Originally Posted by
Aesr
Step 3 - China
The next big step is crossing China. I am planning on going from Kunming to the Xinjiang prefecture, through Chengdu and Lanzhou, and crossing the border with Kazakhstan at the Ili Kazakh autonomous prefecture. I expect this step to take around 3 months, so mid-March, May, June and mid-July.
* I have read that it is mandatory to sleep in hotels so the police can track your position. Is this true? Or is it also possible to camp?
* Rural China seems to be really... "empty". In the sense that sometimes 200 km (130 miles) needs to be cycled before coming across another town/village. Has that ever proven to be an issue for any of you?
* I understand that google and all other western tech companies are not really welcome, such as Facebook or Whatsapp. How did you communicate with family? An alternative via internet? Via phone?
I have bicycled in Xinjiang twice. In 2014 along the red line. In 2019 along the blue line.
In 2014 there were zero security measures and you could go wherever you want. In 2019 the situation had changed dramatically and there were checkpoints everywhere along the road. I was interrogated by police at every checkpoint and there was a 24 hour government security team following my bike in a car. There were also some sections that the police made me skip by taking a vehicle. Quite the experience. The security clampdown is only in Xinjiang province. Other provinces are normal.
You are correct that the distances are quite long in western China. You will need to carry enough food and water to get you to the next town. However the roads always have traffic, so you will be able to stop cars and beg for water if you get desperate. It was a challenging ride but not as extreme as you are imagining. You will be fine. The scenery throughout was unbelievable. The Chinese desert is prone to sand storms so be prepared for the possibility of some time sand bound waiting things out. Also, you should not mind sand, because the sand will get everywhere. You will need some sand anchors for your tent because your tent will fly away in the wind storm if you try to use regular pegs, which don't work at all in the sand.
You may be tempted to ride directly from Chengdu to Xining, and then on to Zhangye. I would recommend against this because it is an absolute beast of a route that will wreck you. And also because you would be missing out on some very interesting areas on the historical silk road. Stick to the silk road route.
