Thursday November 6, 2014, 94 miles (151 km) – Total so far: 5,869 miles (9,445 km)

Thursday November 7, 2014 Two days 94 miles We had an early start from Leshan and after a few hours we started climbing into the Emei Mountains heading south to Kunming. As we were eating lunch in a mountain village two touring cyclists rode by and we waved them down to join us for lunch. They had just started their cycling from Chengdu where they work. After lunch we continued on together into the misty rain. The climbing was tedious with all the traffic. Our goal for the day was the town of Ebian but as the rain and darkness increased we started looking for a place to pitch our tent. On the right side was a wide deep drainage ditch that led to a steep slope and on the other was a cliff. We thought about putting our tent up in the courtyard of the occasional house but soon a small town appeared. We inquired at a small restaurant if there was a nearby hotel and we were led to another restaurant where they were rooms available upstairs. The price was right at $8 so we locked our bikes in the kitchen then sat down to a delicious noodle dinner. While there we kept our eye out for the other cyclists and they soon walked by after getting a room at another spot next door. After another shared meal we soon retired to our beds even though we were still wet from the rain and perspiration. The next morning we rode into a huge river gorge and began our up and down mountain drive in the rain. The traffic finally lightened and the rain stopped as we reached another small village. Many people came out to meet us as we sat and had a delicious soup lunch. There must have been 50 people watching us eat. We really felt like celebrities. After another few hours we were very weary of the constant up and down so we inquired at another restaurant about rooms. There just happened to be rooms upstairs again so we spent the night.

Last year I read a book about an American couple cycling China and they talked about these unofficial hotels. Twice during their ride the police came to their door in the middle of the night and made them leave because they were foreigners and not guests at an officially registered and legal hotel. They are very cheap at $8-10 per night so we will take our chances. And of course they only provide a bed and sometimes a shared bathroom. No internet either. But we do like cheap accommodations.