September 1st, 2008 | categorizilation: all categories,China (Henan)
Today’s distance / ???????: 63.3 miles / 102km
Average speed / ????: 9.4mph / 15.2km/h
Time on skateboard / ????: 6h 43m
Total skateboarding distance to date / ????????????: 6585mi plus 386mi (?) / 10,592km plus 622km (?)
Ascent / ??: 495m
Descent / ??: 325m
End-of-day GPS coordinates: N32°18′57.8″, E113°42′43.2″
This was one of the days that you dream about. Where everything comes together. It was cool, crisp, no air pollution, and stunning scenery. The smell of rice ready for harvest reminded me of the beauty of Japan.
The whole day had a distinctly Southeast Asia feel to it. Not that I’ve been to Southeast Asia, but it looked like the photos I’ve seen of that part of the world. Rice paddies, water buffalo, peanuts drying on the side of the road.
The highlight of the day however was definitely the Tongbai WWII HQ Museum (or something to that effect…couldn’t quite understand what the person was saying). I was weary of making the detour off my route (all of 1km), since many tourist attractions in China are tracky and not worth the effort, but this was different. Absolutely stunning.
 
The place is more or less totally rebuilt, and renovations are still in progress. When I arrived at the gate, I got the standard stare of amazement at my mode of transport. I gave the standard stare back, and without a word, the gate person waved me in. I later found out that there was a 20RMB entry fee. Nice folks.
