Horizons Unlimited - The HUBB - Finding Freedom...World Wide Ride

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

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

- - Finding Freedom...World Wide Ride (https://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hubb/ride-tales/finding-freedom-world-wide-ride-65365)

Leaving from the north side we did walk about 800 m to a popular Chinese Restaurant for lunch. We decided against food available inside the museum. Again out driver Mr Tang did an amazing job. Every meal he studies the menu and chooses unique dishes. Today we had a sliced beef dish made with “numb” peppers and when you ate it your tongue went numb. We also had a minced pork with chilies that you spoon into bread cups sort of like lettuce wrap style.

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4343/...9377ac6b_b.jpg Forbidden City by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4378/...0202b028_b.jpg Beijing_-22 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4397/...c490ffb4_b.jpg Beijing_-26 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4357/...e0a3ba4d_b.jpg Beijing_-34 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4377/...dcd6cd57_b.jpg Beijing_-27 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

From here we planned to walk thru the Jingshan Park park and ascend to the temple for a 360 degree view of the city. Jingshan dates back to the Jin Dynasty 1000 years ago. The 46 m artificial hill was constructed in the Ming Dynasty and from soil excavated for the moats of the Imperial Palace and nearby canals.

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https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4380/...463a5b4a_b.jpg Beijing_-21 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4382/...ab711aa1_b.jpg Beijing_-29 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4454/...8bd74e79_b.jpg Beijing_-31 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4379/...a0d3fa21_b.jpg Beijing_-30 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4474/...b21e666a_b.jpg Beijing_-32 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4425/...0ce94bb9_b.jpg Beijing_-33 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

It is another beautiful day here if a bit cool at 14 this morning. We have 344 km to Datong and then a further 19 km west to the Yungang Grottoes.

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4422/...22775156_b.jpg Screen Shot 2017-09-22 at 21.40.29 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4396/...e159de64_b.jpg Screen Shot 2017-09-22 at 21.48.30 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

We are leaving this early as we need to get to the 5 th ring road and then across Beijing and out before the traffic mayhem. We did not too badly actually and we were out and 120 km away by 9 am. Leaving the city we again had some stunning views of the Badaling section of the Great Wall.

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4450/...52b8e16c_b.jpg FILE1062 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4493/...6c496c61_b.jpg FILE1071 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4477/...0b505665_b.jpg FILE1080 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

It is also strange in a country we think of as crowded with 1.4 billion that there is so little urbanization. Between the high density cities there is nothing. The highway exits can be 50 km apart. We stopped for some breakfast at 9, gassed up as we are in the same county still we can use the pumps, and then hit the road again.

They are such concrete rule followers here and it can be very frustrating. For example you can ride you bike to the pump, but once you have the gas you must push it past all the pumps and out of the gas up area. So that could be 5 or 20 meters…. we backed up 3 and rode away.

We had to run the gauntlet of 4 toll stations as well today, which to be honest is quite stressful. In Beijing Big bikes are allowed on the highway and it it 1 RNB per 2 km (6 RNB/USD) and so very expensive. The driver paid 1700 RNB to get to us at the border and this is one reason why booking a tour here is so expensive. As our guide says everything in China costs. It is the best when there are a few big trucks waiting on the far right as we can sneak up beside them and get by easily. There is a wide lane and they pull over far left to reach the toll taker and thus we have lots of room to get by. Occasionally if they see us coming the run out or wave us to stop, but we must keep going. Dan and I don't feel that great about this, but this is the way it is here. The law says no motorcycles (scooters, 3 wheel jobs with large….. by the millions here that can only go 50 km/h) and they can not just their thinking to the big bike that can keep pace with the traffic or more.

https://youtu.be/rxDn535ARhE

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4465/...9352b957_b.jpg FILE1159 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4448/...3d3067a1_b.jpg FILE1180 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

What is amazing in a country with this population is the vast tracts of nothing outside the cities. Here there is little urbanization. There is also little farming because of the short season. The landscape gets more and more industrial closer to Datong and the air is a dense fog of pollution.

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4509/...ec282279_b.jpg FILE1155 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4481/...7aef776a_b.jpg FILE1185 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

It was another 150 km to have a break on the side of the road and then 80 more to the Grottoes. The approach to Datong is a sight from Mad Max. Our eyes were burning and the massive cloud of solution over the city is insane. They burn coal to make electricity to sell to the south of China. It seems a high price to pay if you love here. Driving around the outskirts of the city it looks post apocalyptic. On the west side of the city the sky is clear and the air quality much better.

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4396/...e159de64_b.jpg Screen Shot 2017-09-22 at 21.48.30 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

The Yungang Grottoes are rock-cut architecture and one of the three most famous ancient Buddhist sculpture sites in China. The stone carvings are from the 5 th and 6 th century. The grottoes are excavated in a sandstone cliff 2600 ft long and 30-60 feet high.

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4466/...12943b2c_b.jpg FILE1130 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

They are such sticklers about the parking every where here too. Motorcycles must park in motorcycle spots. It does not matter that we have 4 huge bikes and the spot is for 4 mopeds. There is no way they will let you put any number of bikes in one car spot even if the lot is empty. “They are for cars”.

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4411/...609c55d8_b.jpg China Datong Grottos-2 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4466/...fdffdc5f_b.jpg China Datong Grottos by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4463/...9297a277_b.jpg IMG_9880 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

We had on the itinerary to back track 60 km and then ride 30 are to visit the hanging temple, but we decided against this as we were leaving the grottoes at 330. We also decided to change hotel locations to a Huairen 55 km south of Datong. It is much smaller and not industrial. The access is easy off the G35 and is on a 6 lane road with almost no cars! Are we in China???

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The hotel restaurant staff having a pep talk.

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4461/...ed19d262_b.jpg China On route to Pingyau Acient City by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4469/...7a58a942_b.jpg IMG_9949 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

For dinner we headed down the street and had the best meal yet. The staff was so pleased we liked it and they all wanted a photo with us.

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4514/...4c0b3094_b.jpg China On route to Pingyau Acient City-2 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4483/...dae6b3f4_b.jpg China On route to Pingyau Acient City-3 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

We stopped after 125 km to take a break and make a coffee in the parking lot. This drew quite a crowd. The scenery today more green with some terracing of the hill sides. We had a few set backs today as it rained on and off and even before it rained on us the road was wet and filthy and we were covered in dirt. Almost too late we put on the over suits. About 30 min later the sun's out, but we were trapped in a massive 10 km long traffic jam. We pulled over to un-suit as is was now 27 degrees and then we had to drive backwards on the highway thru the trucks to get over 2 lanes to lane split thru the “parked” 3 lanes of cars and trucks. The cause was a semitrailer on its side and they had all lanes merging into 1. It was smooth sailing after this and we arrived to Pingyao at 2 pm.

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4512/...b09433d7_b.jpg FILE1276 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr

https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4465/...c185596b_b.jpg FILE1281 by Sara & Daniel Pedersen, on Flickr