China #54
The forbidden bridge!
I
walked the eight kilometres from Pingtan ferry port to Pingtan city.
Yes it is good to be back from where I left off in China before
Christmas. It was also great to be pushing Karma, my cart. I missed her
so much. However she greeted me with squeels, nothing a drop of WD 40
couldn't sort out. Oh! if only life was always that easy!
I
decided to head for the Green Tree Hotel where I stayed for the five
nights while waiting for the ferry to Taiwan in December. It was an
inspired decision. You may remember that ferry was delayed for four days
due to bad weather and the lovely people gave me a great discount.
However this time it was packed out due to the holiday season and the
lovely manager called Hanah took me to a nearby hotel which didn't seem
to be busy and I got a great price there also.
There
have been many days in the not too distant past when I might have taken
a day off but somehow I got motivated and hit the road the next day and
churned out 31 glorious kilometres. I followed the highway for most of
the day but as I had left town without breakfast I was feeling pretty
ravenous. It seemed to be all highway and eventually I came to a part
which had a return bypass loop off the highway towards a hamlet. I took
it and stopped at a grocery store and purchased some noodles. After the
owners recovered from their shock I was welcomed into their living room
to eat my pot noodles in comfort. They offered me a more substantial
meal consisting of beef but i politely refused and just settled for a
scoop of rice and cabbage which to their mirth i insisted on throwing
into my pot noodles and stirring it up. Most people eat the various
ingredients off different plates. That was another precious memory and
as always I furthered my cancer awareness message via Google Translate
that: Life is precious and early cancer screening can save your life.
Then as always once I explain my cancer awareness message I politely
refuse a cigarette offer 
I also shot a video. Please watch out for that.
Those
of you with long memories may also remember I had a dilemma crossing a
bridge onto Pintang island which is Chinas fifth largest island and has a
six-kilometre non-pedestrian bridge. That time I waited until dark and I
managed to sneak up to the toll booth while being sheltered by a truck
from the guards on the toll booth. When the truck moved off I ran like
the clappers
I got about four kilometres before a cop car pulled me over and the
officers kindly gave me a 'don't do it again and next time get a bus'
warning. As the officer uttered that warning I wondered how I would
recross the bridge on my return. I have posted the link to that post
below. Please check it out!
Well
I zoomed in on my maps and noted the location of the toll booths and
there seemed to be a separate one for trucks and customs declarations. I
headed in that direction and thankfully it was unmanned, perhaps
because of the holiday season. As luck would have it I seemed to have
bypassed the motorway toll booths which are obviously the main ones.
Then I was out on the highway and running like a man possessed for six
kilometres across the bridge. I only stopped briefly for these proof
photographs. Unfortunately my Spot tracking device as many readers know
is pretty knackred and erratic. Luckily no cops came along and I got to
the toll booth previously mentioned. This time an attendant came out and
I was relieved when he just ushered me through a safe zone with a
Chinese equivalent comment as if to say.. "No dramas matey!"
That
night I made it to a small town and felt I was ripped off by the owner.
I misunderstood his quote and by the time he checked my passport I was
in my finishing mode. Then his English improved and he asked for the New
Year suppliment and with miraculously improved English I was informed
that he speaks such good English as he is from Singapore and admires my
walk. However his admiration didn't go as far as dropping the
supplement!
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