Start of the monsoon
N 23°43'04.2'' E 103°16'41.6''
Date:
21.05.2016 until 22.05.2016
Day: 329 – 330
Country:
China
Province:
Yunnan
Location:
Kaiyuan
Latitude N:
23°43’04.2”
Longitude E:
103°16’41.6”
Daily kilometers:
50 km
Total kilometers:
17,116 km
As the crow flies:
45.95 km
Average speed:
21.4 km/h
Maximum speed:
55.5 km/h
Travel time:
02:14 hrs.
Soil condition:
Asphalt
Maximum height:
1.200 m
Total altitude meters:
40.123 m
Altitude meters for the day:
419 m
Sunrise:
06:22 am
Sunset:
7:44 pm
Temperature day max:
20°C
Temperature day min:
17°C
Departure:
08:30 a.m.
Arrival time:
1:00 p.m.
The dry weather suddenly seems to be over. Heavy rain falls over the Lotus Lake. We carry our equipment down to the first floor, get the bikes from the vestibule and wait for the torrential downpour to calm down a little. I use the time to check the weather on the internet. “Oh man, we’ve just come out of winter, enjoyed the first hot days and now the four-month monsoon season has begun,” I groan. “It won’t pour all day,” Tanja interjects confidently. “Hm, it says here that the weather during this time of year is extremely unpleasant with subtropical heat and average temperatures of over 30 °C. They write of torrential rain for the next four months and extremely poor travel conditions for almost all of Vietnam. Hiking in the mountains, my ass. Listen to what is written here” ‘Neither trekking tours in the mud of northern Vietnam nor sitting in the fog of Halong Bay in pouring rain should be fun for vacationers’. “Well, firstly, you’re not on vacation and secondly, you can’t always choose the best weather when you’re on the road for as long as we are,” Tanja replies. “It’s nice when you can make lemonade from lemons,” I reply with a laugh. “Absolutely, there’s no point moping about the weather. It certainly won’t change.” “Yes, yes, you’re right. Apart from that, every season has its own charm,” I say, trying to lift my spirits a little. “If it rains every day, at least we get a free shower,” laughs Tanja.
When the rain subsides a little, we pack our bikes and set off in high spirits…
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