THE WONDERFUL WELCOME MAT OF SICHUAN & GANSU PROVINCES
1st July 2006 to Mid December 2006
To keep the Great Welcome Mat Of China clean I've created this page to seperate my time in the South of China to my time spent travelling and teaching in Sichuan and Gansu provinces in the North of China

From here you can walk beside me on what was a very new pathway.

Life took me away from the south gave me a new home in the north where I got a taste of life amongst the arid hills and the bread and noodle eating tall peoples. As in the south I rode for hours on my bike. Sadly the hours were not be spent in lush rice fields waving and saying hellowwwww to bamboo peaked hatted farmers, but amongst the bare hills that surround the city of Baiyin. The city and the surrounding country slowly crept in and when it was time for me to leave I didn't want to leave.   

Life was just as beautiful as always and some weekends were spent travelling to small rural towns with friends to relax with a beer and find China's greatest BBQ.


A Selection of interesting entries from Gansu 2006
August 2006: Baiyin City & prior
A quick catch up on life and my new city
September 2006: An amazing moment that I just could not comprehend
What would you do if your girl hocked a loogey, snorted, wiped her nose with her hand and kissed you
September 2006: Food, Twin Tubs, Heating & New City Information
A run down on life so far in Baiyin city
September 2006: Mans NOT a freakin camel
Oh Man, the Great Supermarket on the edge of the desert is out of Tiger Beer!
October 2006: Back in five Mate
This is my short walk to grab a 2 Yuan bowl of noodles. It's colourful & it's noisey but it's rich in taste

A Selection of Market Place Nights, Festivals & Celebrations in Baiyin Gansu 2006
National Day October 2006: Happy 57th Birthday China
School Celebrations & a bit of information on what National Day is all about

A Selection of Bike Rides, Towns, Cities and Villages that I have visited in 2006
Summer Break July 2006: Yangshuo & Baisha
A day spent in a most beautiful 'hidden' valley visiting the stone village
Summer Break July 2006: Yangshuo Electric Scooter Day
Grab a pillow and join Irish Shaun & I as we take electric scooters whre no scooter has been before!
Summer Break July 2006: Back in beautiful Dali
The first day back in Yunnan's beautiful Dali. What an awesome town! The second day was spent walking around a little fishing village on the edge of teh lake.
Summer Break July 2006: Back in Zongdian or Shangrila
The first of two days spent back in Zhongdian. Not my favourite town but it was good to be back. The second day was spent visitng tombs and walking around the litte new 'Old Town'
Summer Break July 2006: The Sichuan Tibetan Highway
Join me as I venture into new territory adn take the Sichuan/Tibetan Highway to Xiangcheng. A great town filled with Monks on motorbikes. Kind of like Damenlongs Sister Town! the second day was spent in a most beautiful monestary. Xiangcheng also has China's bitchiest bus ticket lady!
Summer Break July 2006: Litang & China's Real Life cowboys
Another beautiful bus journey through the hills ending at Litang. A town full of real cowboys. Good for a giggle!
Summer Break July 2006: Kangding, what a beautiful suprise
Kangding really is the most beautiful town I visited on this adventure. I spent two days and upon leaving really wished I had of stayed longer
Summer Break July 2006: Ya'an city or some would call it English City
Ya'an was a great experience and really is the friendliest town I've ever visited in China. There is not only English everywhere but Pandas and another new 'Ancient town'. This is the first of four days.
Summer Break July 2006: Leshan & the worlds Biggest Buddha
What can I say, he really is a Big Bugger!
Summer Break July 2006: Emei Shan
First of two days spent at China's 'Number 1 Sacred Mountain'. Was a relaxing time but I'll climb it another time.
Summer Break July 2006: Awesome Chengdu
The first day in a week spent in Chengdu City. Let me take you to see the Pandas, the Sichuan Opera, on many city walks and a beautiful day climbing Qingcheng Shan
Summer Break August 2006: Songpan really is sooooo beutiful
The first day in a week spent at Songpan. Join me on a three day horse trek to Ice Mountain where I was thrown off my horse. It was cold, beautiful & a little scarey
Summer Break August 2006: Langmusi Town
What can I say but Runs Forrest Runs!
Summer Break August 2006: Xiahe Town & Monastery
Several days spent in the mountain town of Xiahe where I got to visit 'da da da da Da Lama Factory!'
Summer Break August 2006: Lanzhuo City in Gansu
The first day in Lanzhuo city. A vibrant & very long city. It quickly became one of my favourites!
Summer Break August 2006: Baiyin City. To teach or not to teach?
The first day in Gansu's Baiyin City. The reason for the visit was that I had had an offer to teach here. To spend a year without lush greens? Why not!
Summer Break August 2006: Lanzhou City
Back in Lanzhou City for a huge city walk
Summer Break August 2006: The beautiful walled city of Xi'an
A week spent retracing the footsteps I took six years prior. I got to visit the Big and Little Goose Pagodas again, said G'Day Mate to the Terracotta Warriors for the second time and retraced history in the Shaanxi History Museum.
Summer Break August 2006: Yangshuo and my return to Salems Lotshuo
All roads seem lead to Yangshuo and many all nighters at MC Blues!
September 2006 : Si Long Riverside Town
A bike ride with friends to the lush green river side town of Si Long (NOT!)
October 2006: Baiyins Dirty Industrial Outskirts
Let me take you on a bike ride around the outskirts of my city. It might be wise to wear a mouth mask. It's more than a little dirty!
October 2006: A ride through the north eastern hills
An afternoon spent in the hills where upon my return I finally found fields with a little green and happy farmers