Day 22 - 24: Westward to Beijing

Route: 245 km    Travel time: 12:33

Total distance: 1,923 km (of which 1,599 km on our bikes)

After four weeks with our bikes in China, we have gotten used to the local (sometimes chaotic) traffic conditions. True to the motto 'Follow the local,' we are getting better at navigating the dense maze of road users in the city centers.

It turns out that trucks (the big 40-ton ones) always (!!) have the right of way. It doesn't matter if we are racing down a hill on a main road at 40 - the truck creeping out of the side street doesn't care about the rest of the traffic and certainly not about us, the two small bikers. We take it easy (well, in hindsight, not in the moment), because what else can we do?

Another unwritten rule of the road shows itself at the traffic lights: Anything with less than four wheels can cross the intersection even on red (at their own risk, of course). Important: Always maintain your course, make eye contact with the other party, and don’t start standing still!

Day 22: We cover the first kilometers in sunshine on the G205. Then we leave the heavily trafficked highway and continue our journey on small roads between different villages. Komoot leads us (once again) onto completely unpaved paths - and I mean really unpaved (yes, I should have used the Gaode app as my navigation!). Off the road, we go through puddles and mud, which is challenging but not very fun...

Normally, Zhaoyang is not easily ruffled. Whether it's hot temperatures, pouring rain, or bumpy roads - she remains calm. The only thing that annoys her are (rightly so) bad hotel rooms and bad food. However, in the mud, her patience wears thin. Luckily, I can attribute her frustration to Komoot as the 'culprit.'

Our bikes and us are filthy from the mud - so we can't store our bikes in the hotel. Fortunately, the friendly girl at the reception recommends a car repair shop near our hotel in the town of Tangshan/Hexicun. The high-pressure washer is broken, but the neighbor provides us with a hose for cleaning free of charge - for the bikes, of course. We'll wash our stuff later at the hotel ;-)

Day 23: The sky is gloomy this morning in the village of Hexicun. We check the weather forecast again: 0% chance of rain, with only a 10% chance predicted for the afternoon around 14:00. The roads are dry, we have enough water packed, and something for a small hunger has also been stashed away. Since we don't want to have more muddy adventures, we stick to the better-maintained country roads.

Around 14:00, we take a short break, and as it must, a thunderstorm approaches. We search for a somewhat sheltered spot and wait for the rain to ease. It doesn’t, and our rain gear comes into play. The temperature has noticeably dropped, and we are grateful for the windproof clothing. Wet on the outside and soaked on the inside, we reach our destination in the small village of Dachang two hours later.

Day 24: Unfortunately, our journey comes to an end today. Only a few kilometers separate us from Beijing, and then we will have made it. The sun is also happy and warms our hearts with 34 degrees. The roads or bike paths are in tip-top shape, and we mostly follow quiet routes to our destination, located about 20 km south of the center of Beijing.

Reflection and Conclusion: How did we like the 5-week tour in China around the Bo Hai Sea? It was a fantastic adventure, and each day had its unforgettable moments. And shared joy is double joy, as we experienced and overcame the same challenges together.

The most important thing first: The friendliness and helpfulness of the people in China is unmatched. Again today: We are cleaning our bikes to store them after the tour. A neighbor sees us and immediately brings two buckets of water...

Then the food: It is not comparable at all to the Chinese or Asian restaurants in Germany. Whether at the roadside or in more upscale restaurants, I have always thoroughly enjoyed the food (as I mentioned, only sea worms are not my thing).

Safety is another plus point: With very few exceptions, we have always felt safe and well taken care of in traffic. Bicycle lanes are almost everywhere, although they are often used as parking spaces in city centers. Zhaoyang was worried that there would be many barking dogs (based on our experience in Thailand). But far from it, barking was rarely heard, and all other four-legged friends allowed us to pass with ease. I was advised against getting a rabies vaccination that I originally wanted to catch up on in China, as there is no need for it.

Landscape and sea: Naturally, when I thought of 'sea', I imagined beautiful beaches and promenades, and I was somewhat disappointed when the landscape in the first few days was dominated by large industries. After we left the southernmost part of the Bo Hai Bay behind us, this changed, and we enjoyed more and more beautiful impressions. Yantai was the highlight on the south side, followed by the impressive Dalian nestled in hills. The Great Wall in Shanhaiguan was another highlight, as was the tourist site Baideihe with its long sandy beaches.

Even though it was rather an atypical journey, we hope that this travel blog could convey some impressions to you. We would have liked to add a few more weeks now that we are in such good shape, but we are heading to northern China tomorrow to visit Zhaoyang's parents and family. After that, we’re off to Mauritius, but that’s another story...

Sascha & Zhaoyang