I plan to complete the next 200 km in two days and cycle to Tianshui. It&#8217;s all along the national road G310 and the path is easy to find. Somewhere in the middle I will try to pitch the tent. Hotels are rare and as a tourist you usually only get into accommodation that is authorised by the government. If you want to check in, you have to show your passport first and then you are &#8222;usually&#8220; turned back and seen off. Nevertheless, I don&#8217;t really feel like spending the night in a tent&#8230;it has started to rain so I ask at a petrol station in the village (don’t know its name, for a place to stay.
And lo and behold&#8230;. I am told to go to the police checkpoint over there and if they get permission to stay overnight, there is a hostel behind it. Here we go the room is quite dirty and there are stubbed-out cigarettes everywhere, but I am allowed to take my bike in. Then I simply put my sleeping mat and sleeping bag on the mattress. After a peaceful night, I continue ridding in the rainy weather. I like this area where it goes up and down again and again and the road winds along. My rain gear holds up as well as the waterproof Ortlieb panniers. A long day draws to a close and the city of Tianshui with over 3 million inhabitants is in sight. Credo is also marked by rain and some dirty gravel roads&#8230;.
I enjoy the next two days as a tourist and do some sightseeing.
Southeast of Tianshui are the grottos of Maiji Shan. These 221 grottos, carved into the rock walls, are some of the most famous Buddhist stone carvings on the Silk Road. Over 7800 sculptures are still preserved, including the Buddha image, which rises 15.7 meters into the air. It is very touching to stay here in these grottos and witness the historical period.
There is a large post office in town, so I have the opportunity to send some of my equipment home. The package weighs around 3 kilograms. Happy to lug 15% less of luggage every day. Since I will hardly be allowed to use the tent, I have decided to send my Hilleberg, the cooker and the &#8222;petrol bottle&#8220;, as well as a first small souvenir home as soon as possible. Posting a parcel with a destination in Switzerland at the post office is administratively quite complicated, but it seems to work. The stamps are attached to the box and the parcel is sent on its way&#8230;.
After two days of intense rain, the weather is improving and tomorrow morning I will slowly but surely make my way towards Lanzhou&#8230;

I plan to complete the next 200 km in two days and cycle to Tianshui. It&#8217;s all along the national road G310 and the path is easy to find. Somewhere in the

Baoji – Tianshui

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