Left about 9am, and as we exited the hotel car park, it seemed like the Pedestrian Police had brought in reinforcements overnight ...
Not sure what the perceived trouble was going to be ... maybe a mass protest from the Mothercare shoppers over the price of nappies ! Who knows.
So, after the Toll Booth routine, we shot down the Highway.... straight into a Police Check...
But strangely enough, they had a word with the guide, looked at a few Passports, then waved us on..... not a mention was made of the fact we were all illegally on a Toll Road !
Ok, so we push on..
And then it was fuel time. We thought that maybe out of the cities, the rules might be a bit more relaxed towards motorbikes.
So pulling into the only station for miles, we didn't see any signs banning bikes, but I suppose they didn't need any, given we should not have been there in the first place.
It was a nice modern station, and clearly Health & Safety had got involved in the risk assessments... we will make the staff wear all the right safety gear, and ensure they only fill authorised vehicles on the forecourt....
Then 7 Motorbikes turn up ... well there wasn't a procedure for that, so they improvised. Grab an old kettle, make us park just off the forecourt, and ferry the fuel from pump to bike.
Well that's China .... work round the rules, but don't break them !
We carry on .... mountains on the left, desert on the right...
Until finally we reach the outskirts of Bayingol...
Checked in the Silver Star, and this seemed to be the room layout for the majority of the tour ... two single beds.
I had declined an upgrade to a single room, and with the Swiss lads totalling 3, it meant that one of them got the short straw each night.
Guess they worked out a rota in the end !
Not sure what the perceived trouble was going to be ... maybe a mass protest from the Mothercare shoppers over the price of nappies ! Who knows.
So, after the Toll Booth routine, we shot down the Highway.... straight into a Police Check...
But strangely enough, they had a word with the guide, looked at a few Passports, then waved us on..... not a mention was made of the fact we were all illegally on a Toll Road !
Ok, so we push on..
And then it was fuel time. We thought that maybe out of the cities, the rules might be a bit more relaxed towards motorbikes. So pulling into the only station for miles, we didn't see any signs banning bikes, but I suppose they didn't need any, given we should not have been there in the first place.
It was a nice modern station, and clearly Health & Safety had got involved in the risk assessments... we will make the staff wear all the right safety gear, and ensure they only fill authorised vehicles on the forecourt....
Then 7 Motorbikes turn up ... well there wasn't a procedure for that, so they improvised. Grab an old kettle, make us park just off the forecourt, and ferry the fuel from pump to bike. Well that's China .... work round the rules, but don't break them !
We carry on .... mountains on the left, desert on the right...
Until finally we reach the outskirts of Bayingol...
Checked in the Silver Star, and this seemed to be the room layout for the majority of the tour ... two single beds.I had declined an upgrade to a single room, and with the Swiss lads totalling 3, it meant that one of them got the short straw each night.
Guess they worked out a rota in the end !
