There we are, in Guangdong. I finally made it to the last province on mainland. Here in a small town named Shijiao, 100 kilometer away from the city of Yulin. When I arrived in Shijiaozhen, these kids found me sitting on a small chair, drinking some sports drink in the shade. In this small town, me and my little bike quickly became the main attraction of the locals within minutes. I was asked about almost everything, my bike was ridden out of curiousity, my gear got played. What an amazing little town where the center is a huge roundabout. How I feel? Motivated and stressed at the same time. For now, I need to focus on finishing the journey before I have to go back to the university to present my master thesis. I still have about 10 days. That means not much recreation and exploring in the places. I give 100% power on daytime when temperature is hot and humid and get 100% of rest during the night.The next day led me to Zhanjiang City, a distance of about 80 kilometers. Having conquered the hills of Guangxi, roads here are a piece of cake. The area is completely flat. It is hot and sunny but at least I don’t need to climb any mountains. On the way I pass the city of Lianjiang, another city that seems to have been built around Lianjiang Avenue, its major street. I had fun with the people wearing these funky bike helmets. Only 40 kilometers later that I arrived in that day’s destination of Zhanjiang. What a beautiful place that was. I somehow felt how I am getting closer and closer to the sea. The air was fresh, I heard people occasionally talking in Cantonese and the number of seafood restaurant grew with every meter. To be honest I only saw Zhanjiang at night and the early morning. There just wasn’t enough time for exploring, except fixing my bike at the Decathlon store and meeting a young guy who asked me to look for a German husband for his mum. What started as an odd but amusing conversation later turned out to become my first experience with a stalker… nevermind.One more day left. Zhanjiang to Leizhou. And from Leizhou down to Xuwen County. These are 140 Kilometers that are covered quite easily. Before coming back to Yangshuo, I took the chance to get rid of all these thick clothes and unnecessary gear I used to carry around in the beginning. Thus I almost had nothing to carry on my bike anymore, making traveling a lot easier. Plus having a proper morning routine is a huge benefit to stay focused on the aim itself. Get up early, have proper Breakfast, stock up water and food supply, plan the trip, and get going. The way to Xuwen County felt incredible good. I still remember how flat the country road G207 stretched over the place. It almost reminded me of Denmark where you can see kilometers ahead of you. And lush green trees on each side of the road. Now I can say that I had a total tunnel vision to get to Xuwen county. And when I reached there, I just asked the people about the quickest way to the harbor. My memories on the happenings in Leizhou are rather week, but I can remember every detail in the coastal town of Hai’an. I arrived at the harbor by early evening, super excited to see the ocean. I sat in front of the ferry terminal for some time waiting for my travel buddy Clover to arrive. The sun went down and within minutes the moon started to shine brightly. It was the day of the moon festival in China. And my last day on the mainland. By around 10pm, I finally rode my bike into the ferry to Haikou. A moment that I have waited for so long.
For the final of Crossing China, stay excited for the next episode,Your Joerg
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