In this episode, I get chased by some very bad weather for a while, see the biggest drones I've ever seen, and then I'm being followed around by a white van. Another day in China.
Itchy Boots rides through China's quiet backroads, outruns storms and a white van, then finds an unexpected free workout in a small-town gym.
In this episode, Itchy Boots dodges rain, giant drones, and a mysterious white van as she rides 350 kilometers through China's flower-filled backcountry. From Arctic-like roads and summer snow to a bizarre gym encounter that turns into a free workout, her journey to Jalaid is packed with everyday surprises.
In this episode, I get chased by some very bad weather for a while, see the biggest drones I've ever seen, and then I'm being followed around by a white van. Another day in China. International Paperback edition = NOT signed Here I teach all my filming techniques including getting drone shots...
China Motorbike Ride: Storms, White Van, Small-Town Gym
Bad weather stalks the road, colossal drones fill the sky, and then there's the white van that just won't go away. In this China episode, the adventure takes an unsettling turn as an unmarked vehicle shadows the ride through yet another day of surprises. With storms closing in and the biggest drones ever seen buzzing overhead, every mile is a mix of awe, tension, and pure travel unpredictability.
In the small mountain town of Arxan, close to the Mongolia border, Itchy Boots wakes to a wet, grey morning and sets her sights on Harbin. The previous day's rain had already taught her what Chinese roads can turn into, so she is wary but excited. With about 350 kilometers ahead, she and her companions, Bing and Xiao Yue, fill up the tank because there are no petrol stations along the way. Xiao Yue even secures ferry tickets for later, a small moment that shows the teamwork behind this solo-looking adventure. The sun comes out as she crosses train tracks, passing flowering fields and empty roads, and for a while it feels less like China, more like Canada or Alaska.
Then the weather turns. A dark rain front begins chasing her across the landscape, so she keeps riding hard to stay ahead of it. Along the way she spots snow still lying on the ground in the middle of summer, a reminder that this remote corner of China is tougher and wilder than it looks. At one point she passes a man on a bicycle who is somehow keeping up, and then she sees the biggest drone she has ever encountered—one of those enormous crop-spraying machines. It is a startling sight, a piece of modern China dropped into all that emptiness.
The tablet on her bike starts glitching again in the damp air, just like it once did in Angola, but she pushes on. The storm keeps following, yet she refuses to be caught. After passing through the small town of Suiling, she realizes something else: an unmarked white van has been trailing her. Every time she speeds up, it speeds up. When she slows down, it slows down. It stays right behind her through overtakes and corners, and the tension is impossible to ignore.
She decides it is time to shake it and suddenly turns off the main road. Relief comes quickly as the van disappears, and she rolls into Jalaid, where a replica of the Eiffel Tower stands in the middle of a Chinese town—something she jokingly calls the 'Temu version.' The rain finally catches up just as she reaches the hotel, but she is already inside, safe and dry.
Not ready to call it a day, Itchy Boots heads out to find a gym. The first place looks completely abandoned, a huge hall with cycling bikes and table tennis, but no real fitness equipment. A second search leads her to the Minkshi Fitness Club, which turns out to be part gym, part pool hall. Inside, the locals wave her in, skip the Alipay payment, and hand her water. She gets in a surprisingly good workout, then meets Bing and Xiao Yue for dinner. It is a small, unplanned glimpse of everyday Chinese life, and exactly the kind of authentic moment that makes traveling by motorcycle so rewarding.
