The Ride From Dali to Lijiang via old National Road and a Little Scare at the end of the Day

With the mopeds done with prayers and me having a quick run around Dali Ancient City, We regroup around 5pm and it was a group decision time after taking photos of Dali South Gate. 

Ride the national road or the highway to Li Jiang. So far up to this point in China, we had always used the highway and never the national road. The rumour is that the national road is slower but the view is amazing and you get to see the people’s life more up close. The highway is beautiful but boring.

The Start of National Road from Dali to Lijiang.
Just look at that windmills which we rode up to and zig zag around them over the mountain 

I personally wanted to do national road ... it's something new and mysterious which I do not want to be stuck riding highways everyday in China no matter how great the road is. I persuaded them to run half half. 

First half national road and second half highway. Best of both worlds, national road while there is still light then hit the highway once the sunset. I enjoyed every moment of it and just like that it ended.. 60km of national road and we were at the next highway tollgate back on the highway to Li Jiang.

China National Road from Dali to Lijiang 

View from National Road from Dali to Lijiang

View from National Road from Dali to Lijiang

We reach Li Jing earlier than Kunming, around 9pm ... looks like the moped group is getting faster. All of us checked in to this amazing historical building inside Lijiang Ancient City converted into a hotel. I notice Azu was outside just waiting. I had a smoke with him and chatted about mom's condition and then I asked why has he not go into his room yet. 

Liwang Hotel in Lijiang

Azu told me he was waiting for Jazz who was in the room but there was no answer on door knock or phone or anything. I fearing the worst ask the reception to open the door with a spare key. Jazz was lying in bed, apparently collapse the moment he arrive Li Jiang and was hit by altitude sickness. The rest of the gang came and quickly we gave him some altitude medicine for sleep.

Apparently he had the altitude sickness symtoms during the national road ride but did not say anything ... a dangerous ride this is turning out to be but somehow we made it. The next morning Jazz was all good, feeling ok and full of spirit. 

I told him ... keep talking today ... thats how we know you are ok ....

Ancient City of Lijiang

Ancient City of Lijiang

Traveled on: Jun 2023

Riding from Kunming to Lijiang with DETOUR to Dali

Starting off early in the day, Captain gave the coordinates for the pit stop in Dali. The plan was to reach Dali for lunch, take a photo of the Grand South Gate then head off to Li Jiang for the night. Naturally the small bike gang spilt off from the big bikes and with us Bing, Drive-China tour guide.

Grand South Gate at Dali Ancient City

Bing brought us on a new highway a shorter and lesser traffic road which was still not on google maps. I doubt it will ever be on google map since they have stopped updating for a while now. Local nagivation in China uses AMAP but one must know how to read in chinese so almost useless to us without the guide. Naturally the big bike ahead of us not knowing this info went on the old main highway still on google map.

The Moped Gang 

At the first rest area where we stop for water break and toilet break, I could see a bunch of police setting up booth and banners. Going back to the bike from the main building, I was flanked by the police like a sheep slowly herded into the pen.

They cornered me slowly and a friendly face with a bag of brochures started rattling off the campaign they were organizing at this rest stop. I could not get any word in for a good 20 seconds and when I finally do .. it was ... I do not speak chinese very well.

Highway Rest Stop between Kunming & Dali 

I think that was a wrong answer ... as the guys face light up smiling even more widely happy that he had caught a foreigner which was a rare species. Simple plesentries was exchange and the police now know we were from Malaysia riding towards Dali and all these while my photo was being taken by some photographer for their campaign.

Their campaign was, safe driving/riding campaign for the month .... “internal facepalm” .... so I was slowly brief in mandarin, mimed carefully so I could understand that the speed limit was 80 for bike, or maybe it was it is safer to ride at 80km/hr for bikes at the right most lane. 

I held myself back from asking about the speed limit sign of 120km/hr which I saw along the way ... nodded my head like a good citizen or tourist. Listen on while he told me to turn sideways and smile for the camera while internally panicking on how to run away from this awkward situation.

Road Safety Campaign at Highway Rest Stop 

Then came the question, do I have a pillon riding with me? No ... I do not have a pillion riding with me was my answer and immediately choose that time to excuse myself speaking faster with my most fluent mandarin that we need to go to reach Dali and Li Jiang before nightfall. I did not give the officer time to ask another question, fearing if we had broke any law without knowing. Best to leave while still having the mindset that we were all good.

We tried to make a quick dash to Dali, but small bike are still small bike; so after many petrol and rest stops, we reached Dali around 2pm. The big bikes had all already arrived, ordered and finished their lunch. So we had ours ... and with me an Bing doing translation it was more interactive with the local halal restaurant owner. They asked us so many question that they could not ask the big bike group, since all they could do was point at the picture and ask for the food.

Lunch at Dali Ancient City

Finished lunch late afternoon and the gang asked if there was a prayer room they could borrow at the restaurant. The lady explained that they could go to the mosque down the street. Another bonus of travelling with Bing and me was, we could translate ... so the big boys missed out going to a ancient mosque at the ancient city of Dali to do their prayers.

Our gang decided it was worth arriving Li Jiang late for the experience. The three mopeds went into Dali ancient city with me and Bing to find the mosque and once there I headed out to explore Dali for an hour while Bing stayed by the bikes to make some work calls.

Entrance to Mosque inside Dali Ancient City

Old Mosque inside Dali Ancient City

It was the most fruitful detour in the trip that I could attune with.

I had a glimpse of Dali Ancient city and it was beautiful despite the fact that all the old building has been modernized to take in the mass hoard of local tourist flocking the city everywhere.

The Red Dragon Well of Dali 

Local Tourist Dressing up in Ethnic Costume with Photographer

So many Tea House Shop in Dali Ancient City

Stream passing through Dali Ancient City

More Local Tourist with Dali monuments 

Tourist tourist everywhere is not an exaggeration espescially when all the tourist are 90% from China. Souviner shops is lined up everywhere and professional photographers and make up artist line the streets to make the tourist beautifual like a minority tribe in China for photoshoot. A little taste, for now I know what to expect when exploring China in future.

Traveled on: Jun 2023

Ride from Jinghong to Kunming but never seeing Kunming

What can I say about day two, it was a boring day. While we woke up early ... we were stuck in Jinghong a long time in the morning while we went to the mobile center to get everyone their sim cards to be connected back to the internet and the world.

Thereafter it was lunch. Internet set with all the gps navigation working and a full belly, we started our journey nearly 2pm to our destination of Kunming. One of the longest ride to reach as well around 600km and the big bikes left us small mopeds in the dust.

Lunch at Jinghong Muslim Restaurant

Bing had a vstrom suzuki 250cc bike and together with the two kambing and one nvx the 5 smaller bikes made our way to Kunming. Through rain and shine and slightly colder weather, we really pushed ourself and the bike.

By 5pm we were all tired riding long duration and I suggested we do a long push else we would reach very very late in the early morning to Kunming. 150Km without stopping for rest. Usually it was 60 to 80km for me and after talking to the rest of the small bikers gang, they too agree their pace was around 60 to 80km per stop.

Still we decided to do a long run to gain time ... and a long run of 150km we did with sore butts, legs and hands. Even had to use redbull and sneakers bar for energy and sustenance .... within two long run we made up some time and still we reached Kunming at 11pm late night.

Redbull Power Up for the ride from Jinghong to Kunmming

The hotel was at the outskirts of Kunming so we did not really get to see downtown Kunming. Everyone flop into their room to cook and I went out alone walking nearly 2km away to reach a food place. Wheat noodle for dinner/supper .... and back to the hotel nearly 1am for a short sleep before waking up again 6am in the morning for the next run to Li Jiang.

Stir Fried Wheet Noodle supper at Kunmming 

Traveled on : Jun 2023

Route Info – Boten (Laos) to Daocheng Yading (China) loop

I belive one day this would be a super popular route for most south east asian countries when China finally opens the borders for free land crossing. Still its a long way to go and I was not going to wait so hence we did it with a guide.

Now much of Google Maps in China is actually outdated hence most of the roads we took were not on the map at all. The China AMAP is a good detailed map. Unfortunately only available in local languege and no other.

The loop as I try to plot on google map below looks more like a stright line instead of a loop but then again we did use different roads to go and back albeit a little parelel.

Boten - Laos to Daocheng Yading - China Loop via motorbike

Day 1 – Cross Border into Mohan and ride to Mengla Police Station for registration of bikers then onwards to Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture Jinghong for the first night.

Day 2 – Jinghong to Kunming by passing Puer. Stayed at Kunming for the 2nd night

Day 3 – Kunming with stops at Dali for a few hours and onwards to Lijiang for the 3rd night

Day 4 – Lijiang towards Yulong Snow Mountain scenic stop then onwards to Tiger Leaping Gorge scenic stop and onwards via the famous Tiger Leaping Gorge scenic road to Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture Shangrila. Overnight at Shangrila

Day 5 – Shangrila via unmarked road some shortcut through the mountains that the guide says lets not do that again until they repair the roads and we reached Daocheng County Yading

Day 6 – Rest Day ... spend the day around Yading

Day 7 – Yading via S216, S217, G214 going a longer way up north to turn back south towards Hutiaoxia town. Spend the night a Hutiaoxia

Day 8 – Hutiaoxia via Nanjian to visit the Tulin Wuliang Soil Forest scenic area then towards Zhenyuan for the night

Day 9 – Zhenyuan stopping at Puer for lunch and ending at Mengla for the night

Day 10 – Border Crossing from Mengla to Laos Boten

Border Crossing Into China from Laos with Malaysian Motorbike - Laos - Boten to China - Mohan

Unlike all my previous posting on how to go about crossing small land borders which are usually an insight of the things I need to research and stumble along the way to actually successfully or sometimes being rejected from crossing the border, this border crossing has almost non of that. 

Main reason was due to having Guides ... the guide did all the work, prepared all the nescessary paperwork and ushered us safely through all the nitty gritty. With that, I have almost no knowledge of how to cross the Laos - China Border independently with a motorcycle. Still base on my research, there is no other way into China with a foreign vehicle unless you engage a guide, so not much is lost. 

Mohan Border Crossing into China

Strolling up to the Immigration counter laughing and joking around with some of us shouting for the last man behind to hurry up was met with hostility at the China side, we Malaysian were too loud and loitering around everywhere like scattered sheep. The officers were not pleased and immediately send us back to the gate forcing our poor China Guide Bing to succumb to apologies and with some polite talking to calm down the officers. Line up orderly, follow procedure and keep quiet before they even decide to process the first person.

Some were not pleased with the highhanded treatment we were dealt with but I guess this is actually a norm for crossing borders. We Malaysian just had two very friendly borders that skewed our perception a bit from my point of view. Either way lucky thing was all our conversation and displesure was done in the secret languege of Malaysian !! handy to have when travelling abroad. I tried my best to calm our group down as well, explaining that small border crossing is like this unlike airport.

Follow instruction or risk the wrath and games of the immigration officers. Talking in languege that the officer do not understand does not mean he do not understand, body languege tells a thousand times more than words and they are train to read body languege more and beyond words. Sometimes even talking in languge they do not understand will irked them to assume the worst and hence make life dificult.

Going Through Customs Weigh-In - Mohan Port China

With everything explained from China Immigration officer to Bing and Bing to the group we were back in queue and processed into China slowly one by one. Next was customs and we riders went back to the bikes to ride through. Customs was easy enaugh supprisingly with orderly queue up the weighing machine and scanners and before we knew it we were in China.

Then we were hanging around the border .... lunch .... finding the only halal restaurant in the border town and all was good. Thats when Bing told us we had not cleared customs yet. We had only cleared the first part of customs weight in but not the inspection and not the documentation that he needed to get.

After lunch Bing said we were good to go. No need to go back to customs and the documentation is ok with his partner which will be send to him once the customs process it. It sounded like even strict China had ways like Malaysia, many lobang if you know the ways of ways.

First Taste of Riding the Highway in China 

We rode next to the traffic police station near Mengla town. Here the bikes were inspected for serial number and engin number matching to puspakom documenation and each of us was processed and entered into the China drivers registeration system. With that, each of us obtained a temporary China driving licence and also a temporary China motorbike licence plate

I as usual arrive at the back of the group, however immediatly became the main transelator of the group. As Bing was busy with the formalities, and I am the only one with a slight capability to converse in Mandarin, very quickly the police dragged me everywhere they need to go, inspecting all the bikes while asking me to translate to the rest of the owners what they were looking for.

Temporary China Motorbike Plate Number for Bragge 

Police Station Stop near Mengla for Driving Licence & Motorbike Registration 

Our First Group Photo of Ride China 2023 

The bikers also very naturally drifted to me for everything in china ,,.... Edwin can you ask this ... Edwin, where are we going next .... Edwin ... why is this like this .... Edwin ... where are we now ... Edwin .... whats famous in this place ... Edwin .. what does this sign says .... Edwin ... how to read if this is halal ....

I could not read and it was also my first time in China, but it was not my first time travelling hence very quickly with my limited Mandarin, I became a secondary helper to Bing and words I could not speak, I mimed and spin until the locals teach me the correct word and meaning.I could say my Mandarin improved exponentially within the first two days in China.

From the first day, the traffic police talked to me asking a few question and finally knowing that I am a chinese malaysian of 4th decendent told me that my chinese is very good, regardless that my vocabulary is limited and that I could not read nor write. You will improve along the way he (police) said and words that I struggle to understand was immediately helped by many people around him to explain to me in different words what that particular words mean.

Friendly China Police welcoming us for our riding adventure

We left the police station and really started our journey in China late afternoon. It was only like a 150km ride to our destination Jinghong but that first ride in China is memorable. Pristine roads and highways that are so high up in the air the view is breathtaking, to Bing and Faz that has been to China before ... this is nothing they said ... but we could not help slowing down and absorbing the scenery.

Frist night in Jinghong and I could not resist the temptation to explore even thou we reach so late at night. Took a walk looking for dinner with Lachu and Bing, only three of us was free of the restriction of halal food.

First Pit Stop Petrol Station in China 

Riding in Jinghong Town

Back to the hotel and Faz, Hamzah, Jazz, Bullet, Azu all wanted to go for a massage and after dabate of how to get it done with translation challange, they all looked at me ... sure, I can join I told them and help translation. We ended up taking a taxi that Bing booked to the massage place but it was supprisingly expensive. Nearly RM 300 for a 90 minute massage and with my limited vocabulary I could not clearly undestand what kind of massage it was too.

We decided to skip it and went walking around to look for ourself another place. The massage place called Bing since he made the reservation and we ditch it, so he found another place and send us the location pin for us to find our self. This time round it was cheaper and everyone went for it.

Our Hotel for the night in Jinghong China

There was not enaugh masseur so the four of them went in first while I and Jazz sit outside waiting.

Coincidently we sat at the tea table and the shopkeeping poured us tea. With little conversation, slowly the translation begin to flow as the shopkeeper explain the type of tea and Jazz asking a few question where is translate and told them of our plan and adventure to explore china by motorbike. A local experience and soon things that I could not translate was boil down to the shopkeeper demonstration how the tea was made and prepared in sequence with Jazz and me just watching with awe....

This was all free of course ... and I was thinking .... the local experience like this that is just hapstances is really priceless ... 

Just Day 1 in China, and I’m in the part of China where few oversea tourist ever venture.

Traveled on: Jun 2023