After biking across the U.S. and still not finding a job I took the FSOT as a bet. As I’m waiting for the results I decided to bike across another country. This time why not go for the 3rd largest country? You guessed it. I’m going to bike across China. If my family is reading this then you already know I’m back but maybe you don’t know why. This post will sum up my experience. Sorry I didn’t post very good updates. I was wildly unprepared and WordPress was blocked.

I flew into Xining – the capital city of Qinghai region. After getting my ridiculously oversized bike box and panniers in a taxi I was able to check into my hotel.

Day 1 was easy. I was only able to bike about 55 miles east out of the city but it took quite a while to navigate out of the city. I was able to wild camp without any problem.

Day 2 is where I run into problems. Mid-afternoon I passed a beautiful field of yellow flowers and stop to take some pictures. All of a sudden a police car pulls up behind me. Where did they come from? I’m told ‘You can not take pictures here” Okay, so I apologize and turn to go but the police stop me. My phone is confiscated and I’m told to show the latest photos and delete them. Thinking I can go now I make to leave but something else is wrong. The police officer with my phone says he has to make a call. I wonder if I can just make a run for it. I don’t really need my phone. However, they have cars and I have a bike. Probably not a good idea.

The police officer returns and says that I’m in a “forbidden” area, but there’s no sign to tell me, and I passed road signs with places of interest, in English. The officer says I need to do some statement of apology for being there (?) and I need to return to Xining. Well, it’s only day 2 so it’s not like I’m backtracking that far. At the police station, I apologize and my fingerprints are taken. The boss tells me to go back to my hotel.

Day 3: I’m not really sure what to do. I feel if I go back the same route I’ll run into the police again. I ask the front desk where I can find a map but I was not able to communicate very well. I find a bookshop a couple of blocks away and go to find a map there. No such luck. There has got to be another way out of the city. I pull up bus routes and decide to see that there is a route that back loops out of the city. It’s a little more south than I want but I just need to get out of the city for a couple days.

My plan works and I’m able to bike for a couple of days with no problems. I’m living off noodles because that’s the only food word I can communicate. I don’t think anyone actually speaks mandarin in western china. Everyone sounds Russian.

About a week later I’m stopped by the police and I’m filled with dread. Maybe this was a bad idea. I’m not able to explain I just like biking and that’s all I’m doing. These guys are a lot more aggressive than the first run-in. They want me to leave my bike and go with them. No way I’m doing that. I need my bike but the police officers are extremely agitated. I’m escorted to an office where I tell another police officer my entire itinerary so far, and that I don’t know what’s going on. The police officer tells there should be a nuclear power plant nearby, maybe not just a power plant but a military base! I’m told in China you could not go on your own, the idea of traveling without organized tours does not fit in the government’s idea of tourism.

Well, I had no idea of secret military areas of which I knew nothing before he spoke it. Weird way to keep secrets. Another police officer arrives and I answer again all the same questions again. I hope my bike is okay. I’m told I can’t camp and that as a foreigner it is illegal. I play dumb and tell them I didn’t know that. They say they will help me find a hotel for the night however it’s already petty late so an argument ensures between the officers. I have no idea what’s going on and it seems like there is no protocol for this. Finally, I’m told it’s too dangerous to camp (I notice now it’s just ‘too dangerous’ and not ‘illegal’) so I should just sleep here… Am I being arrested, or am I already arrested? I have no idea. All I know is I’m tired. At this point, I don’t really care so I just go with it. The station is warm and I’m given a cup of noodles. I’m led into another room with cots and told to stay here. My phone and passport are still with the police officer and before I can think to ask for them back the door closes and I’m left in the room alone. There’s no lights as far as I can tell so I eat my cup noodles and try to fall asleep.

The next day there is a different guard and I’m told to wait until the officer from yesterday comes back. I think something has died in my mouth and all I can think of is brushing my teeth. I doze on the cot until I have no idea when as I don’t have a clock. What I think is several hours later there is a loud bang outside that wakes me up from my dozing. Turns out the police officer went on an e-bike and somehow attached my bike to his and brought it to the station. I stand there while the officers talk. Finally, I’m told I have to go back to Xining. Well, this is annoying. I try to insist I really just want to visit Qinghai Lake and I have no interest in locating secret power plants or military bases. The officer isn’t messing around tells me I have to leave and go back to Xining and my fingerprints are again taken. They put the card before the ink is even dry in a giant filing cabinet that I’m sure no one will ever look in again. Outside the station, there is a van that has my bike shoved in the back. That’s all I really care about. Back in Xining I’m taken to a hotel and told to stay here. Someone will be by tomorrow to check I’m still here.

Around noon the next day, I decide that maybe no one is coming and I can leave however, I’m stopped by the receptionist in the lobby. I try to convey that I just want to walk around and I’ll come back is met with fierce denial to let me leave. I eat in the hotel restaurant. Later someone does come by. This new person speaks the best English so far and I’m given back my passport and phone. He tells me all my photos/videos have been deleted. I think this trip is a little out of my depth. I think I will have to call it quits for now. I will come back but the first step is to learn mandarin. And find a better map.