And suddenly arrived

The excitement for the final stage was clearly noticeable. Even so, I took my time again this morning, making sure not to rush just because it was the last day. At breakfast, I met a very talkative woman who was delighted to have the opportunity to chat with me. She said that the chance of meeting someone like me was incredibly small. In Chinese, this is called yuanfen, meaning fate or destiny. When I told her that today was my final stage, I could hardly believe it myself that this day had actually arrived.

The temperature was just as high as yesterday. By the time we set off at 9:08 a.m., it was already well above 30°C. For almost the entire ride, it felt as though we were cycling through one continuous city. There were still plenty of trees providing greenery, but very little farmland remained. Instead, there were roads crossing each other on multiple levels. To make sure we would arrive at the Bund in Shanghai—where the skyscrapers can be seen—in a reasonably fresh condition, we stopped for our first cooling break after about 20 kilometers. We were allowed to rest for a few minutes inside an air-conditioned police station.

Soon afterwards, we reached the border between Jiangsu Province and the city of Shanghai, while still—or once again—following China National Highway G312. Standing by the boundary marker, I realized that I had officially arrived in Shanghai, and that there were still 35 kilometers left to the Bund.

About 20 kilometers before reaching the Bund, we cooled down once more at a Starbucks. Two drinks there cost roughly the same as our entire dinner for two the previous evening—including drinks, of course. Watermelon prices also kept rising as we approached Shanghai. We saw prices as high as 3 RMB per jin (500 grams), fifteen times the cheapest price we had seen in Henan Province. And all of that was only a few days of cycling apart.

Little by little, we entered the metropolis, where traffic became quite heavy in some areas. From 15 kilometers away, we could already see Shanghai’s two tallest skyscrapers in the distance. For the first time, our imminent arrival truly felt real.

For the final few kilometers, we decided not to follow the fastest route suggested by Amap. Instead, we rode along Suzhou Creek. This route was free of traffic and not much longer. Twelve years ago, I had gone jogging along this very river, so I already knew this beautiful, traffic-free stretch of the city.

When we arrived at the Bund, we discovered that bicycles were prohibited along the entire promenade from which Shanghai’s skyline can be admired. I explained to the security staff that I had just completed a cycling journey of more than 13,000 kilometers and that I absolutely wanted a photo with the skyscrapers. They kindly allowed me to pass despite the restriction. Apparently, however, there had been a misunderstanding. My intention was, of course, to meet Jiabin, who had already been waiting for me. But Wenxin had told the security guards that I was “just going in quickly to take a few photos.” Later he told me that if he had said I was going to meet someone, they would never have let me through. The security staff were not at all pleased that my bicycle excursion lasted longer than expected, and they reacted rather aggressively when I wanted to take photos with Jiabin. They were equally unhappy about the banner that Jiabin had lovingly prepared for me. Fortunately, before they could stop us, we had already managed to take a few pictures. When we were about to leave, they told us we had to wait. They had already called the police, who were on their way. Thankfully, the police officers were much friendlier and let us go after checking our identification.

Soon, Lanxiang joined us, and we took a few more photos with the skyscrapers—this time without the bicycles. Afterwards, we went out for dinner together. This part of Shanghai is so international that it was surprisingly difficult to find a Chinese restaurant. Fortunately, Lanxiang knew one that was only a few minutes away on foot.

After dinner, we split up. Wenxin went to visit a relative, Lanxiang took the subway home, and Jiabin accompanied me on one of the shared bicycles that can be found by the hundreds on Shanghai’s streets. Since taking a bicycle on public transport is rather inconvenient, we cycled the entire 18 kilometers to Lanxiang’s home. Along the way, we crossed the river by ferry, where most of the other passengers were riding electric scooters. By then, the sky had become somewhat cloudy, and the temperature was surprisingly pleasant—comfortable enough to sweat normally for a change.

In the evening, Lanxiang and I returned to the Bund promenade. Especially in this heat, it becomes a major nighttime attraction. The crowds were enormous, but fortunately we eventually found a spot that was a little less packed, where we met up with Wenxin. To celebrate the end of the journey, we shared one more meal together. One thought stayed with me throughout the day: John Denver once said that true love and homegrown tomatoes are the only two things money cannot buy. Perhaps he wasn't entirely right, because good friends like Lanxiang and Wenxin belong in that category as well—they are simply priceless. Thank you so much for everything, dear Wenxin, and have a safe ride back home. There are still hundreds of kilometers waiting for you.

Jiabin and I will stay in China for another two weeks before flying back to Switzerland via Singapore. In Singapore, besides seeing Lanxiang again, we will also reunite with Yanan and Eden, whom we missed today. I'm already looking forward to seeing them again!