Quando si va in giro in bici il soggetto prisipale del nostro campo visivo non sono case, persone, monumenti ma bensì comunissime strade. Per fortuna ciò che sta intorno cambia. Sotto alcuni scorci della strada che abbiamo percorso.
Cycling in Sichuan and Gansu
Urban nights
Paolo Conte in his lectio magistralis for his laurea ad honorem suggests an interesting exercise: to imagine the time of the day drawn in a painting. What time is it in the Dance of Matisse? And what about the scream of Munch? Or the Mona lisa?
I think it is interesting to apply the same idea to cities. When is a certain city splendid, interesting, charming, unique? At what hour?
While working a little bit around different cities i realize that in my memories what i recall in urban space is not so much its feature but a specific moment.
These moments are often evenings because darkness increase intimacy not only towards people but also toward our surroundings.
For Tokyo, I remember walking back home through small similar irregular alleys. These formed a labyrinth that probably Borges would have liked. There, for the first and only time in my life, i completed an involuntary circle and after 2 h found my self in the same exact spot, confused and speechless.
Beijing, despite all the destruction that was made in the last 30 years, has a specific moment in which it is splendid. It is around 1 am during winter nights. Inside the second ring road. At that moment, with a dark bright sky, one can see the shadow of the hutongs on both side of the alley. The branches of a tree will extend above the roofline. Silent and naked. The moon is shining above. Silence all around and a thick cold air.
Phnom Penh has change a lot. Probably, according to most, in the better but I still remember that in 2010 most of the streets at nights were dark. That darkness was different. That darkness showed abandon. That darkness was a scar but it also showed possibility and hope. It always reminded me of the first scene of the movie Sur.
And one more tip: you might consider to hire personal bodyguard to feel safe.
Xinjiang sounds
Cycling in yunnan: a few scattered conclusion
- Yunnan is still a great place to visit by cycling. Even in less central areas roads are good and panorama beautiful.+
- 60-80km a day are not that hard to cover with some basic training
- two people can manage with 120-150yuan a day
- rebuilding villages in folk style seems to be a new trend. Maybe it goes back to the increasing of internal consumption.
- china economy is based on plastic bags.
- children in villages spend afternoons high on sugar ( derived from junk snacks) and throwing around the packaging
- we have not seen a river that did not seem almost dead. Is it the dry season or something else?
- The Great Firewall of China is higher than ever
- Groups of Hani ladies are the most dangerous groups we found. They wonder around town speaking loudly and buying all sort of items. In one occasion we have been asked to finish quickly our dinner because of of this gang entered the restaurant and wanted to eat.
- In few occasions, peasants refused to give us hospitality in their big houses. Perhaps in many areas the mentality has already abandoned old rural values.
Cycling in the hills
In kunming we spend the day looking for bycicle to rent. After some weak bargaining we manage to find one. One of which had to be assembled due to the extra large size required by Mr L.
Happy for the results we decide to visit the kunming Park-zoo . A few thousands of Chinese dressed in bright color clothes seem to have the same idea. The animal cages look like guantanamo prison camp. Chinese seem not to mind and keep taking pictures.
Are that we even take a ride on the panoramic wheel. Kunming seems endless and skyscrapers are every where. The gray sky gives a gloomy feeling. Urban China is sometimes a worrying vision.
In the evening realizing the unusually cold temperatures we walk around looking for gloves and caps. Unfortunately global shopping areas in this season do not such items. We will find them only the following day in a stall under a highway bridge.
Day 1
E cycle for 20km to the outskirts of the city to the southern bus station. We cycle along high ways, through neighborhoods that collect and recycle garbage. We still for stream buns. The small daughter of the owner points at its screaming “foteigners” . Than she observers that we have different eyes and tries to throw a piece of flour dow at us.
We reach the bus station we take a bus to shiping.
Cycling in the hills
In kunming we spend the day looking for bycicle to rent. After some weak bargaining we manage to find one. One of which had to be assembled due to the extra large size required by Mr L.
Happy for the results we decide to visit the kunming Park-zoo . A few thousands of Chinese dressed in bright color clothes seem to have the same idea. The animal cages look like guantanamo prison camp. Chinese seem not to mind and keep taking pictures.
Are that we even take a ride on the panoramic wheel. Kunming seems endless and skyscrapers are every where. The gray sky gives a gloomy feeling. Urban China is sometimes a worrying vision.
In the evening realizing the unusually cold temperatures we walk around looking for gloves and caps. Unfortunately global shopping areas in this season do not such items. We will find them only the following day in a stall under a highway bridge.
Day 1
E cycle for 20km to the outskirts of the city to the southern bus station. We cycle along high ways, through neighborhoods that collect and recycle garbage. We still for stream buns. The small daughter of the owner points at its screaming “foteigners” . Than she observers that we have different eyes and tries to throw a piece of flour dow at us.
We reach the bus station we take a bus to shiping.
Chinese new year
Cycling in yunnan
Route 3,380,301 – powered by www.bikemap.net
Case vuote
Case grandi, case vuote in attesa di essere forse riempire. Non ancora finite eppure già in decadenza. La campagna prova ad essere urbana e il risultato è un miscuglio aspro dal colore grigio. Questo è il tempo della confusione, della perdita di un paradigma senza averne un altro pronto. È il tempo degli uomini vuoti pronto a farsi riempire con qualsiasi immagine, parola, azione.