From a Sweat Bath into the Rain

According to the original rough plan, I wasn't supposed to reach Nanjing until tomorrow. But considering the locations of the hotels, it made more sense to ride a bit farther today and head straight to the "Southern Capital"—the literal meaning of the name Nanjing. We therefore wanted to set off a little earlier than on the previous days. However, we also didn't want to miss breakfast at the hotel, which wasn't served until 7:00 a.m. We weren't even there on time, so it was half past eight before we finally got going.

It was hot right from the start, and the heat was so humid that my glasses immediately fogged up—just like they do in winter when you step indoors from the cold.

The temperature wasn't actually any higher than on the previous days—it was even two or three degrees cooler—but the sun was beating down mercilessly. Taking more breaks was therefore essential to avoid overheating. Our first stop came after about 25 kilometres when Wenxin spotted a shop selling a local sweet speciality. It was a kind of rice cake and absolutely delicious. We were also treated to some sweet watermelon free of charge.

Then came a short but steep climb. On the steepest sections, deep in the forest without even the slightest breeze, my arms felt as though they were burning. It really felt like being in a sauna, and I thought to myself, "I can put up with this for a few minutes, but then I have to get out of the sauna!" Fortunately, this extremely hot section was only brief, and we soon reached the top of the small pass. While the climb felt twice as hard because of the heat, the following descent was twice as enjoyable. It almost felt cool.

After almost 50 kilometres, Wenxin wanted to find a restaurant for lunch, but I preferred to ride a little farther so that we would have less than 90 kilometres left after the lunch break. We still took a break, though, stopping at a small air-conditioned shop to cool down once more.

We finally stopped for lunch after just over 70 kilometres, and I was pleased to have already completed more than half of the day's ride. A nap would certainly have done me good today as well, but instead I felt another urge: for some reason, I wanted to sing. I sang a song that Jiabin had especially wanted to hear from me, one that had become deeply ingrained in my memory during my time in Xinjiang. I could still remember almost all of the lyrics, much to Jiabin's delight as she joined us via video call.

I had obviously impressed—and inspired—Wenxin as well. As we continued riding, we sang the Chinese song together several more times. The atmosphere was fantastic, and I hadn't enjoyed cycling this much in a long time. The heat, however, remained almost unbearable, and we were grateful for every patch of shade along the way.

Then came salvation: it began to drizzle lightly, and the temperature dropped by about three or four degrees. The clouds also shielded us from the blazing sun, making the ride genuinely pleasant. We didn't really get wet because the few raindrops merely replaced our sweat, leaving our clothes about as damp and sticky as before.

For many kilometres, our route followed a wide cycle path running alongside a major road and an elevated railway line. Eventually the rain became a little heavier, so we took shelter at a bus stop. It was time for another break anyway, and before long the rain had almost stopped.

We crossed a bridge over a river, marking the border between Anhui Province and Jiangsu Province. From there on, everything became noticeably more urban, and before long we reached Nanjing. The sheer size of the city became most apparent when we rode across a bridge stretching several kilometres over the Yangtze River. Even after crossing it, we still had nearly 15 kilometres to go before reaching our hotel. Arriving in such a huge city gave me a surge of energy that showed itself in a bit of exuberance. Wenxin was even slightly worried that I might become careless and do something foolish so close to my destination. But that wasn't the case—I was simply enjoying having reached this important milestone. My continuing streak of good weather certainly contributed to my mood as well. Not only was the afternoon temperature wonderfully pleasant, but Nanjing had also experienced heavy rain before we arrived. Apart from the wet streets, we hardly noticed it. It was exactly the same as when we arrived in Luoyang.

By then it was already quite late, so it made sense to have dinner on the way. A few street food stalls appeared at just the right moment. After eating, we still had a little over six kilometres left before finally reaching our hotel at around 7:45 p.m. Incidentally, it had already become dark by about 7:15 p.m.—I had ridden that far east.

And there isn't much farther east to go. Following the most direct route, there are now fewer than 300 kilometres left to the finish. Before continuing, however, we'll take another break here, as this city, rich in history, has plenty left to discover.