a2b – Crotos, the last chapter.

Contrary to expectations Vasilios and Danae have added the final chapter to their blog, and it is well worth reading of the ups and downs, hospitality and bureaucracy they found on their way to Beijing. I’ll say no more – just click here for the the blog entry, and click here for the link to their Beijing photo gallery.

Compare this shot above with the the first group photo, shown below, taken in March when still in Greece. Some of the original faces are still there, but not all.

Links to other related posts are listed on the Crotos – BaltiCCycle page.

a2b – Crotos, “This trip of ours is over!!!”

Vasilios Mesitides and Danae Tezapsidis [and hopefully the rest of the team] arrived in Being in time for the opening of the Olympic Games. That much I know from a comment entered on their blog by someone signing himself as Steven who met them on the 8.8.8. I was hoping there would be a final chapter and a few more photos to fill in the space between Luoyang and Beijing but it seems that may not happen as they have now arrived and are busy cycling around to see the sights, and who can blame them. However they have entered a comment, entitled ‘This trip of ours is over!!!’, on the blog which brings everything to close.

Dear Friends,

After 170 days of cycling we have finally reached Beijing… We are full of beautiful memories and have shared lots of experiences with people we have met on our way despite occasional hardships we have already forgotten.

We will continue to ride around Beijing and get in touch with more people during our last few days in China. We didn’t come here to see the Olympic Games even though we believe in the Olympic ideals and have tried to promote peace and cross-cultural communication all around as much as we could.

We wish to thank everyone who accompanied us on our wonderful voyage and hope to meet again in person somewhere in this tiny world!

Cycling is our way of approaching the world around us, and we are not planning on giving it up.
So, you may find us riding around somewhere in the near future (but after we take care of some unfinished things)…

Peace!

Links to other related posts are listed on the Crotos – BaltiCCycle page.

a2b – Accor Beijing, the last gasp

This is quite a long-winded post, but it wasn’t intended that way, so I’ll sum up the contents below; first, copies of the Express Bank entries in Chinese, second, Babelfish translations, lastly, somewhere near the bottom of the page, a few comments.

1 Since I last wrote about Accor Beijing there have been more short messages arriving on the AB Express Bank 雅京行快报, the last entries of 28^th July and 1^st August signifying the arrival of some of the team [possibly three] in Beijing. The entries are copied below –

• 雅京行抵京（8月1日）

• 发布时间: 2008-08-01 18:52 发布者: 雅京行 点击 17 评论 1

• 雅京行主队成员戴惟和刘佳于北京时间下午4时整抵达北京天安门广场，本次骑行雅典到北京的洲际骑行活动宣告顺利完成。还在西藏境内的莫汉艺由于将直抵汶川，近期不会到达北京。…

• 雅京行将于明日中午抵京（7月31日）

• 发布时间: 2008-07-31 20:30 发布者: 雅京行 点击 21 评论 0

• 雅京行主要成员将于明日（8月1日）中午抵达北京，完成自今年三月出发，骑行雅典到北京的雅京骑行活动。…

• 戴惟、刘佳到达大同（7月28日）

• 发布时间: 2008-07-30 20:20 发布者: 雅京行 点击 27 评论 0

• 我们到大同了，1号到京——戴惟…

• 阳健颖已抵达北京（7月28日）

• 发布时间: 2008-07-30 20:20 发布者: 雅京行 点击 31 评论 0

• 已到北京，骑了200公里，昨天骑了187公里，没搭车——阳健颖…

• 离大同100公里（7月27日）

• 发布时间: 2008-07-30 20:19 发布者: 雅京行 点击 6 评论 0

• 我和戴惟到离呼市90多公里的凉城了,附近有个传说很漂亮的岱海,明早去看,明天预计到大同100公里左右,山路——刘佳…

• 阳健颖抵达铁成乡（7月25日）

• 发布时间: 2008-07-25 22:48 发布者: 雅京行 点击 25 评论 0

• 今天我到铁成乡了，骑了155公里，本打算到丰镇市，地图少标了50公里，明天到大同，还有三天就到北京了——阳健颖…

• 已到包头（7月22日）

• 发布时间: 2008-07-25 22:46 发布者: 雅京行 点击 18 评论 0

• 今天我到包头了，骑了135公里——阳健颖…

• 已到乌拉特前旗（7月21日）

• 发布时间: 2008-07-25 22:44 发布者: 雅京行 点击 14 评论 0

• 今天到乌拉特前旗，骑了150公里——阳健颖…

• 已到蹬口（7月19日）

• 发布时间: 2008-07-20 23:25 发布者: 雅京行 点击 27 评论 0

• 从109转到110了，今天到蹬口，骑了152公里，已经到内蒙古，没看到草原，只看到沙漠，明天与刘佳汇合——阳健颖…

• 到达惠农（7月18日）

• 发布时间: 2008-07-19 19:02 发布者: 雅京行 点击 20 评论 0

• 今天骑了110公里到了惠农，明天出宁夏到内蒙古，大概后天与刘佳汇合——阳健颖…

• 到达银川（7月16日）

• 发布时间: 2008-07-16 20:26 发布者: 雅京行 点击 30 评论 0

• 今天到达银川市，骑了140公里，准备在这休息一天，遇到黄仁义，就是环华的一个人，呼吁举办环华比赛，第二次环华，行程25000公里——阳健颖…

• 到达中宁（7月15日）

• 发布时间: 2008-07-15 20:04 发布者: 雅京行 点击 31 评论 0

• 昨天白银到宁夏兴仁164公里，今天到中宁100公里，明天计划到银川…

• 到达白银（7月13日）

• 发布时间: 2008-07-15 19:58 发布者: 雅京行 点击 34 评论 0

• 昨天在兰州休整一天，今天到白银了，骑了快一百公里，一直下雨，本打算骑170公里，但淋湿后太冷就没赶路，大概过些天刘佳会与我们汇合——阳健颖…

• 到达兰州（7月11日）

• 发布时间: 2008-07-15 19:57 发布者: 雅京行 点击 22 评论 0

• 阳建颖和戴维，今天从西宁到兰州，路面起伏，逆风，216公里。

2 And Babelfish translations are given here –

• The elegant Beijing line arrives Beijing (on August 1)

  Constructs Ying and David positive, today from Xining to Lanzhou, road surface fluctuation, against the wind, 216 kilometers.

  Issues the time: 2008-08-01 18:52 Promulgator: Elegant Beijing line Clicks 17 comments 1

• Elegant Beijing good home team member Dai Wei and Liu Jia in the Beijing standard time at exactly 4:00 pm arrives at Beijing Tiananmen Square, this time rides a line of Athens intercontinental to ride the line of active announcement to Beijing to complete smoothly. Also in Tibet domestic Chinese skill not, because will go straight to Wenchuan, in the near future will not arrive at Beijing. …

• Elegant Beijing about to will arrive Beijing in tomorrow noon (on July 31)

• Issues the time: 2008-07-31 20:30 Promulgator: Elegant Beijing line Clicks 21 comments 0

• An elegant Beijing line of leading member (on August 1) the noon will arrive at Beijing in tomorrow, completes embarks from March, rides a line of Athens to ride a line of activity to Beijing’s elegant Beijing. …

• Dai Wei, Liu Jia arrive at Datong (on July 28)

• Issues the time: 2008-07-30 20:20 Promulgator: Elegant Beijing line Clicks 27 comments 0

• We to Datong, – – have worn 1 to Beijing only…

• Positive healthy Ying arrived at Beijing (on July 28)

• Issues the time: 2008-07-30 20:20 Promulgator: Elegant Beijing line Clicks 31 comments 0

• Arrived at Beijing, has ridden 200 kilometers, yesterday has ridden 187 kilometers, has not travelled by vehicle – – positive healthy Ying…

• To the Datong 100 kilometers (on July 27)

• Issues the time: 2008-07-30 20:19 Promulgator: Elegant Beijing line Clicks 6 comments 0

• I and wore only arrive to the Huhhot more than 90 kilometer Liangcheng, the nearby had the fable very attractive Dai sea, tomorrow morning looked, tomorrow will estimate about the Datong 100 kilometers, mountain road – – Liu Jia…

• Positive healthy Ying arrives at iron Cheng Xiang (on July 25)

• Issues the time: 2008-07-25 22:48 Promulgator: Elegant Beijing line Clicks 25 comments 0

• Today I to iron Cheng Xiang, have ridden 155 kilometers, this plan Feng Town city, the map few sign 50 kilometers, tomorrow arrived at Datong, but also three days arrived at Beijing – – positive healthy Ying…

• Already to Baotou (on July 22)

• Issues the time: 2008-07-25 22:46 Promulgator: Elegant Beijing line Clicks 18 comments 0

• Today I to Baotou, have ridden 135 kilometer – – positive healthy Ying…

• Already to the Urad front banner (on July 21)

• Issues the time: 2008-07-25 22:44 Promulgator: Elegant Beijing line Clicks 14 comments 0

• Today to the Urad front banner, has ridden 150 kilometer – – positive healthy Ying…

• Already to pedal mouth (on July 19)

• Issues the time: 2008-07-20 23:25 Promulgator: Elegant Beijing line Clicks 27 comments 0

• From 109 changed to 110, today to the pedal mouth, has ridden 152 kilometers, already arrived at Inner Mongolia, has not seen the prairie, only saw the desert, tomorrow will converge with Liu Jia – – positive healthy Ying…

• Arrives at Hui nung (on July 18)

• Issues the time: 2008-07-19 19:02 Promulgator: Elegant Beijing line Clicks 20 comments 0

• Today has ridden 110 kilometers to Hui nung, tomorrow will leave Ningxia to arrive at Inner Mongolia, will converge probably the day after tomorrow with Liu Jia – – positive healthy Ying…

• Arrives at Yinchuan (on July 16)

• Issues the time: 2008-07-16 20:26 Promulgator: Elegant Beijing line Clicks 30 comments 0

• Today arrives at Yinchuan, has ridden 140 kilometers, prepares to rest for one day in this, meets the yellow justice and humanity, is a link China’s person, appealed that conducts link China to compete, second link China, traveling schedule 25000 kilometer – – positive healthy Ying…

• Arrives at rather (on July 15)

• Issues the time: 2008-07-15 20:04 Promulgator: Elegant Beijing line Clicks 31 comments 0

• Yesterday is popular the kernel 164 kilometers the silver to Ningxia, today to the rather 100 kilometers, tomorrow will plan Yinchuan…

• Arrives at the silver (on July 13)

• Issues the time: 2008-07-15 19:58 Promulgator: Elegant Beijing line Clicks 34 comments 0

• Yesterday in Lanzhou recuperation one day, today to the silver, has ridden the quick 100 kilometers, has rained, this plan rides 170 kilometers, but after dripping wet, too Leng Jiu has not hurried along, crosses day Liu Jia to be able probably to converge – – positive healthy Ying with us…

• Arrives at Lanzhou (on July 11)

• Issues the time: 2008-07-15 19:57 Promulgator: Elegant Beijing line Clicks 22 comments 0

3 The blog hasn’t been updated since the posting at 2008.6.28 19:22, so there is no detail to add. So after a few months of struggling against unexpected mishaps and problems, hitching on vehicles, buses and trains plus some impressive daily mileages [kilomtreages?] riding across China, some of the team have arrived in Beijing and others [see 2008.8.1 entry] will not arrive at all. At least they are all still intact.

Despite all the short-cuts taken, what the group have done represents a substantial achievement; so far as I’m aware, none of the riders had ever travelled outside China and with their limited knowledge and no experience of the outside world problems and mishaps were inevitable; it was interesting to see how they responded. However, anyone who enters into a venture with such grandiloquent aims as Accor Beijing is inviting very close scrutiny and potentially leaving himself exposed to some sharp criticism when things do not match up to the advanced publicity. The project was riddled through with flaws, over-optimistic aims, ideology and symbolism, some of which could be put down to youthful zeal, but the rest can only be attributed to naivety and misinformation. I began watching the progress of the team in March with a mixture of admiration for their spirit of adventure, and envy at not being able to join in, plus a few doubts. Unfortunately my worst fears were realised when things began going wrong [before they had even left the Mediterranean] and what started out as a grand tour of Asia, with a not insignificant hint of triumphalism, soon degenerated into a desperate struggle to reach home ground at any cost. I’m sure some of the riders will have learnt much and benefited greatly from the experience but, I suspect, there are others amongst them who are even more convinced that the evil outside world needs to be kept at bay.

Links to other related posts can be found on the Accor Beijing page.

a2b – Crotos, from Lanzhou to Luoyang

Three excellent articles from the Greek couple, Vasilios Mesitides and Danae Tezapsidis, [links can be found at the end of this posting] beginning with their experiences in on the way to, and at, Lanzhou, the capital city of Gansu.

Days 135-137 – A few punctured tires and other repairs impede progress but by the afternoon of the third day they have reached Wuwei.

“We wandered around the city by bike, found a nice park to walk around till the evening. Danae is exhilarated to have all this fruit around her. She is now sure she will not be hungry anymore… In the evening Danae joined an open dancing session in the main city square where people often gather to share activities (day 137)”

Days 138-141 – From Wuwei they press on uphill to the next resting place in a pass, almost 3,000 metres above sea level, and then to Tianzh, the county town of the area. On day 140 Richard, who has been suffering for a few days, becomes too ill to ride on and is taken by taxi to a hospital in Lanzhou, the next major stop. Road accidents involving large trucks are not uncommon and they come across a fatal one involving a motorcycle rider. Is this a sign they are getting nearer the more industrialised parts of China? Perhaps not yet as they comment on the rural scenery around them.

“We can’t help but notice how Chinese people keep themselves busy in the fields around us. 70% of the labor force works in agriculture. Instead of using machinery they use their bare hands to reap the wheat, to plow the land, to transport the goods by merely pulling and pushing old wooden wagons.“

Until new buildings appear, and for the first time in months they find themselves stuck in heavy traffic as they are now in the city of Lanzhou, capital of Gansu province. Here the party takes a day’s rest to go walking in the parks and up the mountains surrounding the city.

For the next phase of the journey Vasilios and Danae take a different route to the rest of the group as they want to visit an area to the south of the Silk Road. They expect to rendezvous 9 days later in Xi’an. Before leaving Lanzhou they visit Richard, who was taken ill a few days earlier and is now in hospital; he has received surgery [no explanation what the op. Was – I hope Richard knows] and has been told he can cycle again after 2 weeks recovery. Monica opts to join their sub-party.

“The same night we are hosted at a toll booth officers’ building next to the highway. Amazing hospitality!!! (day 142) “

The route takes them through some very attractive and hilly countryside, a lot of it over 2000 metres above MSL. To reach their destination city, Tianshui at 1700 metres above MSL level, they descend for several kilometres and passing through tunnels to get there. One room for 3 of them at a hotel costs 17 Euros – but what is that in yuan?

MaijiShan is the next stop where do spend some time walking up and down the karst hills, visiting caves, grottoes and lakes. Although the occasional downpours make them wet and cold, they find it all worthwhile.

Reluctantly continuing their ride they pass through more high ground and valleys before beginning their descent towards Xi’an. Arriving in Xiangyang, a city on the outskirts of Xi’an, their first problem is finding accommodation but their luck holds –

“Finding a sleeping place in an urban area is quite difficult. We are quite lucky to find a real estate agency – they sell apartments at newly constructed high-rises – where a couple of elderly guards do their best to accommodate us. They give us a small room with beds, and Li Xiong and Fan Xin, two agents who were working till late, invite us to dinner. We couldn’t have imagined a better ending for our day. We have experienced Chinese hospitality on numerous occasions despite our difficulty to verbally communicate with them (day 149).”

Day 150 they enter Xi’an and rejoin the main group at a hotel. There are approximately 1400 kilometres and 2 weeks remaining.

Stopping off for a short visit outside Xi’an they visit the Qin Terracotta Army before continuing towards HuaShan – one of the five sacred mountains of China. They note that riders are becoming sick due to the change in climate, from dry desert conditions to high temperatures and high humidity. At HuaShan they buy a cheap backpack and then spend a day climbing the mountain. Over the years tracks up the mountain have been cut into the rocks and the steepest places have chains permanently fixed in place.

“We hiked for endless hours, visited all of the main peaks on the mountain and descended late in the evening just before dusk. Our legs would suffer for days since we are not using the same muscles while cycling. This was one of the best experiences we have so far had. (day 155)”

Three more days on the road and they arrive in Luoyang, Henan province.

“Finally, downhill all the way to Luoyang . Even though we are still tired we manage to cover 89km till our hotel, where we will have a rest day. The road is full of industries, coal mines, trucks, and our faces and lungs are covered with black shit – according to Danae – by the end of the day. The hotel showers were busy today! (day 158)”

Links to the pages are – Lanzhou, Xi’an, and Luoyang

Links to the photo galleries for Lanzhou, Xi’an, and Luoyang – all highly recommended.

Links to other related posts are listed on the Crotos – BaltiCCycle page.