Beijing to Tianjin
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Last week, we took a 3 day test ride from Beijing to Tianjin, a city about 120km southeast of Beijing. Let’s see, with a baozi breakfast on plastic chairs outside on a dusty sidewalk, we left Wudaoko at about 8:30am and reached our destination by 8:00pm. My muscles weren’t crying, they were shrieking obsenities at me, and i was in turn shrieking obsenities at Drew and Peter for riding like speed demons with no rest. I am no athlete. I like lipsticks and high heels. Skaterboys and garage dance clubs. So this, being my first taste of what is to come on my one year bike trip around the world (never rush into anything), was the first realistic glimpse of what its going to be like. I could feel myself breaking down emotionally as i wondered when and where the end was, then pushing myself to go faster and then getting a little ahead of Drew and Peter (the real athletes on the trip) and then feeling a rush from my body’s accomplishment and riding that rush like a new muscle.
Apart from the physical strife, other aspects of the trip felt like breaking muscle fiber as well. The second lu dian (inn? minimalistic motel in rural China? use your imagination) we stayed at had a shower equipped with a large bin for rain water and a dirt floor. After riding in the loose city dust and being licked by China’s strange sulfur oxidic tongue for 4 hours, i scrubbed my heart out.
But this was also after riding through Tianjin’s markets varnished by the rain that fell as we rode into the city that morning. The light from beneath the tarp awnings of the baozi and bing stalls dimmed and glazed beneath the fuzz of the rain, umbrellas became walking lamps, old european buildings split open by weeping willows crawling up through them became secret gardens with doors that framed pictures of daily life, the fish in 4 inch tall square tanks had to swim sideways to breathe, a small lady sitting in the middle of the street next to her vegetables touched my arm lightly, and smiled as if to bring my awe down to earth. touch. intimate. like a pinch.
i guess in pushing my body and my comfort zone to extremes, im definitely more aware of myself. I’m feeling my muscles, im feeling my exhaustion, my senses overloaded as i smell market food, my emotions oscillating between intense disappointment and anger and then exhilirating pride. i’m present. i have to be, or I’ll get run over by a bus.
August 15th, 2007 at 10:08 pm
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Nice post, Nakia! I’m excited by your style, and also by the fact that this seems to work in China. Wonderful!
August 24th, 2007 at 7:45 am
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Hey Nakia, I am so proud of you! Really! Enjoy your bike trip, enjoy the life!
August 29th, 2007 at 5:22 pm
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I have been reading Pete’s e-mail and just looked at this blog. You all are amazing, and I feel very inspired from my little cubicle in Sacramento. I will be thinking of all of you, and telling everyone I know about what you are doing! From experience, wherever you are, life is better on a bike.
August 30th, 2007 at 9:42 am
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Hi Nakia, you rock! That’s all I have for now…
September 6th, 2007 at 8:18 pm
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Hi Nakia - great descriptors. You and your crew have fun. I am anxiously awaiting pictures of your trip. Jimmy should be in china now….. he left yesterday. take care and keep on writing your wonderfully inspiring words. N
September 7th, 2007 at 8:36 am
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I am eager to follow your stories like the clicking of baseball cards through bike spokes. I heard that pages from little red books work as well.
Hope you enjoy the “licking” that is China. Safe travels and go with peace.
September 12th, 2007 at 9:39 am
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You are amazing with your words, I love your style!!
Keep up your great spirit! I know you will do beautifully, you have the drive in you!
safe travels!
cheers
September 16th, 2007 at 7:22 am
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Girl, when I think you have done it all, you surprise me with something else. I know you and am sure you will have a good time because you are not a looser. Just remember safety is first. Trust no one and be aware of your surroundings. I am very proud of you. Enjoy life while you can. It won’t be me if I don’t mention good HEALTH. Take care of it. Love You and may God be with you through out your journey.
Think about this: “Where would I be without the GIFT of GIVING?”
September 24th, 2007 at 2:44 pm
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Hello
I was very much helped by the information with this article.
Many thanks at you very fascinating resource.
by
October 13th, 2007 at 9:48 am
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Hi Nakia,
I don’t know if you remember me, but I met you at a red light on Hong Mei Lu in Shanghai. You thought our car was your friends car or something. I’m really glad to have met you. My email address is Sarahboing@aol.com I would love to hear from you and if I can help you guys while you are in Shanghai just tell me and I’ll do what I can :). I am a Sophomore in High School. My friends that you met in the car with me are also Sophomores. We go to school in Shanghai, Shanghai American School. This is my second year in Shanghai and I previously lived in England, Wales, and Kentucky. Your website is really cool and I’m very interested to read about your further adventures around the world. Good Luck and have fun!
~ Sarah
March 13th, 2010 at 1:02 am
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Is there purchaser service available if I need assistance setting this up?
March 15th, 2010 at 7:41 pm
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Thank you for posting this.
March 16th, 2010 at 9:36 am
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wierd but I come across this blog looking for totally other things. This means that this page has visibility for a keyword that actually doesn’t seem to be appropriate to the subject you are writing about in your blog
October 9th, 2011 at 1:31 am
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October 20th, 2014 at 7:10 am
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