Horizons Unlimited - The HUBB

Horizons Unlimited - The HUBB (https://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hubb/)

- Ride Tales (https://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hubb/ride-tales/)

- - China ADV Riding (https://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hubb/ride-tales/china-adv-riding-71234)

The MTS arrived back in Shanghai by overnight truck shipment from Beijing, a few weeks of B+B (business and biking) went by in a flash (riding distance = 1x Pirelli Scorpion Trail 190/55ZR17 -rear tire-, approx. 6000k's extensively twisting the throttle).
The Italian Diva performed great and flawless. Ducati MTS = absolute brilliant bike and will get a lot of TLC incl. a decent wash and polish in the next few days thats for sure....

Had a blast around the greater Beijing region going for afternoon rides, overnight trips and full day cruises on the expressways (gets you out of the city and the touristy areas pretty quick, fully legal and very convenient) to the brilliant mountain roads and the beautiful grasslands.....
Enjoyed catching up with quite a few old mates and made a few interesting new contacts in the Beijing biker community and planning a longer stay up in Capital City later in the year once again.

Beijing rocks.... stay and ride safe!

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Good Morning China!!!
It's another warm and sunny day in Sanya -Forever Tropical Paradise-.........
The pics were taken at Sanya Bay / Hainan Island.

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Picked up the sidecar on Wednesday outside Sanya (Hainan Island) from a shipping company depot.
Had to go over to Haitang Bay for a meeting and took the sidecar for a run in loose sand to check the capabilities before hitting the beach for a cruise.
As expected, the heavy JL sidecar (approx.400kg) and slow speed has the wheels digging in and loosing grip.....

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On the way back to Sanya (Dadonghai District) checked out a bike shop apparently fixing HD's, CJ and JL's, typical crappy China bike repair shop with no spares in stock the way the shop looked. In case someone needs to visit the shop in the future.
GPS: N018°14'332" / E109°31'181" (not far from the Sanya Downtown Duty Free Shopping Mall).
Mate living in Sanya is trying to get his Chang-Jiang 750 sidecar (CJ750 = China BMW R71 1938 Copy) going again with the help of the bike shop but the rotten electrical system is quite a challenge for some time....

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Lazy Saturday afternoon cruise picking up some moonshine from a well know Sanya bootlegger....
Some nice beach bars and guesthouses off the beaten track hidden away near Serenity Marina Sanya (Hainan Island). GPS: N18°12'888" E109°29'545"

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Yeah, these routes around the North of Beijing (I call it the Huairo loop:mchappy:) are really great for a good sunday ride. You hardly can tell you're less than an hour from one of the biggest most polluted cities in the world!

Quote:

Originally Posted by TBR-China (Post 429030)

Hainan Island is quite deserted off the beaten track, overcrowding only takes place at the hotel resorts located along Yalong Bay, Haitang Bay and the touristy spots like Yanoda Rainforest Park, End of the World, Nanshan Big Buddha, etc....

Spent two days up at Riyue Bay / Shimei Bay area (2.5hrs. from Sanya City) with our son surfing with the guys at Surfing-Hainan (RiyueWan). Surfing-Hainan is located at some really deserted beaches with decent swells especially after a windy tropical downpour.

Some Surf web-links for Hainan Island:
Surfing Hainan - China's Surf Shop 冲浪海南－中国的冲浪店
http://www.surfinghainanopen.com
Home
Hainan Riyuewan: The best surf beach in China | CNN Travel

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Back at Sanya city and Yalong Bay area.
Besides tourism and the ongoing scams and rip-off in seafood restaurants, Sanya's other big business is wedding pictures.
Any day of the week you can find hundreds of wedding picture studios and couples along the beaches / parks taking tons of pictures.

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Weddings sky-high as costs of banquets, extras double
By Hu Min | 2012-12-30 | Shanghai Daily Newspaper
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Shanghai couples are expected to spend more on their weddings next year as prices of wedding banquets and other services spiral upwards.
The costs of banquets have doubled compared to five years ago, whereas such service fees as photography has soared almost 90 percent in the past two years.

The price for a wedding banquet stood at 4,000 yuan (US$645) to 6,000 yuan per table on average at local four- star hotels. At local five-star hotels, the cost is 6,000 yuan to 10,000 yuan per table on average.The Westin Hotel in Shanghai quoted about 6,888 yuan to 10,888 yuan, including a 15 percent service fee. The Yan'an Hotel prices banquets around 4,000 yuan to 6,000 yuan.

In 2008, a table cost only a little more than 2,000 yuan on average for most four-star hotels in Shanghai.
The increase will range between 10 to 15 percent next year, the Shanghai Wedding Service Association predicted.

Despite soaring prices, some popular hotels said they have been almost fully booked next year except for a few days in July and August.
The association said newlyweds' pursuit of lavish weddings has boosted the price in recent years, even as fewer weddings are held.

It has been a trend for a year or two, He Lina, secretary general of the association, said yesterday. She said the price of wedding banquets has grown even though the prices of ingredients have not risen nearly as quickly. Menus vary slightly every year.

The surging prices have been a burden on parents who have already saved money for an apartment for newlyweds. Higher prices force them to dip into their pensions, she said, even as they hope youngsters will stop trying to "keep up with Joneses."

A July survey by Shanghai Wedding Exposition organizers that polled 3,000 couples who had booked banquets or were planning for weddings found local couples host 16 to 17 tables on average and many ask for help from parents.

"Local couples are decreasing the number of tables as they are 'running a deficit' with cost outpacing 'red envelopes' with money gifts," He said.