First week in China

From July 22 to July 27 from the Chinese border to a first pass at 3500m.

The Chinese border

July 22nd last breakfast in Kazakhstan, it is quite traditional: porridge, eggs, cheese, sausage and raw vegetables.

Today we’re leaving the country to enter China. We’re leaving early because the border is 35 km away. The day starts off badly because after 15 km, we realize that the road we’re driving on is closed. We have to turn around and take another route. Three hours later, after a quick crossing of the Kazakhstan border, we arrive at the Chinese border.

The border post is huge, stretching for about 3km. The checks will be long and very thorough. We must leave ten fingerprints, undergo a COVID and DNA test. Our luggage will be scanned three times. Here, the police are omnipresent and will accompany us constantly. Three hours later, and after all these checks, we obtain the stamp that allows us to enter Chinese soil. We have arrived in the Xixiang region, the Uighur region.

What organization

Upon exiting this ultra-modern border post, of which you won’t see any photos because they are prohibited, we can immediately purchase SIM cards that provide internet access and exchange dollars for renminbi at machines; there are no exchange offices here; everything is automated.

Eating spaghetti with chopsticks

What strikes you when you enter China is the grandeur. Extra-wide roads, 6 or even 8 lanes. Buildings as far as the eye can see, hundreds of them under construction. Despite the Chinese signs, it’s very easy to reach the hotel you booked in advance. Entering China is theoretically impossible if you don’t have a destination address.

First Chinese meal, the pictures on the menus are tempting, but the reality is quite different. The first dish will be spaghetti-shaped noodles with meat and a slightly strange sauce, the difficulty there is neither fork nor spoon. Well, I assure you it is not easy to eat spaghetti with chopsticks, a great discovery.

Chinese breakfast

On July 23rd, we woke up late after a good night’s sleep. The hotel served breakfast instead of buttered croissants, but spaghetti-shaped noodles with herbs and soy sauce. It wasn’t bad, but it was surprising, especially since we had to eat with chopsticks again. The drink served with breakfast was hot water infused with strange plants.

This is our first real day cycling in China on extra-wide roads in excellent condition. The highways are generally closed to bicycles. The police are on watch, and this morning we have our first passport check. They are omnipresent and the checks are very regular. We will be checked again a few hours later.

Lunchtime is always the same noodles to eat with chopsticks and without a fork; here the restaurant owner gave us a small plastic spoon. It’s very hot, over 40°C, and we stop for drinks frequently. Having found nowhere to stay, we camp in a parking lot at the entrance to a town.

And always the police

After a very noisy night, we leave this large city. In China, cities with more than a million inhabitants are common, and it takes several hours to reach the Chinese countryside.

Another police check in the middle of the morning. A police car will follow us for several hours, and we will be checked three times in the same day. The police will even monitor our bikes during the visit to a local market. A rather unusual place, where the number of merchants is unimaginable. A place where everything is sold, you can also find more or less appetizing food.

The first mountain in China

The next two days were fairly quiet. We visited a supermarket in Xinyuan County. It was located underground and, like everything else in China, was huge. The second day, we were in a tourist area, and with the help of some young Chinese people, we managed to find accommodation in a yurt.

On July 27th, the traffic on the road is getting heavier and heavier. We arrive at the foot of the mountain. The first peak is at 3,500m with a 50km climb. The road is beautiful, but the traffic makes it difficult. The Chinese are constantly stopping to take pictures; we are like freaks at a fair or stars; it’s not easy to tell. The landscape is magnificent and grandiose. It will take us all day to reach the top of the pass, especially since for the last three, we have to cross a 3km tunnel on foot in the dark. Only the car headlights help us move forward.
We end our day at a rest area where many local stalls are present. Our arrival attracts a crowd and we must have taken 50 photos. The Chinese are very kind and we offer unlimited food.

Met :

• During this first week we met many Chinese cyclists.
• A group of Chinese cyclists set off from Beijing, about 5,000 km away. They are on a long journey through China.
• Greet, a Belgian cyclist on her way to Japan.
  
  Our journey: We covered 500 km during this first week. You can find our journey by clicking here.

Did you know: The Renminbi is the official currency of China (locally called the Yuan). The population is 1.4 billion. The country is 20 times the size of France.