Auto Stop around China - Part 1 - Adventures just start

So I am starting to tell about my adventure, crazy trip in China this July. I was in the wild and in small villages for 23 days. My journey began on 30th June at 4pm. In this trip was used only auto-stop, no other transport, for no transport were paid any money, I went through 12 provinces of China, more then 8000km, met amazing people, discovered the culture, met the most famous Tibetan singer, was in totally wild places, was close to death while climbing 5000 mountain without any safety and hearing the roar of leopard few meters away from me in the wild forest, was running away from police, and making friends with police and so much much more....And most important no money in the pocket...
So welcome to world of adventure, extreme - welcome to my world...

30.06.2010
Finally came my last working day in China. I decided long time ago, that I want to go to a crazy, full of adventures, exploring cultures, nature and far far away from big cities...
First I needed to say goodbye to my friends, students and other amazing people I met during my life in China... And I started my journey...
This day I could call understanding of love. Love is not always when you hear from people that they love you, and they tell it to you each day, sometimes it different...One of the small kids (around 4 years), the one who was the loudest and usually not listening to anything, started to cry the first, and understood that I am going away, and he will not meet me anymore...And he started to cry so much and didn't want me to go...but the same time in his eyes he understood that I need to go...he was just very sad...it really warmed my heart this short moment.

So finally said goodbye to everyone, seeing tears in their eyes I went on the road, and started my journey.

It is around 6pm, that for good hitchhiking gives me around 2 hours, as later it gets dark, and people start to be afraid to take someone in their car. So I need to use two hours that I have as good as it is possible. But everything goes other way around... There are not many cars, and usually they take me just for a small distance. At the end I catch a bus till the capital of Shandong province - Jinan... So driving in the bus with calm feeling because today I will drive for at least 300km. For a moment we stop in a parking place, and I see the bus that goes 600km in my direction, so I decide to arrange with it to go for free... And of course I make it :) :) So today i will pass some 900km, very good, and the best I will have a hotel in the bus :)
The bad things I still somehow don't feel the thrill of adventure and journey, but it changes when bus drivers invite me for a dinner...I eat, we talk, I drink some very strong Chinese brandy home made with a snake in it...but it feels good :) so why not...after this I start to feel adventure is starting and so much is coming...

01.07.2010
AT 5.30 I get out from the bus on the highway and again catching of the ride can start... Need to wait a little, because in the morning Chinese also are afraid to take someone on their car...but finally I catch a car, and I think that I am very lucky because I catch a ride till city of Xian, that is some more 400km away. We go really fast, everything goes great, but then we stop :D :D because there is an unbelievably big traffic accident and everything is stucked... So I thought that I will be in Xian after 4 hours but I came only after 8, as 4 hours we were just standing on the road. But I catch a ride fast til city of Baoji...The night is coming and I remember that in city of Baoji I have Latvian friends who live there...So I decide to visit them... And as the car drives exactly to Baoji it is a sign that I need to meet them...So I decide to become a guest and have a nice evening today.
Evening is really great, I meet Toms and Elina, we have some fun in supermarket, were I make laugh all the sales ladies, then we drink some bear in the park and then make great dinner at home, have nice talks, watch TV...but mostly talk, about Chinese, about our experience and so on...

I wake up early in the morning, eat something from fridge of my friends, and leave away :)
So after this I again go to highway, at highway gate people scream to me, don't go there it is dangerous, I just pretend that I can't hear them... (actually that road was dangerous it was very narrow...but I still went :D :D after some time I catch a ride, that is a truck...going real slow, but as there are no cars in the morning, it is better then walking... After some time I change the car, and now I am going till Lanzhou...

But about my future adventures read again the other day :) adventures only start...