Nia Hao.

Today we had our worst day for riding scenery.

We started with a great descent from Wutai County, we dropped 250 metres in total from 1150 metres and eventually left the largest of the hills behind us. Thereafter we rode along incredibly flat straight roads amongst heavy traffic most of which was tourist buses and fast cars. We passed through a metal forging county which proudly displayed a banner to tell us such, as well as an area rich with stone carvers such as those that we saw in India. We heard quite a few blasts in nearby quarries too. Really though there is not much to report. There was the usual farmland and an unusually unnatural flourescent green river as well as some pretty grotty towns. Also, I did not feel as though I had an abundance of energy, I don't think that I had eaten enough carbohydrate in the meal last night so I could not power up those legs. It would have been an easy day if I had gotten my food balance right, K also felt it too. A snickers bar helped a little and we powered into Xinzhou where we now reside. We rode around the city proper (as a sign stated) looking for a hotel and managed to track one down. Again we had no idea of where we were going to stay. The hotel or binguan is not too bad considering that it is only 88 yuan but it really is grotty compared to the luxury that we have had of late. It is quite hilarious that the staff all wear military camouflage fatigues as their uniform. As I went up to our room I was greeted with a line of 4 people outside the room door who all greeted me in Mandarin, then one rushed into the room and turned on all the lights, TV and water heater. We had to get the toilet plunged in the room before we could use it (nothing to do with me this time :-). Oh well.

We have just been out for some food. We decided to eat early (4pm our time) and headed out into the main street. We found a KFC but could not find any other restaurants - this is a large city and the main strip is very modern. We went into a nice hotel (hmm maybe we should not have taken the first one that we found) and asked for their restaurant but they said that it was closed until 6pm but they pointed us down the road. We found a great little junjia (big restaurant) that was quite small and we were welcomed in. There was no English menu and again we had to try and explain what we wanted. The poor waitress was frustrated because we kept asking for dishes that they did not have. Eventually the manageress came out and with the help of our book we ordered food. She also sat with us for our entire time there and we had a great time talking in pigeon Chinese and her talking in pigeon English whilst we were surrounded by the workers. There was a really funny moment when she offered us some tea after we had eaten. I said that I did not want any but asked what type of tea it was, to which she replied green tea. I then told her that I liked Iron Buddha tea, she pointed at her stomach and said hen hao (very good) and laughed. I got the wrong end of the stick and thought that she meant that it was good as a laxative and I started laughing and said to her that I did not know that (this is all in Mandarin by the way so it is open to misunderstandings on my part). Then she laughed more and I laughed more then everybody joined in with K and I in hysterics. K being the smart one pointed out that she probably meant that it was good for digestion but there was no way that we could reverse the misunderstanding because our book did not contain the vocabulary. They probably think that I am crazy.

So here we are in an Internet cafe in the basement of a building. It is pouring with rain outside and we still have a long walk back to the hotel. Before the rain came this evening the sky turned brown and grey, it was from all of the dust being whirled up by the incoming winds. I am surrounded by lots of young Chinese who are mostly playing online games or watching reruns of television programmes which includes American wrestling. People are quite affluent here in this city, it is evident too by the shops that we can see in the "High Street". Enterprise is thriving, people are making money.

I am feeling tired again and a little bit peckish, so I am signing off.

Tomorrow we move on to Taiyuan where we shall get our laundry up to date and take a day trip out to Pingyao the ancient city.