Getting ready for the Bamboo Route - Shanghai to Singapore

Leaving home in about six weeks, and there are still tons of things to do. A few more visas, another couple of injections, getting the Silver Fox Asia ready, practising the GPS - although I suspect it will not be as useful as in Europe where the maps are highly detailed - and various other bits and bobs. And then trying to ride each day to prepare for the adventure ahead which has some BIG days slated.

I'm still thinking about what 146km and 170km mean in humidity and possibly not on asphalt surfaces. I once rode 160km in a day and had to be rescued by my son as I couldn't go any further. We did have three consecutive days on the Amber Route of about 145 each, and it was hot. I know I was mighty glad to reach camp on the last one, swearing as another hill approached when all I wanted was a shower and a cold beer. I actually got a hot beer - TDA had purchased some but left them in the sun - and a hot shower and a tummy-full of food. This recovered my good humour. I see here we have 7 days straight to begin with covering 825km - that will require much of my patience and a virgin outlook on myself, my abilities and TDA.

I have found getting fit less than an attractive option due to cold and/or wet and/or windy weather. Also I am naturally lazy I think. Give me a 17 - 25 degree day, breeze maybe, blue skies or clouds and I'm ready to go. Also give me a riding buddy to keep me honest. Getting motivated solo isn't easy when there are books to write, dogs to care for, soup to make - and eat, and so on and so forth.

Here is an outline of what we are to expect during our 90 days
(arranged as day number, date, ride day number, from, to, kms)

CHINA

 1 Sun 22-Sep 1 Shanghai Jiaxing 108

 2 Mon 23-Sep 2 Jiaxing Hangzhou 101

 3 Tue 24-Sep 3 Hangzhou Yiwu 130

 4 Wed 25-Sep 4 Yiwu Guodong 101

 5 Thu 26-Sep 5 Guodong Quzhou 133

 6 Fri 27-Sep 6 Quzhou Shangrao 122

 7 Sat 28-Sep 7 Shangrao Wuyishan 130

 8 Sun 29-Sep REST DAY

 9 Mon 30-Sep 8 Wuyishan Shaowu 84

 10 Tue 1-Oct 9 Shaowu Lichuan 88

 11 Wed 2-Oct 10 Lichuan Guangchang 99

 12 Thu 3-Oct 11 Guangchang Ruijin 139

 13 Fri 4-Oct 12 Ruijin Wuping 143

 14 Sat 5-Oct 13 Wuping Meizhou 123

 15 Sun 6-Oct REST DAY

 16 Mon 7-Oct 14 Meizhou Longchuan 113

 17 Tue 8-Oct 15 Longchuan Heyuan 95

 18 Wed 9-Oct 16 Heyuan Huiyang 108

 19 Thu 10-Oct 17 Huiyang Shatoujiao 65

 20 Fri 11-Oct 18 Shatoujiao Hong Kong 0

 21 Sat 12-Oct REST DAY

 22 Sun 13-Oct REST DAY

 23 Mon 14-Oct FERRY TO MACAU

 24 Tue 15-Oct 19 Macau Kaiping 146

 25 Wed 16-Oct 20 Kaiping Chunwanzhen 107

 26 Thu 17-Oct 21 Chunwanzhen Cenxi 147

 27 Fri 18-Oct 22 Cenxi Yulin 103

 28 Sat 19-Oct 23 Yulin Lingshan 118

 29 Sun 20-Oct 24 Lingshan Quinzhou 109

 30 Mon 21-Oct REST DAY

 31 Tue 22-Oct 25 Quinzhou Dongxing 100

VIETNAM

 32 Wed 23-Oct 26 Dongxing Mong Duong 145

 33 Thu 24-Oct 27 Mong Duong Ha Long Bay 50

 34 Fri 25-Oct REST DAY

 35 Sat 26-Oct 28 Ha Long Bay Hanoi 156

 36 Sun 27-Oct REST DAY

 37 Mon 28-Oct 29 Hanoi Ninh Binh 122

 38 Tue 29-Oct 30 Ninh Binh Ben Sung 123

 39 Wed 30-Oct 31 Ben Sung Dien Yen 95

 40 Thu 31-Oct 32 Dien Yen Tay Son 117

LAOS 

 41 Fri 1-Nov 33 Tay Son Na Hin 125

 42 Sat 2-Nov 34 Na Hin Thakhek 149

 43 Sun 3-Nov REST DAY

 44 Mon 4-Nov 35 Thakhek Savannaket 116

 45 Tue 5-Nov 36 Savannaket Ban Xenouan 122

 46 Wed 6-Nov 37 Ban Xenouan Pakse 124

 47 Thu 7-Nov 38 Pakse Muang Khong 135

 48 Fri 8-Nov REST DAY

CAMBODIA

 49 Sat 9-Nov 39 Muang Khong Stung Treng 94

 50 Sun 10-Nov 40 Stung Treng Kratie 170

 51 Mon 11-Nov 41 Kratie Kampong Chan 117

 52 Tue 12-Nov 42 Kampong Chan Phnom Penh 136

 53 Wed 13-Nov REST DAY

 54 Thu 14-Nov 43 Phnom Penh Khampong Thom 170

 55 Fri 15-Nov 44 Khampong Thom Siem Reap

 56 Sat 16-Nov REST DAY

 57 Sun 17-Nov REST DAY

 58 Mon 18-Nov REST DAY

 59 Tue 19-Nov 45 Siem Reap Sisophon 104

THAILAND

 60 Wed 20-Nov 46 Sisophon Mueang Sa Kaeo 105

 61 Thu 21-Nov 47 Mueang Sa Kaeo Chachoengsao 118

 62 Fri 22-Nov 48 Chachoengsao Bangkok 0

 63 Sat 23-Nov REST DAY

 64 Sun 24-Nov 49 Bangkok Hat Chao Samran 52

 65 Mon 25-Nov 50 Hat Chao Samran Hua Hin 55

 66 Tue 26-Nov REST DAY

 67 Wed 27-Nov 51 Hua Hin Prachuap Khiri 118

 68 Thu 28-Nov 52 Prachuap Khiri Khan Bangburd Resort 129

 69 Fri 29-Nov 53 Khan Bangburd Resort Lang Suan 155

 70 Sat 30-Nov 54 Lang Suan Kapoe 101

 71 Sun 1-Dec 55 Kapoe Kapong 141

 72 Mon 2-Dec 56 Kapong Ao Nang 127

 73 Tue 3-Dec REST DAY

 74 Wed 4-Dec 57 Ao Nang Trang 146

 75 Thu 5-Dec 58 Trang La-Ngu 108

MALAYSIA

 76 Fri 6-Dec 59 La-Ngu Kangar 112

 77 Sat 7-Dec 60 Kangar Sungai Petani 121

 78 Sun 8-Dec 61 Sungai Petani Penang 42

 79 Mon 9-Dec REST DAY

 80 Tue 10-Dec 62 Penang Taiping 112

 81 Wed 11-Dec 63 Taiping Ipoh 103

 82 Thu 12-Dec 64 Ipoh Teluk Intan 107

 83 Fri 13-Dec 65 Teluk Intan Kuala Lumpar 0

 84 Sat 14-Dec REST DAY

 85 Sun 15-Dec 66 Kuala Lumpar Port Dickson 65

 86 Mon 16-Dec 67 Port Dickson Melaka 75

 87 Tue 17-Dec REST DAY

 88 Wed 18-Dec 68 Melaka Batu Pahat 110

 89 Thu 19-Dec 69 Batu Pahat Koti Tingga 151

 90 Fri 20-Dec 70 Koti Tingga Singapore 108