Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
'Yeah, and let's just make sure we make the most of our 'tour' tomorrow. It was
a bloody expensive ticket!' I said.
It seemed incredible that we were only 400 kilometres from Beijing, yet getting
there by bike still seemed uncertain! I reflected that there had been many times
when we could have or should have given up: the desert, the snow, the
BAM
rail-
way: just getting the trip off the ground had seemed improbable. Then again maybe
that was just the nature of adventure: uncertainty is relentless and it's never easy. It
kept us on our toes. There was never a moment to take for granted; the whole jour-
ney could be thwarted at any given time. Perhaps that was why the sunset at the
end of a day's ride always felt like the equivalent of gulping down ice-cream after
a meal of vegetables. The constant challenge made moments of reward exquisite.
I awoke early in the morning feeling hungry. The police didn't turn up until mid-
day, by which time Chris and I had resorted to soaking semolina with hot water
from the tap; it was like eating spoonfuls of warm, lumpy sand.
After a real meal in a nearby restaurant, closely guarded by our police escort,
Xiao Wei took us on a tour of the town. I jumped at the offer, but Chris was keen
to have some time alone. For me, the real purpose of the tour wasn't sightseeing
but buying food supplies. Although we were supposed to take the train to Beijing,
Chris and I had no intention of doing so. Somehow I had to convince our escort
that we needed five loaves of bread, four tins of fish, two and a half kilograms of
biscuits, eight packets of noodles and some breakfast cereal just for the train ride.
Both women were dubious, but asked no questions. What's more, with a guide and
interpreter I was certain not to get ripped off.
When the time to leave Houqi came, I felt disappointed and a little sad. There
hadn't been time to talk to the English students, but every moment spent with Xiao
Wei had been a joy. Despite Chinese regulations, she had offered us the warmth
that had characterised our Russian experience. In her presence, I swelled with op-
timism.
Consequently, I wasn't terribly upset when the police realised that they had for-
gotten to bring our passports. Much to their embarrassment we missed the train.
The next service wasn't scheduled for another twenty-four hours.
As we trundled back to our cell, I talked with Xiao Wei, who seemed just as re-
lieved. I was more than happy to spend more time with her, especially if it meant
visiting the school.
'So maybe you can come to school tomorrow,' she said, with a contagious smile.
