day 70: 临汾(linfen) - 襄汾(xiangfen) = 24km

sleep

08:00 - Wake up from alarm clock. Open eyes, extend arm from sleeping bag, touch radiator. Feel the cold, close eyes again.

09:06 - Get up. Turn on computer and write up yesterday’s post. Check map. Look at total kilometers.

10:04 - Write “25,7″ on back of left hand: that would mark kilometer no. 1000.

10:10 - Upload post. Put on clothes, brush teeth.

10:24 - Check successful upload and comments on post. Shut down computer. Put on gaiters and rest of gear.

10:41 - Leave room, go to reception desk.

10:48 - Step out of hotel and into the snow. Set up GPS, get ready to leave the “most polluted city in all China”: 临汾 (linfen)

walk

10:53 - Notice wrong filter on wide angle lens. Curse.

walk

11:17 - Take break to pee, change filter.

walk

12:11 - Get stopped by a dude in a car. Accept invitation for lunch nearby.

walk

12:15 - Meet up with dude in restaurant. Have a merry lunch with 刘奎 (liu kui) and a bunch of new friends.

14:02 - Take group photographs, shake hands. Leave restaurant, get back on the highway.

walk

14:25 - Get sprayed by coal truck. Briefly examine water damage. Wave arms and fists, scream and curse and rage.

walk

15:11 - Get stopped by 刘奎 and his friends again. Receive best wishes and printed group pictures. Smile.

walk

15:47 - Buy ice tea in small shop next to the road. Sit down and chat with 昊婷 (hao ting) and her mother.

16:50 - Check the time. Hurriedly say good-bye and rush out the door.

walk

16:53 - Look at dudes trying to get their car out from a roadside ditch.

walk

18:12 - Get to destination by nightfall: 襄汾 (xiangfen)

walk

18:17 - Ask kid for directions to a hotel.

walk

18:20 - Ask lady for directions to a hotel.

walk

18:28 - Go to best hotel in town.

18:31 - Frown at their rates: 130rmb.

walk

18:35 - Go to second best hotel in town.

18:39 - 126rmb. Frown again.

18:43 - Negotiate the price down to 120rmb. Fake smile.

18:46 - Realize that this is the end of all negotiations. Frown.

walk

18:57 - Go to a random small hotel next to the street. Smile at price: 30rmb. Frown at cold radiator.

19:03 - Decide to settle down in the cold hotel because the owner seems like a nice guy.

19:08 - Move into room, drop backpack and stick, sit down on bed. Lean back and look at ceiling.

19:20 - Get up. Ask owner for restaurant. Cross street with high hopes for good food.

19:27 - Order 烧锅 (shaoguo, some kind of boiling pot with all kinds of things in it).

19:30 - Purchase some fruit juice next door.

19:34 - Go back to restaurant. Wash hands. Sit down, peel garlic.

19:43 - Have a good 烧锅 with 花卷 (huajuan, sort of Chinese bread)

20:12 - Leave restaurant, go to supermarket for cookies and yogurt drinks.

20:20 - Arrive in room. Take off gaiters, recharge batteries, turn on computer. Check e-mails.

20:41 - Start going through today’s pictures. Delete some, keep some. Match up with GPS data.

21:17 - Feel unrest in bowels. Prepare tissue and flashlight.

21:20 - Follow hotel owner through the backyard to a loo that can only be described as evil.

21:29 - Great success! Evacuate freezing body from evil loo and navigate back to room.

21:35 - Update map on homepage, write up today’s post.

22:50 - Have cookies and soak feet in hot water bowl. Look at breath evaporating into little white puffs in the cold air.

23:02 - Look at left hand: the “25,7″ is still readable. 1,7km missing to the full 1000km today.

23:05 - Take off a few clothes. Decide to leave on sweater and beanie (because of the cold). Climb into sleeping bag.

23:10 - Chat with some friends, every now and then going back to the post and fixing some stuff here and there.

waste time

00:29 - Turn off computer. Touch radiator again. Feel the cold.

00:30 - Turn off light.

sleep

Soundtrack: Bad Brains - “How Low Can A Punk Get?”

—total: 998,3km