High Point: Today was really an incredible day and we got the real taste of modern China in a couple of ways. The Panda research centre and breeding base at Chengdu was totally brilliant and this was followed up by a wonderful lunch at Sun Ji’s parents house in Qing Shen.
Low Point: Our waist lines!
So we finally got a rest day. Our first one since Ullan Bator in Mongolia. I planned to sleep for England. No distractions, bosh out a cheeky 16 hours of sleep and maybe watch some tele. I have however lost my ability to sleep on demand. Very frustrating as it feels like I have been hit by a freight train at the moment. The sleep deprivation and road has upped the general feeling of shabbiness amongst the crew. Weary heads make it hard to appreciate the whole experience so today was key on recharging out batteries.
Location: Chengdu
High Point: Being treated like celebs and receiving £500 in donations and some items to auction.
Low Point: Taking an absolute hiding from the Chinese firemen
Now this might surprise you but despite all being very talented sportsman (yes even Steve……so he tells me…at what I’m not sure?) we haven’t previously represented Blighty in competitive sport. What a disgrace!
Langvhong to Chengdu
High Point: Barham finding the clutch.
Low Point: The 6th rather than 2nd gear that followed.
Ignoring the Point: Me almost wiping out a taxi rank whilst feeling a slightly sleepy.
Made up game of the day: The Tea Pot of truth. Like palm reading but more scientific.
Location : Guangyuan to Langvhong
Sun Ji update from the crew.
1. Like the lady in rentaghost can make himself disappear when we’re all ready to go
2. Knows a girl in every town
3. Nodding donkey. Can fall asleep sitting bolt up right in seconds
4. Still hasn’t mastered right and left
5. Never wears the same colour FTFE top as the rest of us…..rebel
Location : Xi’an to Guang Yan.
High Point: After doing a monster day in the truck today driving over 450km we decided to splash out and book ourselves a nice hotel. Sorry stage 1 & 2, China is a cheap place and one has to take advantage of the finer things that life sometimes offers you.
Low Point: Sitting in a traffic jam for two and a half hours stuck behind hundreds of trucks in 35 degrees heat is misery at the best of times, throw in a couple swarms of bees and it compounds the agony ten fold. Seeing lorries carrying beehives is a first for me, getting stuck behind one for over an hour is not much fun. Windows were closed, the sweating began and then I decided to turn on the fan. This only ended in disaster when half dead angry bees started to come out of the vents. Only in China and only on FTFE!
Location : Xian
Some people are scared of the dark, others of spiders. Now take Qin Shi Huang (the first emperor of the unified China in 221 bc). The great man was terrified of the vanquished spirits awaiting him in the afterlife, terrified to such a degree that his panic lead to the construction of one of the most insane spectacles in the world. To protect him from the nasties, he instructed a complete life size army to be built next to his tomb to look over him in death. Along with his tomb, it took 700,000 workers 38 years to complete. Certainly put’s the moaning about the millennium dome into context. Some fast facts for you : the 3 pits that have been found include 8,000 soldiers, 130 chariots with 520 horses. All life size. All different. Crazy stuff indeed.
Location : Tongshuan to Xian.
Since we left Beijing we have been on the look out to once again run Martha’s fuel tank past a mechanic as it had fallen a touch. Clearly we would do it ourselves but not having the heavy duty tools, as opposed to our ability is the only limiting factor……
Rolling out of our overnight City, Tongshuan, Sun Ji made some calls and we drove into a yard and parked up amongst the other trucks.
Today’s blog comes from the main man himself, Sun Ji. He is our guide in China and has done a magnificent job thus far of hand holding us through this wonderful yet crazy country. Things we have learnt about Sun Ji so far Read more →
Niall Etchingham: I first met Garth back in 1992 at our local watering hole the Crown and Anchor in Wimborne. Our friendship developed initially due to our drinking habits. As time progressed our group became larger and we would have a regular gathering on a Thurs. night, you almost needed a good excuse not to be there. As we were all heading towards senior citizenship we needed a title and so the Wimborne Wobblers were formed.
