong and 145 km north of Macau, Guangzhou serves as an important national transportation hub and trading port. One of the five National Central Cities, it holds sub-provincial administrative status.
I by INAGIKU Japanese Restaurant @ Whotel Guangzhou = http://http://www.wguangzhou.com enjoying outstanding Japanese food during my Guangzhou stopover...
After Yangshuo (Guangx)i and Guangzhou (Guangdong) going South ~ general direction a tropical island as in the past years for another Moonshine Run~ the island apparently free of any MCM (muppet-clown-moron) around this time of the year.... nuff said'...
Writing this ride report, It seems like ages since I got off the ferry in Haikou / Hainan Island (December 2015) to begin the second stage of the Winter 2015 "Shakedown Run".
From Haikou riding out to greater Chengmai county and beyond, cruising around Lingao, Houshui Bay, Lingaojiao (landing point of the China Liberation Army in Hainan) and along the coast line passing through fishing villages.
Fushan ~ taste of earth, wind and fire..... Hainan coffee, as the locals say, tastes of earth, wind and fire. The secret lies in the local environment and processing methods that have been passed down through generations. Coffee arrived in Hainan in 1935 when Indonesian-Chinese Chen Xianzhang introduced robusta coffee to the Fushan area of Chengmai county. With a latitude of 19 degrees north, Fushan has an annual average temperature of 23 C, sufficient sun, abundant rain and a red earth rich in minerals from volcanic ash, just like Hawaii, where kona coffee grows. The robusta thrived in this environment, evolving into a coffee with a unique fragrance. Hainan coffee can be enjoyed with sugar or condensed milk, but the locals recommend it black with its fresh and earthy body. The last sip from the bottom of the cup can tantalize the taste buds with the flavor of earth, wind and fire. In my personal opinion as a coffee lover ~ Hainan coffee is like the classic espresso, but stronger and sometimes a tad to bitter....
Longevity ~ people of Chengmai County live to an average of 77.79 years. Among the population are 215 centenarians. The proportion of centenarians compared to the rest of the county's population, and the overall number, ranks highest of all cities and counties in China. Of the total 565,000 people living in the county, 18,500 are more than 80 years old, 896 of which are couples
Haikou Volcano Park and Meishe Volcanic village area 13,000 years ago, northern Hainan was the scene of extensive volcanic eruptions. The rich volcanic resources left by these eruptions gave the area its fertile soils, the strange shapes of its volcanic remnants, its lava caves, its valuable igneous rocks, and its abundant tropical ecology. This geologic event was critical in moulding the scenery and culture of the area today. Just to the south-west of Haikou City is a protected national geological and historical site several kilometers squared in size. There are several points of interest here. The landscape is dotted with small volcanoes, there are 2 lava caves (the largest of which is 3 kilometers long), old villages built entirely from lava rock, and scenic terraced tropical farmland.
Cruising around greater Wenchang (Mencheong), a county-level city in the northeast of Hainan province, China. Although called a "city", Wenchang refers to a large land area in Hainan - an area which was once a county. The urban center and the seat of government of Wenchang is officially known as "Wencheng Town", which is also colloquially referred to as Wenchang City. Wenchang is the ancestral home of the Soong sisters: Soong Ching-ling, Soong Ai-ling, Soong Mei-ling and the birthplace of their father Charlie Soong.
