Hey Hey & a Big G'Day to you all

As usual on any free day I put foot to peddle and followed my front wheel.

I was only going to ride for an hour and do the short 'outskirts' trail and return home to spend some time on my Lesson Plans. Strangely I ended up two hours out in the hills north east of the city...which is in the opposite direction!

What can I say, I really do have no idea or direction in life! tee hee!

I couldn't believe the amount of cars coming from the direction I was riding so I continued and continued all the while thinking 'they must be coming from somewhere! Maybe there's a beautiful Oasis out there and they are all returning from a day spent swimming and picnicing'.

I passed many road workers with a huge 'helloooow' to answer the amazed look on their face at seeing a foreigner two hours out into the desert hills. I past many factories that were adding their share of waste to the skies above me and the ground I was riding on. I waved at many passengers whom where heading east as their train slowly past me. I said 'helloooow' to old men whom were wandering out there alone.

Most of all though, I ate dust!
Man it's dusty out there!

When I ran my hand over my head dust flew in all directions. By the time I returned to Baiyin my riding t-shirt (which is white) was a strange brownie white colour. I then spent some time riding around the east of the city trying to find a way to get closer to the Factory Area. Happily I found some farmers who were attending to the little patches of green in their dry brown fields of 'dirt'. Here I thought I'd take some pictures and also post them in Travelpod.

Why you ask.

They have the same patterns in them as the fields in the south. Yes Shane, they are fields! Ok, The fields in the pictures from the south are a lush green and make me smile and happy. These fields here in the north are..well, brown. But what did make me happy were the patterns and the pagoda in the back ground.

Sometimes you must search for happiness!

By the time I returned home after my Lamb Noodle soup the sun was setting and the street lights were beginning to flicker into life. It was great to have a shower and watch the water on the floor turn from brown finally into the clear colour water should be.

I'm sure half a hill went down the bathroom drain!
Beers N Noodles to ya...shane

PS: I sadly never found the Oasis everyone was returning from.
Maybe next time I will leave the city much earlier!