September 24th, 2008 | categorizilation: all categories,China (Zhejiang)
Today’s distance / ???????: 37.8 miles / 60.8km
Average speed / ????: 7.8mph / 12.6km/h
Time on skateboard / ????: 4h 50m
Total skateboarding distance to date / ????????????: 7,088mi plus 386mi (?) / 11.407km plus 622km (?)
Ascent / ??: 130m
Descent / ??: 140m
End-of-day GPS coordinates: N30°52′25.1″, E120°24′18.5″
Righto…I’m feeling a darn sight better than I was a week or so ago. Things are looking up, and I am on the homeward stretch to Shanghai. Only 120km to go till I wrap this thing up.
Blog updates will be sporadic over the next week or so, as I catch up on missed entries. This is just as much for my records as it is for your enjoyment, so I apologise if things get a little confusing with present updates getting mixed in with previous ones and visa-versa and sometimes around the other way…confused? Good.
So today (being the 24th of September 2008) was a great day. Once again a headwind, but a great day nonetheless.
On a tangent, I think there is a greater power working against me. You may recall my week of horrid headwinds in Holland at the end of my first leg of this skateboard journey. You may also recall the horrid headwinds I encountered at the end of the second leg of this journey in the USA approaching Los Angeles. Why is it that I always get headwinds at the end of a particular leg?! Honestly, it has been blowing steadily out of the east for the last two weeks non-stop. It is laughable. Which is good. Laughing is good.
Anyway, the thing that made today so great were the frequent warm downpours. I was skating with no shirt on…just ploughing straight through these heavy downpours. It was the first time I had ever experienced warm rain, and I loved it.
My brother Chris worte to me in an email that water has healing properties. Well this rain was all that. Fantastic.
The only thing marring an otherwise perfect scenario was the incessant traffic, the ever-present noise of the roadway, and of course factories pumping great plumes of junk into the clouds, making me more than a little weary not to open my mouth and drink the liquid sunshine in.
The rain showers stopped after lunch however, and I was left with the stinking damp oven that is eastern China. It is so hot. So so hot.
Despite feeling better than I was a while back, I am still now at all interested in speaking to Chinese people. Sunglasses on, I pushed on. A small river to my right showed the never ending progress of this nation.
Arriving in Nanxun, I was spent. I have left my shirt off for just a tad too long, and was getting rather pink. I checked into a small hotel and was done for the day.
Rob,
Glad you are feeling better. The last miles of the journey are always the toughest one, especially if you were on the road for this long. Once you are done, get some rest and settle into new routines back home in NZ, you will start fully appreciating even the worst days you ever had on your journey.
OTOH, your amazing reports and stunning pictures keep a little spark inside in my head alive to do a RoundTheWorld trip myself. We'll see…
Tailwinds brother, Rich from NYC (for now)
My guess is these winds blow from the sea onto the land (true in each case so far). This is true of other places I know, too. Now there's a theory!
Trouble with rain showers in your part of the world is that they put the humidity up! Did the rain clear the pollution away at all?
Glad to hear your feeling better!
Hang in there mate!
Rob,
We will see you soon in Lu Xu.
Hope you have a blanket.. the spare bed has no cover, but it works.
Loking for ward to seeing you,
Felix and Mr Pumpy
Lu Xu, China
Hey man,
Checking in again after a 1 1/2 weeks offline… sorry to hear there've been troubles. Andrew, good on ya with the pregnant suggestion. Nice one 
Glad things are improving; will keep praying.
Lee
This is re your latest blog which arrived on my email today: I'm sorry to have to say this but if you choose to skateboard across China you are actually inviting curiosity and questions from the locals – it's inevitable! You then have another choice about how you're going to respond to rather than 're-acting' to it. You probably know this already but reacting the way you have only makes the situation worse as you get angry with yourself then and it all becomes very emotionally draining. I'm not unsympathetic – I hated being stared at all the time when I was out and about in Bangladesh and I was always asked the same battery of questions. However, as I mentioned before, being stared at and questioned is inevitable so I pray that God will give you the strength and patience to be positive about it rather than negative, for your sake.
Hey Rob. So glad to see that you are nearly there. had an email from Rach yesterday as she is getting together some whanau to greet you at Auckland airport. I wish I could be there, but our budget just won't allow it! I'll be there in spirit though and look forward to seeing you in Christchurch. This Christmas will be great as all the family will be here except for Chris – unless he can make it over. Rach and Sam are coming up with little Evie and will be able to stay with us for the first time as we actually have a spare room for once! can't wait to see you again. I have been following your blog religiously, even if I haven't written any comments. Some of your photography is truly awesome!!!! I'm glad to see that you are feeling a bit better. Just reading Aunty Les's comments – she is right you know. Fighting something that is constantly going to happen regardless, is very draining. Hope your last kms of your journey are more happy ones, despite all the people and the pollution. Well done you for an amazing journey!! Pity you won't be home in time for my 50th birthday, but you arriving in Christchurch is a very good excuse for another party!!!
