Daily journal from my bike trip

yaoji · 2005-04-07 09:53

9.19. Rains heavily in the morning but luckily it stopped at 3:00pm. It's the rainy season here. The road was hilly but the road condition is ok in ShaanXi. As we cross the border to GanSu, the road becomes very bumpy and I fell from the bike once. Most tunnels don't have light so it's quite dangerous. We cross the part of QinLing. The road is built along Wei River and the scene is very beautiful. We did 170km to reach TianShui.Have to move on tomorrow so we'll miss the MaiJi mountain and its famous sculptures.

9.20 perfect day, sunny. Heading to LanZhou, we sneaked on the highway. Climbing up from the beginning and for about 130km it's mostly uphill. It's killing us and the highest altitude we reached is over 2200m. After 185km, we reached DingXi, 100km from LanZhou. The scenery is quite good, especially the TiTian under sunset. Probably physically the toughest day so far. But tomorrow is going to be easy.

9.21. most flat and downhill road to LanZhou, did only 100km. Went to bike shop for some supplies. Will stay here for tomorrow. Today, I cross the 2000km mark for the trip.

9.22 stayed in lanzhou, visited the Yellow River, the 水车,黄河母亲. 吃了正宗牛肉面. Good city.

9.23. on the road again to 天祝, 藏族县. uphill to 2300m, getting cold and rain. did only 110km. visited 华藏寺.

9.24 very cold and windy as we crossed the famous mountain 乌鞘岭, 一路雪山在两旁. after 40km uphill we reached almost 3000m and then down hill for about 30km, freezing rain and we are shivering. once we get crossed the mountain, it's flat road and we passed 武威 to reach 永昌. did 215km and very tired. 永昌is an old town with nice 鼓楼. 西路军指挥部曾在这里. 有个叫骊(革千)村, there are many decendants of Roman Soldiers, who came here when the Romans are in the Crusade. Amazing to see the culture mixing even thousands of years ago.

9.25 get to 张掖(zhangYe), did 175km. Gorgeous scene along the way. Green grass land, the mountain and the Han Great Wall. Picturesqe, so you feel like you want to drink some liquor. So for the first time on this trip, I drank a bottle of local beer at dinner. (I hardly drink and don't like drinking)

9.26. long and tired day as we have to get to 酒泉， over 230km. 祁连山脉在左侧，beautiful mountain. At night, I walked to the city centre and JiuQuan too has a ZhongLou and the door is open for you to cross. I ate at their night food fair and then walked back to hotel. Quite a nice city.

9.27. Because Eric et al wants to get up late so I and XiaoLin went to JiaYuGuan first. It's over 20km from JiuQuan. We visited JiaYuGuan, situated at a narrow pass with QiLianShan on left and MaZongShan on right, a natural place for fortress. Well preserved and rebuilt. Unfortunate that most wood structure were burnt down for heating by the army of MaBuFang. Sigh! Then we rode another 60km to a small village called QingQuan, had some famous YangGao meat. Very good. only did 85km today.

9.28. riding towards DingXi, along the road is the famous GoBi desert. Our plan is to ride as much as we can and then get into Van to drive to DunHuang for the mid-autumn. First 120km is smooth and we average close to 30km/hour. Then suddenly, we hit wind spot and it gets stronger and stronger. It's so strong that I feel like getting blew off the bike. So I walked a few km and saw a lake in the GoBi desert, quite amazing. We were so tired that our average speed is less 6-7km/hr. In some short distance that the wind is blowing from left to right, we can ride a little faster but my bike is leaning at about 70 degrees. The wind is mostly directly against us and some truck drivers offered us a ride(kind people). At 165km, it's already 5:30 and we get on the Van to drive 40km to DingXi. Then we were misguided by an old man to go through the short route to DunHuang (127km). The road was is repair and it took us over 5 hrs to drive through the very bumpy road. When we get to DunHuang, it's almost midnight. We wished we had a Jeep instead of that cheap mini-van. The moon is quite good looking though.

9.29. I went to MuoGaoKu in early morning and went to MingShanShan/YueYaQuan late afternoon. Tips: in MuoGaoKu, if you stay longer, you can see more Ku, including some special ones which other people have to pay extra money. In MingShanShan/YueYaQuan, if you go through the cemetry on the far left side and climb the sandy mountain from back, you can not only skip the ticket but also have great fun. On my walk back to the city, I visted the history museum, worth going as you can learn DunHuang's history.

9.30. We drive through the good road back to our main 312 national road and start riding again. After 90km, we reached XingXingXia, a border town which belong to XinJiang. Very small town, nothing to see. On the way is the same Gobi desert, quite windy but we can still get 15-20km/hr.

yaoji · 2005-04-07 09:56

10.1 We know the wind gets stronger in the afternoon so we got up early. The first 70km I did not stop and ride fast, at lunch time we did almost 140km. Same Gobi desert with no sign of people for 10s or hundreds of kms. After lunch we started to see beautiful TianShan on our right and started to see a bit more green. Did 207km and reached HaMi. Bought 2 HaMi melon and one big watermelon(over 10kg). Very very good watermelon. We eat the famous ShouZhuaYangRou tonight.

10.2. we started a little late today and my ankle is a bit pain. Eric's Chinese visa is expiring on Oct. 15th so we need catch up some time. So we rode about 90km and drive over 200km to next bigger town ShanShan. Same Gobi desert along the way for most part but it start to grow more green grass. We saw lots of wild camels. They look very kind.

10.3. To the famous TuLuFan, did 107km. Along the way, we visited the famous flaming mountain(HuoYanShan) and Beziklic thousand Buddha caves. Landscape is beautiful.

10.4. Me and our driver Wu got sick, probably from the food we ate. Yet Wu still drive me and XiaoLin to see the KanEr Well and the JiaoHe ancient city relic. Slept the whole afternoon but still felt bad in stomach. Went to hospital at night. Sigh!

10.5 XiaoLin is taking a bus to WuLuMuQi to see his friend and we kept going. I can't ride so stayed in the Van. Eric rode 100km and then we drove about 300km to the next big city KuErLer. Nice and clean city.

10.6. Felt better today and rode for 115km. The first 80km from KuErLer is very very beautiful. The desert is covered with trees, green, red, yellow. Reminds me of Africa I saw on TV. After lunch, wind start to blow and no more trees along the road. we drove to KuChe.

10.7. XiaoLin rejoined us last night and we decided to deviate from the national road to try provincial road. First 40km go north uphill along national road 217 and the saw different Yadan DiMao(there is pyrymid Yadan, BuDaLa), the wonderful work of wind. I was told it's probably the most beautiful road in XinJiang. We missed the grand canyon, 20-30km more towards the north. We took a left turn on the provincial road 217 to BaiCheng. On the way, we visited Kizil thousand Buddha caves. It's situated in a beautiful valley. However, the sculptures and paintings were almost all stolen by Europeans or destroyed by Muslims. Sigh. This area is the famous QiuCi Guo which produced QiuCi music and famous monk JiuMuoLuoShi. Lots of history. Along the way, we passed many Wei villages. Fall brought so many color to the fields and in the distance, the TianShan mountain. TianYuan scenery, peaceful and harmony. we did 120km today.

10.8. 170km to Akesu. In the beginning, the same TianYuan scenery, then the mountain, yet different Yadan, like a whole bunch of buns connect to each other, each layer has a different color. Had some very good Chinese food in Akesu as my stomach is dying for rice. The city has a lot of Han people and most live on the east side of the city whereas Wei people live on the west side. Interesting. Met a few retired old people and they have been here for decades and they all complain about the current life.

10.9 160km to KePing. For the first time, the wind is helping us. The national road is kind of boring and when we turn to KePing, we see some red sandy desert, amazing.

10.10. 120 to BaChu. Visited XiaoHaiZi resevoir, the biggest in China, I was told. 60-70km to circle it.

10.11. 160km to MaiGaiTi. Again, we take a long route to go through provincial road. Goes through Oasis where they grow lots of cotton. Saw the YeErQiang river.

10.12. 100km to YuePuHu. Desert on the road. Eric got on the Van to KaShi first while me and XiaoLin take our time to go slow. Our passport is still in Beijing and we'll have to wait in KaShi for a while.

10.13 85km to KaShi.rest.

10.14 visited XiangFei Tomb, nice building. Then visted the Bazzar (the market). Then the museum.

10.15. visited the famous Mosque, also known as little Meca. I was surprised to see such a plain mosque. Then I came to realize the religion preaches plain and simple. Quite wonderful ideas. The sculptures are quite good.

10.16-17 this weekend I joined a local outdoor group to do some hiking. 7 people. 60km from Kashi, we started our hike. We took a wrong turn but did not realize it till later. It is not untill dark that we got to the camp site. We drink and have fun. Cold at night and my sleeping bag is not good enough. The next morning, we set to out destination, the natural bridge/door. Quite grandiose and totally naturally formed. It's a hill which is hollow in the middle so natually formed a bridge.(the famous Shipton's Arch) Never seen this kind of thing before, amazing. On our way back down the mountain, it started rain and hail, first rain I saw in XinJiang. I had a wonderful time, thanks to friendly XinJiang outdoor people.

yaoji · 2005-04-07 09:58

10.18 finally received our passport in the afternoon, missing Iran and Turkminstan visa so we'll fly cross these two countries. Will leave for Kyrgyzstan tomorrow morning, about 230km from Kashi.

10/19. 100km to WuQia, uphill all the way. Cold and windy at night.

10.20 rain in the morning as we get on the bike, as we climb the hill, rain quickly turn into snow. Cold and uphill, we are doing about 10km/hr, very tired. After 60km, we hitchhiked a pickup truck to drive us to the YiErKeStan border. After some delay, we get into Kyrgyzstan. It's cold and snow, raod is unpaved and covered with thick snows. impossible to bike. After some hard bargaining, we get on a jeep to Osh for 50US. Took us a whole night to drive that 250km. As we leave China, the total on my bike meter is about 4800km.

10.21. tour Osh, great little city. Found a cheap homestay. We toured Salayman mountain. It's the little hill right in the city with a little mosque on top. It's built by a famous Uzibek who eventually went to India for some religious deeds. The city is quite peaceful and beautiful with a river run through it. Food is quite good but I forgot all the names.

10.22 We ride our bike in and out of the city, tracing the river. Buildings are kind of old but fit quite nicely into the environment. Feels quite European with apparent Soviet influence. The river is what TangSeng called NuEr river and this region is what he called NuEr Guo. People are very honestand they don't ripe foreigners off. Girls are quite pretty. Russian are widely spoken here. I wished I learned some Russian.

10.23. 90km for the day. We left Osh for Uzibekstan. After hearing so many stories about Uzibek police asking for bribe and find trouble with people, we become a little alert. Soon after crossing the border, we were stopped many times by police. Communication is a big problem, but it may have help us to get away from paying the police. Whenever we stop on the road, there are always many people surround us, curious about us and the bike. Generally they are very friendly. We visited the Museum of the BoBor and the park before we reached Andijoin. We bought a map in Andijoin and had lunch there. Soon many people surrounded us. A group of school girls come asking us to sign for them. You feel like a movie star to sign for these beautiful girls. They bought us a poster and signed it as a gift of memory. After lunch, a journalist and an English translator came, asking many questions and took a photo together. She said she'll write an article on the local newspaper. Then we head to Sharihorn. No hotels in this little town and we are quickly surrounded by people. One guy invited us to stay in his house. His name is Autobik, 24, an English teacher. His dad died early so left the big house to him and his brother. Nice big yard and good wood carvings inside the house. He said it's just an average house. We had a traditional Muslim dinner, had a wonderful time.

10.24. 110 to QoQun. All farmland along the way, beautiful. As we get into the city, I can smell history from the buildings and the old trees. Very beautiful trees, mosque, old Russian style buildings. After checking into the hotel, I walked around the city, found the grand palace of KudardaHun, great building but it's closed at 5:00. Very beautiful trees in the big square with 10s of thousands of birds flying in the sky. Sunset is so beautiful.

10.25. XiaoLin decided to go directly to Tashkent to fly to Turkey and then ride to Venice the destination while I prefer to spend more time in central Asia and Turkey. I have missed many great things in China and I don't want to rush. So we split and XiaoLin is heading to Tashkent. (Eric, the other guy, split with us from Kashi because he got his visa earlier. He left 3 days ahead of us.) Luckily I met a student on the street who works in the museum at the grand palace so I went to the palace againand visited the museum. The palace was built in 19th century when QoQun was the capital of this region. Many parts of the palace were destroyed by the Russians(Czar time). Very beautiful architecture, ceilings and I learned quite a bit about central Asia history. Again, I wished that I know Russian and some history. It'll make things so much more interesting. Then I visited an old mosque like building, which is called Massa???(forget the word), the Islam school. In the afternoon, I set to go to Kiniabod, Tajikstan. Tajikstan was on the civil war a few years ago and people in Uzibek have warned me. Border crossing is smooth. 70km for the day.

10.26. 100km to XoJand, riding along the Qayroqqum lake, excellent scenery. Trees, cows, sheeps, fields formed a tianYuan scene. Get to XoJand at 1:00 and toured the city. It's an old city, dated back 2500 years ago, with the famous river Sirdaryo flows through it. Riding along the river is very enjoyable. I visited the archeology museum, build along a very old wall dated back over 1000 years ago. I met two students who invited me to stay in their dorm. We had traditional dinner. It's the Ramadan month for the Muslim so they can't eat in daytime.

10.27. 150km to Bekobod. Got up at 3:30 so that breakfast can be prepared and eaten before sun rises. Rains outside. I left at about 7 while it's still drizzling. I'm riding eastward to leave Tajikstan for Samarqand, UZ. After 50km I arrived at the port of Bekobod. To my surprise, Bekobod is mostly on the UZ side and the Tajik police and custom people told me that I can't cross. I have to go northward 50km to Oybek to enter UZ. There are clearly customs office and many police here but their only job seems to be telling people to go northward. One guy offered to take me cross but I have to pay $. I wasn't interested in the bribery so I set out northward to Oybek. This 55km turned out to be the worse road I had so far. Very very bumpy and after the rain, it feels like real mountain biking. After 20km, my bike back rack fall apart. Luckily I did not lose any screws so I managed to put it back again. Another annoy/degerous thing is this road is along the border to UZ so there are many soldiers and police. I was stopped many many times. Luckily I was not searched and they all let me go. I think the tent/sleeping bags and the dirty pants help convincing them that I have nothing valuable. At the border crossing in Oybek, my passport must have been checked by at least 20 different people but they finally let me go. Now I have to go southward and before dark, I finally reached Bekobod, only 50km from XoJand but took me 150km. Well, maybe the Tajik police wants me to see more of their country and I should thank them for the beautiful scenery.

10.28 150km to Jizzax. Crossed the beautiful river Sirdaryo again, sunny day and flat road. To my surprise, I met Eric in the afternoon where he had a flat tire. Small world. Stayed in hotel which has no water, huge mosquitos bits me all over.

10.29. 105km to Samarqand, the land of the Tamerlane, where Amir Temur had a big empire. Very very beautiful along the way but uphill.

10.30. Toured the magn[$#305]f[$#305]cant anc[$#305]ent c[$#305]ty Samarqand. Gur Em[$#305]r [$#305]s the mausolem of Am[$#305]r Temur. Reg[$#305]stan [$#305]s an amaz[$#305]ng ensemble of complex mosques, Madrasahs bu[$#305]lt [$#305]n 15th century. Beaut[$#305]ful Islam[$#305]c arch[$#305]tecture and symetr[$#305]c art work of the t[$#305]les. B[$#305]b[$#305] Han[$#305]m [$#305]s another ensamble of Islam[$#305]c arch[$#305]tecture named after Am[$#305]r's w[$#305]fe, who [$#305]s a Ch[$#305]nese. The emp[$#305]re was qu[$#305]te b[$#305]g at [$#305]ts peak but d[$#305]d not last long. Later [$#305]n the afternoon, we left for Juma, a town 30km away. No hotels [$#305]n town. Met a guy named Summer who [$#305]nv[$#305]ted us to stay [$#305]n h[$#305]s house. After d[$#305]nner, we went to h[$#305]s mus[$#305]c[$#305]an fr[$#305]ends's house, where h[$#305]s fr[$#305]ends played a lot of Uzbek mus[$#305]c. I learned some Uzbek dance too. Drank too much Vodka. Wonderful t[$#305]me.

10.31 160km to Navo[$#305]y, an [$#305]ndustr[$#305]al c[$#305]ty, w[$#305]th noth[$#305]ng really to see.

11.1 130km to Bukhara, the c[$#305]ty of museums. It's small but [$#305]s well planned and preserved. Has about 30 old Islam[$#305]c bu[$#305]ld[$#305]ngs, truely a l[$#305]ve meseum. V[$#305]s[$#305]ted the Arc - the w[$#305]nter palace. Met an amer[$#305]can lady who l[$#305]ved [$#305]n Turkey 30 years ago. She brought up my apet[$#305]te for Turkey. I th[$#305]nk I'll g[$#305]ve up the [$#305]dea of go[$#305]ng to Italy. If I have t[$#305]me after Turkey, w[$#305]ll try Greece.

11.2 toured the c[$#305]ty. Cl[$#305]mbed up to the m[$#305]naret(47m, the tallest [$#305]n the c[$#305]ty), beaut[$#305]ful sunr[$#305]se. v[$#305]s[$#305]ted many mosques, madrasahs. beaut[$#305]ful bu[$#305]ld[$#305]ngs. Took the n[$#305]ght tra[$#305]n back to Tashkent, the cap[$#305]tal of UZ.

11.3 Got to Tashkent [$#305]n the morn[$#305]ng. Got the plane t[$#305]cket to Istanbul and toured the c[$#305]ty. Not many h[$#305]stor[$#305]al bu[$#305]ld[$#305]ngs left. Museum [$#305]s qu[$#305]te ok. Now that I'm leav[$#305]ng the Stans, feel a l[$#305]ttle sad. The land [$#305]s beaut[$#305]ful and people are very k[$#305]nd and hosp[$#305]table. Not much [$#305]ndustry, mostly agr[$#305]culture, espec[$#305]ally cotton, a mark left by the Sov[$#305]et.

yaoji · 2005-04-07 10:01

11.4 Arr[$#305]ved Istanbul at 6am local t[$#305]me. R[$#305]d[$#305]ng from the a[$#305]rport to the old c[$#305]ty centre, along the sea of Marmara, very beaut[$#305]ful. Qu[$#305]ckly found a hostel and then started tour[$#305]ng the c[$#305]ty. It's an anc[$#305]ent c[$#305]ty w[$#305]th st[$#305]ll preserved br[$#305]ck paved narrow street, magn[$#305]f[$#305]cent mosques, palaces and old bu[$#305]ld[$#305]ngs. The tens [$#305]f not hundreds of soar[$#305]ng m[$#305]naret. It's so r[$#305]ch [$#305]n h[$#305]story that perhaps a l[$#305]ttle l[$#305]ke Be[$#305]j[$#305]ng. You can spend weeks go[$#305]ng through these anc[$#305]ent bu[$#305]ld[$#305]ngs. Yet the natural beauty resembles Vancouver, w[$#305]th even more waterfront - the Golden Horn, the famous Bosphorus stra[$#305]t wh[$#305]ch connects to the Black sea on north, the sea of Marmara wh[$#305]ch connects to the Med[$#305]terranean Sea.A great c[$#305]ty. The archeology nuseum has a very f[$#305]ne collect[$#305]on of class[$#305]c sculpture (the west coast of Turkey was the anc[$#305]ent Greek. Troy [$#305]s here) and many treasures (The Ottoman emp[$#305]re had managed to collect many treasures from Egypt, Greece, Iran, Iraq, wh[$#305]ch were all part of the emp[$#305]re)that I spend almost a day there.

11.5 v[$#305]s[$#305]ted the famous Topkap[$#305] Palace. Very grand[$#305]ous and luxur[$#305]ous. It's a museum now, w[$#305]th a large royal collect[$#305]on. Almost a day here. Then I v[$#305]s[$#305]ted the blue Mosque, b[$#305]ggest mosque I've ever seen. So many th[$#305]ngs to see [$#305]n Istanbul and looks l[$#305]ke I'll be spend[$#305]ng another day here at least. Food [$#305]s excellent. Turk[$#305]sh cu[$#305]s[$#305]ne [$#305]s world famous. desert [$#305]s so good.

11.6 visited Hagia Sofia, a masterpiece of architecture, grandiose. Amaz[$#305]ng how [$#305]t was built long t[$#305]me ago. Also visited the museum of [$#304]slam[$#305]c art. Good collection, especially the carpet and calligraphy. Sunset is beautiful on the Golden Horn.

11.7 Still many places to see in Istanul but one should probably live there for a while to really appreciate. I left Istanbul heading west., along the coast of Marmara sea, to a little town called Barbaros. Beautiful ocean view. Feels quite European(It's Europe after all). Camped for the first time on th[$#305]s trip. 165km

11.8 Continue on but the road along the seashore [$#305]s not paved and qu[$#305]te hilly. Dangerous for my bike, given the heavy load. After a few km, I decided to go back to take the ma[$#305]n road. Nice view but quite hilly, very tiresome to the dark to be 20km to Gelibolu. Camped again but quickly started raining, but not very heavy. 160km.

10.9 Took the ferry at Gelibolu to cross the famous Dadannell strait. Now back to Asia again. Ride to Troia (Troy) and visited the historic site. Its an archeology site, shows how the city evolve since 3500 BC. Most discoveries are in Istanbul archeology museum. Beautiful surrounding. (85km)

10.10 Continue southward, along Aegean sea. Hilly upwards and then steep downwards, a test of brakes. View is breathtaking with warm breeze. I wore shorts again. (150km)

10.11 started really early because I have 180km to go to reach Izmir, the homeland of Homer. Troublesome from start. Road very bumpy and the roads are being repaired. My backrack broke and I used my spare part and started carry even more weight on my backpack. Did not get to Izmir till after 8:00. So tired. 190km. So hard to find an Internet place in Turkey.
  
11.12 Br[$#305]efly toured Ezmir, visited Agora, the clock tower. Beaut[$#305]ful c[$#305]ty w[$#305]th palm trees along the road. Great food and cheaper than Istanbul. Left later [$#305]n the afternoon heading to Ephesus. 60km

11.13.toured Ephesus the ruin, once the commercial centre of the ancient world, the capital of As[$#305]aminor [$#305]n Roman times. It,s the most famous anc[$#305]ent ruins [$#305]n Turkey. Dedicated to goddess Artemis, the ruins are well preserved which include theater, agora, baths, temple, fountain and the Library of Celsus. Splendid architecture.Archeology museum kept many fine artifacts(pottery, glass work etc.) which dates back as far as 5000 BC. Feel a bit like westerner coming to China. I wish I had a better understand[$#305]ng of Greek methology and the language.

11.14 160km. Head[$#305]ng to Pamukkale towards east. I found that as you leave the coastal region to go to interior, people are more friendly and they often offer you a Turkish tea. Many farmland which grows cotton and fruits. Good fruits.

11.15 Pamukkale, a wh[$#305]te fairyland w[$#305]th thermal spring water. A natural wonder. I was soaking my feet and legs for over an hour and it's very enjoyable. (bath is not allowed). In ancient t[$#305]mes, Romans also bu[$#305]lt a city on the plateau. The city is called Hierapolis, which was destroyed several times by earthquakes. The ru[$#305]ns are there and the theater is huge wh[$#305]ch rivals any modern stadium. Like all these other ruins, the reliefs, coffins exhibit good carvings which often depicts Greek methology. Despite the on and off rains, it's quite an enjoyable day. It's b[$#305]g holiday here, the end of Ramazan.

11.16. Heading back to Ismir, rains, got a major flat tire. The JingJi on the road flatened both of my tires and the tubes are beyong repair. A kind policeman came to the rescue and drove me to a repair shop. Luckily I always kept 2 extra tubes with me and this is the 3rd flat tire. The shop does not have tubes. On the road again but I'm worried that I'm without spare tubes. Although I asked the repair shop to check my tire for hidden JingJi and we found many many. My worry proved true and when it gets dark, I got a flat tire again. I walked to a gas station and asked if I can camp there so that I have time to completely check the tire and patch the tubes.(Thank god I bought some patch k[$#305]t [$#305]n Istanbul). Had a wonderful time with the gas station boys and one of them is an excellent chef. D[$#305]d not go to sleep till 1:30. A nightmare day turned out to be not so bad after all.

11.17. Against strong wind, I head back to Izmir. Got the ferry ticket to Greece. Had two dinners.(Food is good and desert is excellent that I get dragged into a restraunt twice.) 120km

11.18 Just after a week, the weather in Izmir get considerably colder. After a last look at the baeutiful city, I left in noon, heading to the port of Cesme(90km west of Izmir). Riding along clear blue sky and clear blue water is absolutely enjoyable. After crossing a few hills, I got to Cesme just before dark. It's a small holiday town with a 14th century Genoese fortress, quite important millitary wise. From the harbour, we can see the Greek Island Chios. My ferry is tomorrow morning.
  

yaoji · 2005-04-07 10:05

11.19. Time to say goodbye to Turkey as I board the ship to Chios. One hour later, I'm on Greek soil. (Very expensive for such a short distance. 40 Euro if you don't bargain and buy it through agents. But if you buy it from the port, you can bring down to 25 Euro, still expensive!!)Rode along the coast and some interior villages of Chios, beautiful island. Many houses are built with rocks which give you a somewhat medieval feeling. No more minerats and Mosques, instead there are cathedrals for Greek Othodox church, which ring the bell every hour. Like many other Greek islands, full of history here. It also claims to be the birthplace of Homer. Jason the hero of the Argonauts (whom my English?? name is named after), Alexander the Great, Columbus all set their foot on the Island. At 10:00 at night, I boarded the ferry to Pireas, the port of Athens.

11.20. Arrived Athens in the morning, old city with many one way narrow streets. Rains and getting cold, pain to find your way. I decided to Island of Crete first so I headed back to Pireas (the port). Board the ship in the evening.

11.21. Early in the morning, arrived Iraklio, the capital of Crete Island. Headed to the Palace of Knossos, 6km southeast of Iraklio. Inhabited since the Neolithic era, the first palace was built around 1900 BC, almost 4000 years ago. This Minoan palace is a complex built around a central court. Big vases, the famous frescoes are amazing. Afterall, this island witnessed the development of one of the most important civilizations on earth, the earliest civilization in Greece -- the Minoan (2800-1150BC). If the ruins haven't completely blown my mind away, the vast collection in the archeology museum(in Iraklio) did. Its collection of vases, jars, jewellery, frescos came from all the ruins of these Minoan palaces. These artifacts showed us the limits the refinements of art can reach. They bring us close to the soul of that world - peaceful, romantic, naive, harmonic. Absolutely mind shattering. Very advanced in those times.

11.22 Heading towars west along the north coast, very windy(against me) and quite hilly. Beautiful ocean view on one side and rugged mountains on the left. At noon arrived Rethimno, a port built by Venetians(1200) which has a castle and fortress. At dawn, reached Hania. The Venetian harbour is very beautiful. It's off the tourist season and most tourist facilities along the road are closed. Getting cold on the island and the top of the mountains are even covered with snow. I can't wait for the ferry to Githio(on Peloponnese). The ferry service in winter season are sporadic so I decided to catch the ferry to go back to Pireas. Lots of things missed for Crete, next time I'll come in summer.

11.23 Off the ferry early in the morning, riding towards next destination - Delphi, perhaps the most sacred sanctury in ancient Greece. As I leave the sea, going uphill, the landscape becomes more continental. No longer olive trees everywhere, instead there are pockets of agricultural fields. This area is called Boeotia, on the southern part of mainland Greece. After a hard up and down ride, I reached Thiva-the ancient Thebes, the city where the famous Oedipus drama occurred. However, almost no archeological ruins left to see and I wasn't able to get a clue on the very crossroad where Oedipus solved the riddle of Sphinx. Too many wars for the city and it was once flatten by Alexander. The road afterwars is quite flat, passing through agricultural fields to Livadia, where there is a castle remaining. I kept riding till about 20km from Delphi. Too tired and I setup the camp. As sun goes down, temperature dropped quickly. cold night.

11.24. Up early for the final push to Delphi, continue upwards and start to see snow lying around. When I reached Arahora, the highest point of the road, ski shops and resorts are ready for the ski season for the mount Parnassos. From Arahova, very steep downhill. Suddenly, you see a wall of cliff rises almost vertically and at the foot of it, the broken columns with many crows/eagles flying around. Quite mysterious and you can sense something religious/sacred. Delphi consists of Sanctury of Apollo and the Sanctury of Athena. Its purpose was purely oracular, to communicate the will of gods to humans. It was such a sacred place that many wars were fought over it and it was consulted by Oedipus, Agamemnon, Alexander the Great etc. The temple of Apollo is huge, with a few Doric columns standing there. The theatre and the stadium is well preserved. Not too far down, it's the Sanctury of Athena. The Tholos is very elegant and graceful, with only three remaining Doric columns.The museum contains many findings from the sanctury, the most famous piece is the bronze Charioteer.

yaoji · 2005-04-07 10:06

11.25. From Delphi a very steep descend to the coast, passing Itea and Galaxidi. Then riding westward along the coast of Corinth Gulf. Nice water view but a very windy day. Passed a newly built bridge connecting the mainland(where Delphi lies) and the Peloponness peninsular. It's the only bridgeand people have to rely on ferry service before. Across the bridge, one reaches Patra, a major city. I camped just outside the city in a little town Kamina. Extremely beautiful sunset, where people called golden sunset. Listen to the rhythm of the wave and under the very bright moon, I fell asleep.

11.26. up early and when I opened the tent, I saw the magical moonset. So peaceful and beautiful. It simply touches your heart. On the road again to next destination - Olympia. Riding along the coast of Peloponness, I took a detour to Kastro, the highest point in an area which was surrounded by sea on three sides. On the highest point of the town, there is a Frankish Castle - Hlemoutsi, built in 13th century. It offers the best view in this area. Being the only visitor, I sat on the wall, had my lunch and enjoy the view. Further down the coast, I camped on a beach.

11.27 On my way to Olympia, I met a biker Maxi from France. He is going to Egypt via Turkey and middle east. After lunch, we visited the Olympia archeological site. The sanctury was sacred to Zeus. Every 4 years, for century after century, during the period of the full moon following summer solstice, people from all the Greek states come here to praise the benefits of peace and see Olympic games, then big party. Sacred truce would be announced among the warring states for the periods of the celebration. There are huge number of surviving stoneworks, from which one can imagine the magnitude of the place, and above all, its holiest place -- Temple of Zeus. The temple housed the most celebrated ancient statue, Phidias' Zeus, made of gold and ivory. Unfortunately, like most wonders of the ancient world, it was destroyed. Only the effigy of Nike in his right hand survived and in the museum. Through the tunnel of
Krypte, "the hidden entrance", one enters the stadium. Ahead a rectangular running track between embankments of grass. No marble, no seat, so simple but rank 1st for so many years. This is where sports was born. Almost no visitors so I sat on the grass, felt very peaceful. Like all other Greek places, it close at 3:00. The French guy left Olympia while I decided to stay to see the museums tomorrow and enjoy more of this peaceful place. Not too far from the site, up on a slope of the hill, beside an olive grove, I setup the tent, watch the sun go down the mountain, listen to the birds chipping.

11.28. As I ride pass the sanctury early in the morning, looking at the site from above. it's quite peaceful and serene, perhaps what Olympic games should be. The archeology museum has very good collection, among them the famous sculpture of Hermes, the god of commerce, after whom my first company was named and to whom I'm quite indebted to. The modeling of the figure is masterly. The superb sculptures of the metopes from the temple tell you the fascinating story of the fateful chariot race between Oenomaos, the Pisatan king and Pelops, after whom the whole peninsular was named. There is also a museum of Olympic history which is worth visiting. It tells you the history of various events and entrance is free. In the afternoon, I left Olympia heading to Mikines, the ancient site of Mycenean civilization.

11.29. mostly on the road, along the coast, passing some beautiful little towns.

11.30. Visited the citadel of Mycenae, the heart of the Mycenaean civilization(1500-1100BC), once the nerve centre of a maritime empire. Built on a hill, it was enclosed by formidable walls, guarded by the famous Lion Gate. There are royal graves, palaces and a secret cistern. I was lucky enough to follow a construction work guiding his friend down to the bottom of the very deep cistern. Another wonder is the Tholos tomb, astonishing monuments. The museum are mostly pottery. All the major findings (massive amount of gold, silver, ivory) from the site are in Athen's Archeology Museum. Looking down the Argive plain, I stood on the palace ruin, where Agamemnon led the war against Troy, where upon his return murdered by his wife and her lover, where his son and daughter murdered his wife and her lover in revenge. Fascinating!

12.1 Heading south reaches Argos, an ancient town with a rich legendary and historical past. Visited the andcient theatre and the ancient Agora(marketplace). Then continue south to Nafplion,the first modern Greek capital. It is a very beautiful and charming port dominated by a few Venetian castles. The most notable is the 17th century Venetian upper fortress of Palamidi. I climbed up and the view of the city is magnificant. Later in the afternoon, head towards Epidauros.

12.2. Visited the Sanctury of Asclepios, the god of healing. The area is famous for plants with medical properties so it becomes the centre of healing in ancient Greek.(like an ancient hospital) Unfortunately, the ruins are mostly mere foundations of the temples but major restoration work is underway. The theatre is a masterpiece, carved out of a mountain slope, very well preserved. I happened to wear my biking shoes that day because my Nike shoe is still wet from the heavy rain 2 days ago. Standing in the centre, I tapped the centre stoneand the sound resonated throughout. You can't help admiring the skills of the architects. It is still used for performance during the summer. Amazing!

12.3 Going northward to Corinth, visited the temple of Apollo and Corinth Canel. On my way back to Athens, met a biker, Jaeger from Austria who also started his bike trip from Beijing through Pakistan, Iran and going home. An avid biker who has done a round trip in South America and many other places. Arrived Athens and found a cheap youth hostel. Still expensive, considering the strong Euro.

12.4. Time to explore Athens(Athina in Greek language). Pretty much the whole day in Archeological museum. Here are the vast findings from Mycenaean civilization - staggering amount of gold objects made with staggering degree of sophistication, that among them, the famous gold death mask of Agamemnon, the Vaphia gold cup. The bronze and ivery objects are equally astonishing. Also a few rooms contains objects from Cycladic culture. The museum has vast collection of the greatest ancient Greek sculptures: Archaic, Classical and Hellenistic. More than 40 exhibit rooms. It closes as 3:00 so a whole day is still a bit short. Afterwards, I went up the Mount Lykavittos, the highest hill in the city. It provides a magnificant view of the city, the modern buildings as well as the old Acropolis. Sun goes down the Saronic Gulf and light penetrates through the columns of the Parthenon on the Acropolis. This is Athens, the city of Theseus. Wonderful!

yaoji · 2005-04-07 10:09

12.5-7 Busy site visits. The Acropolis is built on a natural hill with massive walls. It's the centre. The entrance way to the citadel is the Propylaia, a masterpiece of classic architecture. After the entrance, to the left is the Erechtheion, and to the right, the Temple of Athena - Parthenon. Built of 46 huge Doric columns, it's quite grandiose and beautiful. The Acropolis museum contains great collections that shouldn't be missed. Descending northward from the Acropolis, one reaches ancient Greek Agora, the marketplace in ancient times. It was the social, commercial and administrative hub of Athens where business was transacted, legislation passed, voting casted, where Socrates spent all his life teaching. The Stoa of Attalos is now a museum for the Agora that among its interesting collection, a mechenical device(called Kleroterion) for randomly assignment of public duties. The votes and the devices the court uses. Further west of Agora, it's Keramikos, mainly a cemetery. Continue west, the ancient district of Kolonus, where Sophocles was born Oedipus tragic series was written. Plato's Acadamy was also here. South of the Acropolis lies the Odeion of Herodes Atticus and the Theatre of Dionysos, where many famous ancient Greek drama was first performed. Pnyx is on the west of Acropolis and Mouseion is on top of a southwest hill. Both gives you a full view of the magnificant citidal. It's quiet and not many tourists. The Roman additions to the city is generally on the east, with the Hardrian's Arch, the Temple of Zeus dominating the scene. The ancient Stadium, rebuilt for the first Olympic game, lies further east. Countless museums and old Byzantine churches dotted the city. Narrow one way streets with tourist shops and restraunts in the Plaka. (old district under the foot of Acropolis). The Acropolis is lighted at night and whereever you go in the city core, looking up you can see the magnificant temple. This is the city of Athens, the goddess of wisdom, which contributed so immensely
to human civilization. It gave us democracy, Socrates and Plato, Phidias, Sophocles....

12.7 short of time for a good tour of Italy, dropping temperature that makes camping difficult (my sleeping bag is a mere 5-15C cheap one), the continued strenthening of the Euro against US$, and a strong desire for some Chinese food, I decided to end my journey to fly back to HK. It's been a very enjoyable 3 months and I learned so much. It's my first bike trip but I know it won't be the last one. With just over 9000km, I just realised I have gone quite far. I came to love every country I went through, their people, their tradition. It cleared many of my past ignorance and prejudice. On the plane, the airline magazine for this month has a cover story about Egypt. Would this be a hint or an oracle?