The train arrived in Kaili early in the morning, and we are deposited on the platform and surrounded by rain and mist. We hoof the boxes about for a while, and go in search of a taxi that can accommodate our bike boxes. No such luck- the taxis are all Shanghai-built Volkswagen Santana sedans.
Eventually, a policement offers to help drive me somewhere I can flag down larger transport. We drive around for a bit, then eventually pull aside a flat-bed motorcycle truck. "Hey, buddy," the cop says, "You think you can carry a couple of foreigners and their bikes in that thing? Whatd'ya think?" It seems do-able, and the driver and I agree on a price. The cop drops me back at the train station, and the motorcycle-truck driver meets us there.
There's room for the bike boxes, and just enough room for us, if we squat and hold on! I should have gotten a picture of this set-up; it was something to see.
Kaili has steep terrain. We eye the surrounding mountains with trepidation and anticipation. Finally, just as we're about to exit a large tunnel, our driver pulls to a stop and starts a conversation with a yam seller. I can't follow it too well, as the local accents are strong. Eventually, though, I surmise the problem. There is a sign hanging over the intersection of the next big street, with a pictograph forbidding passage of motorcycles and motorcycle trucks. Hmmm. He motions that we should get out, but I'm pretty sure we don't want to hoof the boxes all the way to our hotel. Eventually, the driver walks over to another cop. Is he asking what to do? Yes, he is! So, it all works out. The cops deliver us to our hotel in the back of the squad car and the driver takes the bikes in the boxes, forming a small parade behind us.
Our hotel is clean, pleasant, and spacious, and we spend the rest of the day and the next assembling our bicycles, taking care of loose ends, and trying some of the local cuisine. People like the food spicy in Guizhou! Lots of skewers of meat and vegetables, cooked over an open fire.
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