With the previous night’s festivities fully present in my sore head, it was a hard start this morning. I am not and have never been a fan of cycling in the rain, and it has been coming down steady since sometime last night.

Leaving Shaxi, we rode out along a river valley past many farms and terraced fields. This is planting season, so everyone is busily working the fields. We are seeing more and more rice grown as water is plentiful in this region, but many other crops too.

We rode 47k to lunch, then transferred in the van up high, and the temperature has become uncomfortably cool! With the rain, clouds and fog prevail and I’m certain there is a spectacular view if we could only see it. As it turned out, everyone elected to stay in the van for the 22k downhill, except Kathy NZ since she brought a full complement of rain gear and stated her determination to use it! Totally socked in now, the weather is cold and very rainy. By the time we arrived, everyone was totally soaked, cold, and filthy.

Andy (Brit married to a Thai in Chiang Mai) is the serious cyclist. So today’s plan was to ride 47k; have lunch; ride in the van 22k up a steep hill; then cycle down 23k and a final 15k flat to the hotel. Andy wanted to ride the whole thing. Keeping this short; Andy got lost somehow and got in several hours after us. He was totally pissed feeling that Jah somehow failed him. We all think that is a risk you take when you set off on your own. Maybe his cranky will subside by the morning.

What do you envision when you hear “hot springs?” A beautiful resort with natural features abounding? A place of rest and perhaps a spa- like atmosphere? Maybe a place you could get a well earned massage? How about an older hotel beside the road that has a swimming pool heated with hot spring water? Oh yeah, baby. It was the latter. I think we had this idea of something a lot more elegant… Not so, and kinda funny in a “what were we thinking” kinda way.

Had a typical dinner here in this small roadside town; really getting ready for something different. Oily veggies have become somehow less appealing. Tomorrow, an early start for 45k to Dali; a larger city.

Kathy NZ just found out today that they were approved to purchase another farm for over $6m so she was all excited about that.

Otherwise, no major dramas today. Took very few pix due to the rain. I think the cold wet weather has kinda dampened my mood just a bit… Hoping for weather improvement tomorrow! No pix due to rain!

Day 11 – Shaxi to Shan Kou We start with another beautiful day of riding on the once very busy tea horse caravan route. The road was used by the horse caravans transporting tea and salt between villages and they went as far as to Tibet and India. We will follow the Heihui River and pass through some interesting villages. It’s f;at. Easy riding for 47 k, to Liantie Town, our lunch place. After lunch we will be transferred to the mountain pass at 3022 m. There is an exhilarating 22 km downhill on the other side. We will ride for 10 km and end the day in Xia Shan Kou where we can soothe our sore muscles in the famous hot springs. Er Yuan Hot Springs Hotel. Ride 90 km. B L D