11/01/13 - 11/05/13

Luck is a funny thing. You never know when things are going to turn out good for you or if something bad or inconvenient is going to happen. I have a belief that most things will turn out ok, though it might not always be the way that you imagine. And for the most part, on this trip, I have been pretty fortunate, as things do seem to work out pretty well. However, I have had my share of bad luck, but the funny thing is that sometimes, when you have a bad experience, it can turn out to be your best stories. In Yangshuo, China, I experienced both sides of the spectrum, as I had an amazing experience when I met some Chinese students, but also had the unfortunate bad luck of getting stranded in the middle of nowhere in rural China!

In Shanghai, I decided that I was running out of time in China, so to save time, I decided to fly to Guilin instead of taking the train. It was a little bit more expensive, but it was much quicker. And Guilin and Yangshuo were one place that I did not want to skip. Guilin and Yangshuo lie on the Li River and are famous for their landscape of Karst mountains. I was only spending one night in Guilin, though, as my flight didn't arrive until the evening and Yangshuo was more relaxed and more interesting. Though, taking the bus to the center of Guilin from the airport was somewhat surreal, because when I got my first view of the karsts, it was dark and the huge karsts were like imposing shadows in the night, towering over the road. I didn't know they were there at first, until the bus was right next to them and then I could see the dark outlines of the formidable mountainous forms as they materialized before me.

I did check out a night market in Guilin and then the next day I went to a cave called the Reed Flute Cave, but I had wanted to get out Guilin quickly and get to Yangshuo. Mostly, because Guilin was very large and very touristy and really wasn't all that interesting. The Reed Flute Cave was pretty cool, but it was similar to other caves I have seen such as the Cave of the Mounds in Wisconsin or Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico. So, I checked out the cave in the morning and then hopped on an hour and half bus to Yangshuo in the afternoon.

Yangshuo is a also a touristy town, but it is much more relaxed and smaller. And the surrounding countryside is absolutely stunning! This is rural China with rice fields, farms, water buffaloes, rivers and, of course, hundreds of huge rock karst formations. And the best way to see the countryside is to rent a bicycle and explore outside the city. Which is what I did on my first full day in Yangshuo and it's also what led to the unexpected bad luck of getting stranded in the countryside!

I woke up in the morning and went to a seemingly reputable bicycle dealership to rent a bike. I looked over the bike, checking the brakes and shocks and everything, to make sure the bike was working alright. Everything seemed fine to me. The owners gave me a map and told me several different routes. I decided to go to the Dragon Bridge, which was about 12 km outside of town. I would ride there, cross over and then follow the river back to the city. The ride to the bridge was amazing. I got lost once or twice, but some kind stranger would almost always point me in the right direction. I rode through the amazing scenery with hundreds of karst dotting the landscape, near and far. Some on the horizon were hazy in the distance, as if shrouded in fog. I rode through rice paddies and passed farmers working in the fields. I even came across a few water buffaloes, either tied up in a field or being led by its owner. I rode through several tiny villages, with families sitting down to eat lunch in the front yard, kids playing in the street and elderly people just strolling down the streets. I came across a bridge crossing, where for some reason several people offered me trips on a bamboo boat. I knew this was a common touristy thing to do, but I still found it odd as I was riding a bike, so why would I want a boat trip?! Then, finally I came to the bridge.

The bridge was a little underwhelming. It was a just a normal, ordinary looking bridge to me. Oh well, the trip here was worth it, anyway! So, I stopped and ate some lunch and then crossed the bridge. On the bridge, I took a few pictures and then found that I had some adoring Chinese fans on the bridge with me. I know I have stated it before, that Chinese people like to take pictures of Westerners. And so sometimes, I felt like a celebrity, because so many people wanted to take a picture with me. Which is what happened here. I took a picture with a half dozen different random Chinese persons on the bridge and one of the girls, even shyly told me that I was handsome! So, now that my ego had been thoroughly stroked, it was time start the journey back to Yangshuo.

I rode south for about a kilometer and found the road had turned into a dirt path and I was starting to go into the fields. I wasn't sure it was the right path, but it was a path suitable for a mountain bike, so I kept going. But the path kept getting narrower and closer to the river. Eventually, it took a lot of different curves and then finally, the path dropped out from beneath me. I flipped over my handlebars and did faceplant into the ground! And to make things worse, I heard laughter from the river, as I was right by the edge, so everyone, taking their bamboo boat trips, saw me wipeout! Thoroughly embarrassed, I got up, dusted myself off and wondered if I took the wrong path. A few minutes later, however, some other bikers rode past me, so I knew I was going the right direction. So, I kept going. Everything was going so well up this point, however my little crash seemed to have tip the scales, as my luck had just turned sour and a series of events that I could only describe as a comedy of mishaps was about to begin!

I found my way of the field and back onto a paved road and kept riding. I rode another half kilometer or so and then shifted gears. However, when I shifted gears, it didn't go into gear right away and then I heard a loud "thunk" sound and suddenly the back tire stiffened up and stopped rotating! Perplexed, I got off the bike and examined it to find out what happened. I hoped I could just fix whatever had happened quickly and be back on my way. Upon examination, though, I found that the rear gear shift had broken off and completely lodged within the spokes of the back tire! I tried to pry it out, but it would not budge. There was no way I would be able to get it out without some tools, which I did not have. For a second, I was at a loss as to what to do. Then, I came to my senses and realized that I could just call the bike company and have them come pick me up. Luckily, I had my cell phone, so, I got out the map and called the phone number and …. it didn't work! Now, I was getting frustrated!

I figured out that I was dialing the number incorrectly. With my sim card I have to dial a + sign with the country extension for it to work correctly. I was just dialing what was printed on the map, which did not include the country extension. Finally, I got ahold of the office, however I only had about 10 minutes left on my calling plan for the call! I explained to the lady, as quickly as I could, the situation, but she didn't seem to understand at first. I got her to understand, but then she needed to know where I was. However, I had no idea where I was! All I knew was that I was south of the Dragon Bridge on the opposite side of the river, but she needed to know specifically so she could send a cab for me. Before, I could get her to understand, that I didn't know where I was specifically, the call was cut off. I was out of minutes! Fortunately, all I needed to do was call the phone company and recharges my minutes, however I needed a credit card to do that and, of course, I did not have my credit card on me. Frustration was mounting!

I called the phone operator, anyway, hoping they had my card on file, but they didn't. They gave me five emergency minutes, though, which was helpful. So, I called the bike company again and talked to the same lady. She wanted me to give the phone to a local to tell her exactly where I was, but there was absolutely no one around me. So, she said I would have to go back to the Dragon Bridge. The phone cut off again, but she called me back and told me to go to the Dragon Bridge and she would send a cab. However, annoyingly enough, the call cut off for the last time, but before we could agree on the meeting point. So, now I was stuck in the middle of nowhere in rural China, with a broken bike, that I would have to carry, since the back wheel did not turn and absolutely no way to contact anyone, because my phone was out of minutes! FML! I was beyond frustration at this point.

There was only one thing left for me to do, so I picked up the bike and carried it for the two kilometer or so trek back to the Dragon Bridge. I wasn't even sure, if I was going the right direction, but I eventually made it there, after many odd looks from the villagers that I passed on the way. I sat at the foot of the bridge and waited for the cab. I waited for a half hour and then an hour, the whole time being pestered by some locals, who kept coming over to look at my broken bike and one guy who kept trying to sell me a bamboo boat trip down the river! They kept pointing at my bike, as if I didn't know it was broken! Finally, I got annoyed with waiting, so I went to a little cafe and asked if I could use a phone. I called the bike company and they had not sent the cab yet! Grrrr, I wanted to scream, but I held it it and gave the phone to the cafe owner, who gave the address, so they could send the cab. At this point, it was evening and the sun was near to setting and I was annoyed and frustrated. Finally, someone came to pick me up. It wasn't a cab, but one of the workers from the shop. And they brought a repacement bike for me, as if I was going to continue riding after that debacle?! *sigh*

After a somewhat uncomfortable ride back into town, where I swear the same Chinese pop song was playing the entire twenty minute trip, I returned my bike and got back my deposit. They then told me that the rear gear shift that had broken, was just replaced the day before. I had no idea what happened to it, but I knew that I didn't purposely try to break it, so I just shrugged my shoulders and left.

This certainly was an interesting experience. The day started out so well and I was having such a great time, and then a strange series of events caused the experience to shift drastically and could have ruined the whole day. However, it didn't. Sure, I was frustrated and annoyed, but things still turned out ok. I wasn't hurt and then only thing that I lost was time and yet, I gained a fun story to tell people. It may have been bad luck at the time, but maybe bad luck doesn't always have to be bad, as this is definitely an experience I will remember and can look back on and laugh about. And, don't worry, this experience did not put me off bike riding, as the next day I would do it again. This time, I had a great time, without any strange mishaps.