Emma was my China cycling partner for 3,000km between Xian and the edge of Xinjiang. The desert was proving just too hot for a true Alaskan, so from there, she'd hopped a train to Hami and then a bus to Turpan. At Hami and Turpan she'd wait a couple or three days for me to catch up by bicycle.

In Turpan she had three days to wait while I knocked off some 400 kilometers of desert highway. And after a couple of days she discovered that for the first time ever the Beijing Marathon would be open to runners of all classes. So, by the time I arrived in Turpan she'd decided to discontinue the westward journey to Kashgar and instead head straight for Beijing and a date with 26+ miles of running. She even managed to get a decent berth on the train to Beijing, which is a good thing since I think it was something like 48+ hours to cross the distance.

Continue reading "ah,the luxury [NOT!]"

I was near the beginning of a 6-month, 6,000 km cycling tour across China, and beginning to feel comfortable enough about the political/social/cultural landscape and history to make some observations. The result eventually became Shanghai'd in Shanghai, an entry in my travelogue. But first it was posted to my travel mailing list, and a friend responded to it.

Continue reading "Re: eJournal 4.010 :: Shanghai'd in Shanghai."

Some of the email in my sent mail log jogs memories in ways which are difficult to explain. Take this one, for example:

Continue reading "the public lounge"

I'd just completed a 6,000+ km cycling trip across China, from Shanghai to Kashgar via Beijing, Xian, Lanzhou, Xiahe, Lanzhou, Dunhuang, Turpan and all variety of points between. Thank the TIan Shan (heavenly mountains) for email and an old friend back home, Andrew Secord. Andrew managed the Vancouver bike shope where I'd purchased most of my cycling gear. And along they way he was a frequent author of supporting and informative emails--often in calming (or alarming, if necessary) response to my hysterical, "MY HUB'S SHOT, AND SPOKES ARE BUSTING LIKE TWIGS!!!" emails. And there were also a couple care packages of replacement parts. So I wanted to do Andrew a favour. A big favour.

Continue reading "Flying Pigeon"

The following feedback is a response to On the River Kwaii which I wrote in Konchanaburi, Thailand, site of the Death Railway, immortalised with precise innacuracy in the film The Bridge on the River Kwai, and where I had opportunity to ruminate on evil and whatever else it is that motivates man to level holocaust upon fellow man. (See How far would you go?) Continue reading "re: Kwai ruminations"