Wednesday, January 8, 2020

China blog #70

China blog #70 

Before that timeout mentioned in update #69 I had a few days walking to do before my flight to Dublin. I decided that it was best for me to leave Karma with Don, that way I could get back unburdened for my flight.

After a great St Patricks night in the Red Lion bar in Wuxi, I walked out of the city the following afternoon. My destination for this week is Yangcheng, 222 kilometres to the north. This past week the weather has improved. After three weeks of rain, it's now back to warm days. That's yet another winter I escaped without any adverse weather. Last winter I was in Australia and for a European, that doesn't count as cold! My previous winter was in Mongolia and China where I had only about a dozen really cold days. So, not too bad! 
I left Karma, my cart with my friend Don Kenny  in Wuxi as I'm going to return there on Sunday. As mentioned in a previous post, I'm going back to Ireland for a short break and to take care of some personal business. So with a backpack, it will be easier to return on a bus for my flight. I didn't take much in the backpack, just a minimal amount of clothes, a summer sleeping bag, waterproof bivvy, a phone charger and my log book. Stupidly I also took a pair of heavy waterproof boots that I bought in Wuxi.
I walked for a long time that day and after exiting the city I didn't pass any shops. Just as my belly was about to fall out I came to a roadside vendor who was selling delicious fried bread. I had my fill while chatting to the friendly woman. 
I was saddened to see the cruel sight of several cages of chicks that were squashed too closely together into small cages. They were then stacked into the underneath luggage compartment of a bus.
It was around ten pm when I reached Qingyang town. Stuck for a place to sleep and starry night that it was I slept on a bench outside the Transport Police office on the outskirts of the town. Due to my late start, I did well to clock out with 30 kilometres. The following morning I left early and before they arrived.

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