China

Grateful for Travel

The last day of 2019 has passed. Into 2020 we go. Looking back over the past five years, I’m so grateful for the travel I’ve had, the journeys I’ve been on, the adventures I’ve experience.

Exploring the water town of Xinchang, China

Oh, the places I’ve been. Looking back, Asia seems like a dream. It was. It was a dream come true. So glad I took the time to go. Five years abroad is a gift that will keep on giving in the years to come.

Time abroad has widened my perspective and deepened my insights about the world in which we live. The friends I’ve made, and the people I’ve met have made me a better person. My hard drives are filled with images; my journals are replete with experiences. I’ve come away changed for my peregrinating exertions.

Following China’s “Mother Road” (G312) along the Silk Route through the Hexi Corridor entering the Gobi Desert.

Commitments at home hold me close. Far-ranging forays lay on distant horizons. Hence, this is a time for reflection of journeys past and preparation for adventures to be had. There is still so much more to see.

Exploring quiet villages in Zhejiang Prefecture, China.

The dream is alive. Winding my way back home, future adventures still await. The time is to move boldly into 2020, to set the conditions for journeys at home and abroad. As Newton posited, “An object in motion tends to stay in motion…”

Adventure is out there for those willing to look for it, and time never waits. Many want to go, but few are willing to pay the price required to go. Nothing stands between you and your dreams but thin air and opportunity.

Peering into the endless sands of the Taklamakan.

Go while you have the chance. Get on your bike and ride. You won’t regret it. Pushing it off to “someday” is a risky business. Life is a fickle thing. The day may never come. Act while you have the opportunity. 2020 and years beyond are full of promise. Move forward with confidence in the pursuit of your dreams. Live the life you have always wanted.

A glance back after crossing the Golden Gate while returning to the U.S.

Travelogue: Reflections from a Bridge

by Johnny Isaak ·

Travelogue: Reflections from a Bridge

Our return trek from Jiangshan in Zhejiang province to Shanghai was going to be a long. 224 kilometers lay between us and home. It was going to be a long day. Considering the miles ahead, we pushed on.

The day’s ride began at the crack of dawn. Cool air nipped at my bare face and jersey-only clad torso as well pedaled in the gray light. Early autumn was in the mountain air. Rather than stop and pull a jacket from my handlebar bag, I hope to shake off the chill as I leaned into the rolling hills.

Glancing over my shoulder upriver ascending the low arch one of the many bridges we’d cross during the day, my eyes cast up a fiery orange sunrise. Incredible. Allowing my bike to coast to a stop at the top of the bridge’s arch, I put a foot down to savor the serenity of the moment. Ah, one of the pure, genuine pleasures of traveling by bike.

Motionless water wandering into thick stands of trees had not even the slightest ripple on its surface, save for a blanket of lifting fog warmed in the yellow sun. A thick mountain mist defused the sun’s golden light. I unzipped my camera pouch, put the viewfinder to my eye and made a picture for my memories. It’s moments like this that make cycle travel so unique.

Many miles of riding nagged me back into action. I stowed my camera and resumed spinning my way down the road ahead. It’s small experiences such as this that make all the effort worthwhile. We had many miles to go before we would sleep tonight.

Sunrises are magical things. You only get so many of them in your lifetime. Embrace the moment. Put your foot down and take in those sweet little slices of life. Enjoy them one by one. Hope in the saddle and ride. Experience all of them you can as long as you can. Cheers.

Travelogue: Suzhou Water Town

by Johnny Isaak ·

Water in the canal lies motionless under a sinking afternoon sun, disturbed ever so slightly by the oar of a lone boat plying the water on its way to another place. Spring is in the air, and my feet are itchy. Destination: Suzhou.

The heavens have the moon and the stars. We have Suzhou and Hangzhou. — Chinese Proverb

Travelogue: Shadows on Lake Taihu

by Johnny Isaak ·

Returning home doesn’t necessarily mean suspending travel. It’s good to take a little time off the bike but still keep hitting the road in search of unique adventures.

Day tripping to the shores of Taihu only an hour or two north of Shanghai near the old city of Wuxi in Jiangsu Province provided an excellent opportunity to venture off the typical foreigner’s tourist trail to a place the Chinese know well.

Travelogue: Turquoise Solitaire

by Johnny Isaak ·

Turquoise waters, soft and blue, stretched out to a distant horizon. An unperturbed ocean lapped steadily along sandy shores. The faintest of breezes murmured over the morning calm. Distant palms on a slight hill gently swayed in an offshore breeze. Pastel clouds of soft grays and powder blues painted the sky. A temporary pause in the rain brought stunning views as I pedaled my way up the hidden gem that is Taiwan’s east coast. I caught a glimpse of it just out of the corner of my eye. The slivers of sand on a solitary beach glimpsed between the trees of to my right. Fleeting bits of solitude such as these are to be savored and not passed by.

2017: Adventures Remembered

by Johnny Isaak ·

The steady patter of raindrops form into small rivulets and run down the window of our Shanghai apartment. Vacantly staring into the featureless mist and clouds wandering through the skyscrapers and high-rise buildings, my mind drifts to places far away. It’s an excellent moment to reflect on journey’s past. Just a few days on the backside of this year’s winter solstice, our adventures in Hokkaido, Kyoto, and Hong Kong seem so far away. A new year is only a couple of days away while 2017 draws to a close, and what an incredible year it was. Twelve months filled with continual cycling and travel adventures seemed to pass so quickly. Such is the nature of time when you’re having fun. Before we plunge headlong into another year, here are a few images to recount some of our travels and places we experienced during this great year.

Travelogue: Winter Sunrise on Gaolong Bay

by Johnny Isaak ·

It’s those special mornings on the road when you’re up before dawn in the early morning hours out chasing the light. Camera in hand, walking in the sand along a quiet beach are those extraordinary moments to be savored and remembered.

Late winter in Hainan, China’s most southern province, brings with it a dense morning fog that hangs in the air over land and sea well into midday. A thin, golden light dances on soft ripples gently lapping at the shore. There are no crashing waves here. Salty wisps of a fresh sea breeze touch the senses. Cool moisture in the dawning air makes the pilings weep and wet to the touch.