Bamboo Area of Zhejiang

Zhang Yong and I rode to anji, the bamboo area of Zhejiang.

This is the route we followed. If you are not able to understand the map, you're not alone. Neither can I. I contented myself with following Zhang Yong and hoping he knew where he was headed.

                               
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On the right is Zhang yong's speedo. The device on the left gives him his pulse.

                               
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This is the point where we leave Hangzhou metropolis. In China you see LOADS and LOADS of bridges at the entrance/exit of a city. There is also a bit of dirt, too.

                               
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A few kilometres later I had a flat (puncture). Here it is being repaired. Note my stylish new jersey.

                               
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Apparently, if you call this telephone number they can tell you (for a modest fee) how to ensure you conceive a boy. Many rural families still value a boy-child more than a girl-child.

                               
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Beside the expressways and highways there is nearly always a path for bicycles. Many people still ride their bikes and trikes long distances.

                               
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Many of these expressways/highways pass through picturesque countryside. It does wonders for the roadway, but is not so good for the countryside.

                               
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The day was far too hot for me (but not for Zhang Yong: damn him!), so we stopped for a leisurely lunch. Here we have spicy tofu, fried meat-balls covers in rice, and cucumber soup. It was delicious.

                               
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We drank copious amounts of flower tea from a large tea-pot. (Underneath the tea-pot you can see thermos flasks. These are everywhere in China.)

We are leaving the expressway/highway and entering the bamboo area. You can see a bamboo grove on the left.

                               
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This is Zhang Yong's fold-up bike. The milage post is the standard issue in Zhejiang, except it measures kilometres instead of miles.

                               
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The road is much narrower, and much more interesting to tour along.

Chinese have a fascination for pets. I don't know if it is because they like the company or if they see them as a for as cuisine. Zhang Yong never seems to miss an oportunity to snap a dog or cat.

                               
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A farmer ploughing his rice paddy.

                               
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A woman sorting strands of bamboo.

She works twelve hours per day.

                               
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A man overseeing a bamboo-matt-weaving-machine. The warp is nylon thread and the weft is the bamboo strips seen in the previous photograph.

                               
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A bamboo-novice inspects the finished product laid out to dry in the sun. The matting placed on mattresses and any other item to make you cooler in summer. Behind the foreign bamboo-novice can be seen the hillside covered in bamboo.

The narrow road wound its way through many bamboo groves. Sometimes it was prettier to walk than to ride. Sometimes it was better to walk than ride simply because one was tired.

                               
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Hills ahead for us to climb.

I'm standing in the centre of the road, ahead.

                               
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