Matt Schiavenza

2009 was my third full year in Kunming and easily the best. One reason was the traveling I was able to do during the year, both within Yunnan Province and far beyond.

In October 2008 I discovered that the best way to avoid the Chinese travel-season crunch is to throw your bike on a bus, get off somewhere in the countryside, and ride away. In 2009 I added two new trips to my resume. In late January, I cycled from Jianshui to Hekou, a city on the Yunnan/Vietnam border. On day two of the ride, we left Gejiu in the morning and descended a spectacular 1,800 meters over the next four hours, eventually reaching sea level in the Red River Valley.  I’ve never before been able to experience such a drastic change in vegetation and climate within one single bike ride.

For the October holiday this year I headed off in the opposite direction- toward the Burmese border at Ruili. Beginning in Baoshan, we cycled up the towering Gaoligong mountain range and settled into Tengchong, a volcanic hot-spot that experienced heavy fighting during the Second World War. After researching an article that would eventually be published in the most recent edition of Yunnan Magazine, we then cycled into the border town. Though Ruili is now far tamer than its reputation suggests, I found the city lively and interesting, full of great indoor food markets and even avocados, a sight for sore eyes for this Californian.

Aside from my two-wheeled adventures I was fortunate enough in 2009 to travel back to the US twice, the second time to attend the wedding of a close friend. The wedding provided a wonderful study in contrasts with that of another friend, which I attended in May down in a small village in the far south of Yunnan.

As for travels in other parts of China, 2009 was a bit lacking. I went to Shenzhen for a business conference in March and spent a luxurious day in Hong Kong, but otherwise my China travel during the year remained firmly south of the clouds. Not that I mind, of course- I consider myself very blessed to have spent nearly three years in one of the world’s most beautiful places.

My inveterate nature compels me to be on the move, so I’m certain 2010 will have its fair share of excursions, which I hope to faithfully document on this blog.

Thank you for reading!