Cheonan – Lufeng, Guangdong - 111 km
The route to Lufeng wasn't exactly picturesque, as the first part of
the ride ran through a built-up area. The countryside wasn't much
better as the fog hung low and visibility was down to a few hundred
metres.
The Chinese were quite friendly, and those who could speak English
usually stopped to chat. A friendly chap on a scooter pulled up, and
we chatted for a while. I enquired about a map of Guangdong
Province, and he said to follow him. We located a map at a bookshop,
which he kindly paid for.
On arriving in Lugeng, the road passed an inexpensive-looking place
and I decided to stay. Each room (even budget ones) had a
complimentary sealed comb, toothbrush, toothpaste and shower cap.
This day marked the fifth day of the Lunar Festival or Chinese New
Year and, officially, the end of winter and the first day of spring, and
it is tradition to eat spring rolls on the day. The day further revealed a
few taboos: no sweeping the floor and no scissors. People were
shooting firecrackers this time to scare away poverty. Still, I assumed
the noise was enough to scare away poverty and wealth. The news
revealed that 108 million people travelled by train during the first
week of the holidays. I was happy in a very un-touristy part of China.