17/6/25
We finished race across the world in the morning. Emotional junk was the only way to describe it. Showing off the beauty of the countries they were in was the last thing on their minds. Journeying as we were, the show should have been relevant. It wasn’t.
Leaving Longpen required climbing a couple of hills. Luscious agricultural valley surrounded us. Fields of green vegetables in every direction. Then we descended for an eternity. Ten kilometres of downhill on a bumpy road that sadly forced us to go slower than we would have liked. Winding hairpin bends took us past large hydroelectric infrastructure projects. After the steepest parts were over we rolled along the side of a valley road for a few kilometres. A steep 100m of climbing loomed. Our legs weren’t happy with us today. They were reluctant to give us more. We’d been asking them for too much, too soon.
Another downhill stint. This time we finally hit rock bottom and crossed the River Huaxi. The only way was up now. As our legs grumbled and we headed uphill, we saw some farmers. They were drinking the clear spirits we’d seen the day before.
Gaoda was at the top of a short, sharp, climb. A quick pause for an ice lolly. Brown sugar with gelatinous rice. Jonathan bought some instant coffee and utilised the hot water dispensers they have everywhere here. Frankie had a Pepsi instead. Preparation for the biggest climb of our day. Although half the size of the day before, our legs were still concerned. The G245 was busy. More cars, more trucks.
The climb turned from steep to steeper. Cycling alongside a huge chasm we were surrounded by beautifully coloured iron oxide rocks jutting out around us. The 10% gradient sustained for a while. Truck drivers waited and gave us a wide berth. Everyone was gentle with us despite the fact it was a busy mountain pass. As soon as it stopped being so steep we stopped for a quick snack. Surprisingly quickly the steep sides disappeared and we were in a valley full of farm fields once more. Garmin was wrong once again, the climb continued far longer than expected. Still, a short day, distance wise.
The final 8km to Tonghai turned out to be a mix of rapid downhills and occasional bumps. Interesting temples were scattered up the mountainside. We chose a rather pricey hotel right next to the Xiushan scenic area. Our room was part of a renovated structure that we gathered was an old part of the large complex.
Not wasting any time, we headed straight up the large hill behind the hotel. Exhausting steps immersed us in temples, statues and bonsai trees. Dating temples was usually based on their original construction date, some placed as far back as the Ming Dynasty. We couldn’t help but get the vibe that we would more closely associate with Japanese culture. Nowhere near the top we turned back. Locals played cards with friends on the small shaded table or used the climb as exercise.
Central Tonghai was located a short walk down a sloping pedestrian street lined with shops; we’d picked a prime location. Quiet streets but with a lot going on. Before we left, the hotel receptionist had searched online for a restaurant for us. It was odd to watch her search; she used an odd social media app. Vegetarian, the restaurant was not. The restauranteurs were remarkably helpful. They discussed it and came up with something delicious. A big bowl of ‘dry noodles’. No broth. A plate of fried tofu and some fried greens. It really hit the spot after our big day.
We found a discount looking supermarket to find a soya based snack. A pack of spicy tofu sheets. An ‘Agricultural Products Market’ was a little further away. We bought giant lychees, apples, bananas and some mangoes. Tonghai was a very nice city. Upmarket. Minimal tourists. We enjoyed greeting people as they stared at us, but we were still happy to be out of the limelight and hidden in our very comfortable room.
Surly They Won't Make It 