Hey Hey and a Big G'Day toya,

Twenty six degrees and perfect weather for my first ride.
Add another six degrees and it would have been absolutely perfect!

The winter woolies have been shelved, my students have huge smiles on their dials, spring has sprung and now it’s time for fun. I’ve been back in the classroom for just over a week, once again with twenty classes each week and continuing the same timetable of teaching all levels from preschool through to Grade 8.   

For those who want to know, the answer is yes!
Yes I still have my three day weekends!
Also yes, Hobbits can speak Chinese!

I call this blogs ride 'The Around The River Bend Ride’ as when I first moved my pack here from Shangrao last September I was out walking with a friend and we were at the very west end of town where the Jishui River swings to the left.  I asked what was around the bend in the river and I was told that there was nothing around the river bend and that the road stopped.

Therefore it moved to the top of the list and became my first riding adventure in Dexing.
It was also once again at the top of my list of choices for being my first ride this year.

So in early September when I got my bike I headed west and came to the conclusion that my friend had obviously never been around the river bend because the road didn’t stop as it continued to follow the river so I continued to follow it and I soon found myself crossing the river and heading back towards Dexing. It took several more rides before I managed to find small river side tracks used by farmers to get between villages and I soon found my way through to the next bridge which was the perfect length for an after school ride several times a week along with a weekend ride during which I explored most of the small roads and villages.

Over this years Winter Break whilst I was down on Hainan Island some of my Dexing riding friends actually found a road that managed to add on a further two hours as it wound its way through the mountains back to Dexing.

That was my goal today as they had told me the ‘kind of’ location of the off road so when I reached that ‘area’ I took a small left and although I thought it would only lead to the small village I saw in the not so far distance I figured as it was a beautiful day and I still had a few hours of light, why not check it out. I’m so glad I did as it took me through the village and around the back of the small mountains and after half an hour riding through the peaceful fields I arrived at the doors of two more small village communities but there was no road leading right from the villages so I obviously I had not found the right little road.

After a short visit I was about to retrace my peddles when I noticed the shape of a large storage tower far across the distant fields and so far the only community that I have found one of these in is at DiaozhongXing and Diaozhong Cun villages. So I think I may have found a way to combine this blogs ride with my DiaozhongXing Ride and if I can it is going to be a wonderfully long and peaceful ride but not one that I will be doing during the week after school.

Sadly as I didn’t have much light left I didn’t have time to find out if it was the same tower, there is a huge chance that it isn’t and also a huge chance that I will not be able to find my way through the fields to reach it, so I pointed my peddles the way I had come and left the new adventure for another day....maybe even tomorrow!

DiaozhongXing & Diaozhong Cun Village Ride Part 1

DiaozhongXing & Diaozhong Cun Village Ride Part 2

The Food In This Blog

This term I figured that I’d do something different when it comes to the food pictures in my blogs and treat them the same as my rides. As I ride each ride many times before I show it to you I thought that this term I’d choose a different ‘Favourite Eatery’ for each blog which also gives me the opportunity of returning more than I normally would.

The food in this blog is from the towns ‘Porridge Joint’.

It is always packed so I never bother to eat there alone but when someone suggests it I am the first to say yes. Its food is so delicious and I still haven’t finished the selection of porridges on its menu and it also woks up a diverse range of other foods. Normally each person orders their own bowl of porridge and the ‘other foods’ are shared from the middle of the table just like a normal Chinese meal. The noodles in this blog are Potato Noodles and they are awesome and the porridge is '1000 year old egg & beef'' which is my favourite porridge.

Thank you Ting Ting for introducing it to me all those years ago!
Beers N Noodles toya…..shane
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The soundtrack to this entry was by New Order
The album was ‘Slowjam’
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