The temperature stayed at -6 for a few hours in the morning before going up a little bit but not much. The thing that troubles me the most in mornings is having to roll up my sleeping mat and get it in its bag. For physiological reasons I just cant have it outside the panniers as the current load already looks far too big.

Living in Hong Kong for 9 years has thinned out my blood, so even a slight chill gets to me, but I'm getting used to it quickly and so is Ditch. No choice really. Well thats my excuse anyway and I'm sticking to it.

Found out yesterday that its already -14 in Heilongjiang province, which is about 3 - 4 week away. Not looking promising.

Ignor, ignor, ignor. Pedal, pedal, pedal.

I saw a guy today steeling sections of the road. Just small bits, but just the kind of bits that would catch a cyclist unaware and send him flying. Thank goodness for 3 wheels. I guess he is using them to help complete his scale model of the Northern Hubei road networks. Either that or for melting down to use on his roof.

Feet are cold. Oh stop moaning rob, get on with it !

Chinawheelie is turning into Chinawalkie. I only do it when I have lost all feeling, but that is happening more frequently now. Stuart...where are those socks ?

At the speed I'm going it will be summer before I even reach Inner Mongolia. 7.5 km/h. A painful speed if ever there was one, especially one great roads.

Climbed up a long winding hill because the tunnel wasn't quite finished and finally rolled into Guyuan. It was -5 with no wind as we pulled up late at a guest house. Feeling awful. I'm eating well, taking plenty of vitamins and minerals, but sleeping lightly.

I checked into a guest house under the self deluded pretense of repacking my panniers and posting something back to Beijing.


Radiator…

Oooo.. I love you. Will you marry me ?