D7: 白沙 → 昌江

February 3, 2024

After talking with the local bike club about the road I wanted to do on my way out of Baisha, and having it pointed out to me that—although they didn't know whether or not it was part of what's being torn up for the Rainforest Park Road—Maps recognized at least one segment as dirt, and maybe I had perhaps learned my lesson about not wanting to take my 23×700C wheeled road bike on a mountainous dirt road, I changed my plans from ending the day in Changjiang to ending in Bangxi.

Then—during my dunch break¹—after a late start², and having my butt thoroughly kicked by a mountain that I, admittedly, needed to walk up a portion of last year (when using a bike with lower gears), and discovering the previous round of riding on Bad Terrain had led to all sorts of consistently occurring Weird Noises that don't have any obvious source³, I found that my planned hotel in Bangxi was already sold out.

Today's oatmeal was sunflower seed brittle, banana, and coconut protein powder

There are something like five or eight hotels in Bangxi according to Maps but past experience tells me that not every 酒店 (which can mean "hotel" but can also mean "restaurant") or 旅居 (which can mean "hotel" but can also mean "short term rentals") listed is actually a hotel, and one of legacies of the Covid years and the extra level of hassle at Checking In While Foreign is to want, if possible, to have a confirmed booking in advance.

On account of really wanting to go to Yangjiang and having made phone calls in advance and confirmed both existence and price, even if I then ended up staying at one of the ones that wasn't on Maps, I skipped this rule with Yangjiang. However, in the case of Bangxi, I've still got three optional roads taking me to tonight's original destination, and enough of a glut of hotels⁴ at that destination that I can get something much cheaper.

First runaway truck ramp of the Tour (and possibly the only⁵ runaway truck ramp in Hainan)

I've taken this specific road before so this obviously isn't the first time I'm seeing a local Key Agricultural Resources Area Map with a topo profile, but it's the first time I remember seeing one

I pick, per the topo map, the least uppy downy of the roads, and if the climb over the not very tall mountains (seriously, it was 130m difference in elevation) required me to walk this bike, it was less because my ass was kicked by the road and more because I'm carrying panniers on a former race bike that is still geared as a race bike. It's steeper on the up than the down, and I've already determined by this point that none of the noises seem to affect my brakes or the integrity of my wheels and frame so I mostly don't get all nervous the way I had coming down the first big mountain out of Baisha.

Ride about three more lovely kilometers, turn southwest, and bump into my nemesis from the other day. At least this time, there's no mud. Or sand. And most of the really grotty bits were caused by them reducing the grade of bumpety little hills that, had they still been paved, might have been walk ups rather than ride ups.

On the one hand, it's definitely a gentler grade. On the other hand, it's not paved.

I feel like, when they upgraded this road from Provincial to National, they could have done a better job at taking into consideration the location of the Listed Historic Tree

Speaking of Listed Historic Trees, this one was in a village where I saw my first free-range pigs⁶ in years and years.

By now the sun is setting. I wasted too much time enjoying the overlook on the first climb and editing a video about playing in an agricultural sprinkler that was spraying deliciously frigid mountain water across the edge of the road.

My literal "I wear it on my head" headlight doesn't fit under or over the helmet. I don't have any place other than my head to conveniently carry a helmet. So, I wait until I literally can't see anything before dismounting and getting out the light.

It's not actually much past then that I get into Changjiang and the street light zone. But, it's enough far past it that I wouldn't have wanted to do it without the light.

Interesting Scenic Overlook shelter using "clearly traditional" architecture for some other region entirely⁷.

Old School "concrete made to look like natural materials" railing at the Scenic Overlook

Located next door to where I'll end up eating a kind of disappointing fast food dinner, my chosen hotel has the look of someplace family owned that's been open at least twenty years. Although they do call the police to inform them that I've already successfully uploaded myself to the Public Security Hotel Guest Registration System, there is no problem in inviting myself behind the desk or checking myself in.

Then, upstairs, where I sleep the sleep of the dead for 10 hours.

¹ I suppose since "brunch" is "breakfast + lunch," that "linner" would be a more accurate neologism for a lunch eaten at 4pm.

Water sprinkler rainbow seen when cooling off in the spray accidentally hitting the edge of the road

² I actually woke up at what morning people consider a "nearly reasonable hour." I just spent a really long time on the morning coffee and oatmeal and re-packing everything.

³ There's one horrible clicking sound that goes completely away when my rear brake is partially engaged, but not actually so far engaged as for anything to be touching anything.

⁴ As my regrettably needing† to do the "being a pushy bitch" thing showed at check-in in Baisha, places with lots of hotels (especially county seats, like Changjiang) have a different set of risks attached to them, but I hadn't recognized Baisha as a branded chain hotel (and therefore staff whose personal earnings are in no way tied to my spending money at this hotel).

Sure, I got a (small) elevator at the hotel in Baisha, but I also got a whole lot of hassle during the checking in process, and I wouldn't have had that problem if I'd stayed someplace less nice

† Some of my friends would say I didn't "need" to, that I could have just accepted cancelling my reservation and going to a different hotel; and, back in the days before prepaid reservations, I would have been perfectly happy to try a second or even a third hotel instead of dealing with staff who didn't know how to deal with me and didn't want to.

⁵ Although I know a number of substantially longer hills, to get a runaway truck ramp requires a specific combination of length of slope, steepness, and usage by trucks. Since, prior to the construction of the expressway, this was the major supply road for a small city, this definitely was.

⁶ I know free-range pigs were still a thing in 2007 cause one of the riders from the Australian National Team broke his collarbone crashing into a pig that didn't think road closures particularly applied to her. However, as pigs are worth a whole lot more than the often free-range chickens and more easily stealable than the often free-range water buffalo, most owners of pigs who allow their pigs to roam only do so within gated areas.

⁷ As in, the ethnic minority regions of Hainan used to be straw rooves and I think they had to specially import these roof slates from the mainland.

This village is literally named "Alright"

Love the name⁸ of this smokes and booze shop.

⁸ 一言九鼎 is an idiom meaning "weighty words" or someone that always keeps their promises. This place is named 壹烟酒鼎⁹ which swaps the middle two characters, "words" and "nine," for the similarly pronounced "cigarettes" and "alcohol."

⁹ 一and 壹 are the same word

Today's ride: 63 km (39 miles)
Total: 382 km (237 miles)

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