31st May 2014       18-29’C        323km Xi’an – Yuncheng (Shanxi Province) When the guide vehicle made a last minute change of direction, I was left stuck headed onto the on-ramp of the freeway with no escape. So I was left with the only option of trying to get onto the freeway. At the toll gate I was turned around, and now had lost the guide vehicle, as the police forced me to use a different exit. After much discussion with the guide on…

29-31st May 2014      13km by bicycle Riding into Xian, a few rest days were need, both for my body and the bike, which was due for a service. The Scottoiler chain lubricator had spilt a hose yesterday, dumping chain oil on the swingarm instead of the chain, so I spent part of the evening hunting through the goldfish shops of Xian looking for a suitable replacement hose. Unfortunately, no one sold PVC hose in the size I needed, but I was able to buy something sort…

28th May 2014        11-38’C          360km Maijishan – Xi’an

27th May 2014     16-28’C     312km Longnan – Maijishan Grottoes Setting out from Longnan, we stopped for fuel not far out of town, at a huge petrol station, the same type as I’ve used all through China, but this one insisted that motorbikes cannot fill up at the pump, they must use a large teapot to transfer fuel from the pump to the bike.  So the teapot was filled with 97 octane and then poured into the bike, despite being parked right next to the pump. I questioned…

25th May 2014      11′-31’C       320km Zhangzha – Tielou – Longnan (Gansu Province) It was a very cool morning leaving Zhangzha, but the sun was shining and it was time to bid farewell to Sichuan. I rode down into the valley and stopped briefly at the river border between Sichuan and Gansu provinces, and after watering the bushes by the roadside and taking a photo of the border, I heard the sound of a motorcycle approaching. I looked back to see a bike come…

25th May 2014         8-16’C rainy      0km on bike Jiuzhaigou National Park I spent a cold rainy day today exploring the stunning Jiuzhaigou National Park.   Jiuzhaigou may be the most well known national park in China, with over 2.5M visitors per year, there are a crazy number of people to deal with in order to see the features of the park.  Militant aunties wielding umbrellas and iPads as weapons, pushing, shoving and yelling are all part of the experience, as everyone jostles to…

24th May 2014     11-24’C       243km Maoxian – Songpan – Zhangzha (Jiuzhaigou) Today the ride from Maoxian to Zhangzha took me back up onto the Tibetan plateau and fabulous mountain scenery.  We stopped in Songpan for lunch, and a short visit to the ancient town, where large amounts of herbal cordyceps were being cleaned and sold on the footpaths.   Leaving Songpan the road climbed rapidly up into the mountains, reaching 3700M where the temperature dropped to 11’C, but the sun still poked through…

23rd May 2014        15-29’C          305km Chengdu – Beichuan – Maoxian The Chengdu traffic gods went easy on me this morning on the way out of Chengdu. 2hrs of stop-start traffic and traffic lights wasn’t anywhere near as challenging as I had expected and mentally prepared for. When we stopped for lunch, a small crowd surrounded the bikes and numerous photos were taken by both audiences.   I stopped for fuel just outside town, and watched the guide car drive past, assuming they…

20th-23rd May 2014      0km on bike I’ve been really feeling like I needed a rest day, as I’ve been riding and changing flat tyres for two weeks, non-stop.  So arriving in Chengdu with the opportunity for a few days rest is very welcome and a chance to recharge, along with sort out some administrative & maintenance items on the bike. I spent the first morning in Chengdu hunting for the Ducati dealership, as I was hoping to buy some oil to do a service on the…

19th May 2014          24-30’C        248 km Emei – Leshan – Chengdu Last night the bike was parked in the kitchen area of the hotel we were staying in.  There was a huge amount of discussion with everyone at the hotel about how best to get the bike up the stairs.  Everyone had an opinion, the manager, the chef, random people on the street.  The only person that didn’t seem concerned, was me.   A 1ft wide timber plank ramp was put…