D13: 文城 → 黄竹

February 20, 2024

With the blackout curtains helping me to catch up on sleep and an article that Media Client wanted translated before noon added to my usual lackadaisical pace, I wasn't even in the elevator on my way downstairs until a quarter past noon. I could have been more efficient in my repacking or less inclined to distractions in the news and social media I was reading, but there wasn't really any point as I've got a specific day I need to be somewhere very close to where I already am.

I've mentioned I've got a bunch of Taobao packages coming with Useful Things that I really want to have with me. These packages were originally ordered to my apartment before I went back to Haikou at the interruption point of the counterclockwise attempt at circumnavigating the Island. But, Chinese New Year and all that jazz, so they weren't there by the time I started out again.

I'm a little confused by the menu in my hotel room ... I mean, other than the prices being 10 years out of date, and the restaurant not existing on Maps, how were you supposed to order the food to your room without a phone number? Telepathy?

Didn't really fit yesterday's narrative flow, but both the place I stayed and the place across the street advertised Bike Tourists Welcome

On account of the really flat terrain and the deep connection with the Chinese diaspora, rural Wenchang gets a lot of bike tourists.

Thinking, it takes a normal rider two days to get to Qionghai, and I wibble wobble it in four or five, but not thinking about the fact that the packages hadn't been sent yet or that they needed time in transit, I changed the destination address to Qionghai.

As I didn't go to the Coconut Forest yesterday, that's now an easy day's ride to the south. Which means I'm obviously going to have to pick a direction other than south. Can't go east, it's got ocean. Going north is a possibility but, even under my "most inefficient route possible" rules, north breaks the rule against backtracking. So, west it is.

The other day someone asked me where I bought a bag that so perfectly fits all my coffee gear..."do you really think something with this quality of stitching was BOUGHT?" I responded, and realized that I actually quite like my ugly prototype and probably won't take it to a Real Tailor to get appropriately remade

First stop is the Xidesheng¹ who opened up during the holidays last year to sell me new pedals when one of mine decided to fall apart². I'm half here to say "hi" and half to see if they can help on the Horrible Sound.

Except, of course, although the Horrible Sound was totally still a thing every time I tried riding in anything other than the big ring yesterday, it has chosen today to go away. Which, despite that being what the mechanic in Haikou said was going to happen, I didn't believe was going to happen. But, there's a big hill between my hotel on the edge of Wenchang's historic downtown and their shop on the edge of downtown and there's quite definitely no crunching or gnashing or chunking sounds.

At the intersection of historic downtown and still very definitely downtown, and without even getting into the top three floors appearing to be an addition, the 80s style wavy horizontal window bars and huge windows makes me think early shopping center

This village sign predates Qiongshan City being swallowed up by Haikou and turned into a District

I liked the hand painted tiles a number of villages in this stretch had

Intentionally showing up late enough that they can't feed me lunch, I say "hi," but still don't manage to leave without new end caps because, of course, mine have fallen out already (it has been three whole days), and a handful of electrolyte drink mix packs that were probably leftover from something with sponsors. He also tries to give me some power gels but I'm like, do you really think I'm riding furious enough to need those?

From there, its into a headwind that seems to keep following me whatever direction I turn and a pretty dull day as the cycling goes. It's pretty and green with tropical crops but I've been living on the island for 20 years, so there's nothing especially interesting about pretty green tropical crops. There will be two abandoned schools³ but one has a locked gate and the non-condemned part of the other appears to have been turned into housing, so neither are good for getting off the bike and exploring.

I need to get those bar ends with the nut to hold them in place

The day's highlight is probably my hotel check-in which is an interesting check-in in ways that are interesting even for me. Which, considering some of my stories, and especially since no police were involved, is no easy feat!

It started with the booking timing out. Made in my English name, the next step when this happens is to try making it in my Chinese name. If the Chinese also times out, it means the hotel isn't actually taking bookings. But, if it immediately approves when I stop being so obviously a foreigner, this may result in the potential need for reconsidering, or at least for being extra ready for potential shit hitting fans.

Neither of those happened. Instead, it was approved about five minutes before time out, so I knew I'd be getting a place where the front desk is the owner and the owner clearly has better things to be doing than paying attention to whatever is happening with their hotel. These are usually the chill, laid back places that give me zero issues. However, just to be sure, I still make sure to be fed⁴ and rested before I go over to the hotel.

Which, when I get there, is locked. There are instructions (sort of) on how to get inside the hotel at night, and a phone number. Use the other entrance, they say. But, unless the closed night club is the other entrance, there is no other entrance.

Road Maintenance Building that—dollars to donuts—with those column finials, wooden shutter and window bars, and early 90s gravel façade, was almost certainly the offices of the Village Government

Prior to calling the number, I check out the Tunnel to the closed Electronic Music, KTV, BBQ but it ends in a pitch black room that surely isn't the other entrance. "Go through the metal gate," she says. As there is, indeed, a metal gate to the Electronic Music, KTV, BBQ, I confirm that this is what she wants, and end up again in the pitch black room.

Maybe it would be easier if I add you on WeChat and we video call.

There's a labyrinth at the end of the Tunnel. It isn't a very complicated labyrinth but it's still got enough turns to qualify as a labyrinth. I incorrectly think my bike isn't going to fit through but I don't mention that. I'm still following directions to find the basket of keys.

I would prefer a first floor room. She would prefer to assign me to room 218. But, if I really want a first floor room, I can take 128. So, I take 128.

Only, after she makes a point of giving me instructions on how to use the keys⁵, to find that, in addition to a hard bed and a squat toilet, the air conditioner in there isn't working. Brief interlude at room 138 which I inform her of over WeChat but—and despite the room merely looking like housekeeping weren't very good at their job—she says it's been used and that I should take 218 instead.

I'm not entirely ready to give up on 138 when I go upstairs to check out 218, but 218 is definitely better than 138, so, it's off with the panniers and carrying everything⁶ upstairs.

¹ Xidesheng—who are slowly rebranding themselves to XDS—is the best of the low tier Chinese brands. Many of their shops across China are multibrand shops carrying one or two Trek, Specialized, and Cannondale; and, unlike the really high-end shops that make an explicit point of being really high-end shops, their mechanics are used to "figuring out weird stuff."

² High-end enough quick release MKS pedals that I could actually buy replacement parts if I wanted to rebuild it, but I've actually ended up with a different brand of quick release pedals that aren't noticeably worse for weighing a few grams more.

³ Almost all abandoned schools are abandoned because improved transportation facilities mean that it makes more sense to have kids go to larger, more centralized schools with better resources.

People seem to be living in this part though

⁴ Braised eggplant with pork and almost a full bowl of rice.

⁵ In fairness to her, these kind of proto key cards are increasingly rare

⁶ Except the bike. This isn't the kind of town where I need to worry about the bike.

No dinner pic, but my breakfast oatmeal was pickled turnip, assorted raisins, and lard

Today's ride: 52 km (32 miles)
Total: 775 km (481 miles)

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