Awesome day, finally... Set off at a furious pace to try catch up on lost ground. Terrain is slowly but surely becoming a lot more dessertlike, rolling green hills changing into brown, dustier landscapes. Today's stretch is long and flat with a striking mountain range on the northern side of the road. Leaving Baotou behind there are far less cars and trucks on the road. Sometimes riding down the centre of the road for miles, where did all the people go?
Pic added by Ringles At dusk, comtemplate camping for the night but keep checking out the weird sunset ahead of me, a combination strange cloud formations, deep blue sky above and rosey peachy horizon. End up riding into a town and asking for accomodation. The guy takes me to behind his restaurant to a shed/outhouse building where mattrasses are cardboard boxes and my first roommate of the tour is chilling in his bed, reading a book, dressed only in his leopard print underpants, the guy reaked of baijiu and cigarettes but otherwise a friendly chap.