After several days of rain, the sky finally cleared. I hadn't ridden in a while, so I couldn't resist going out for a spin. I checked the map and decided to head west to Qingshan Lake.

First, I stopped at a nearby gas station. 50 yuan nearly filled the tank; small tanks are great. Last time I rode a bicycle there with coworkers, it took over two hours. By motorcycle, it took just over half an hour. Upgrading my ride really boosted my travel efficiency. I happily followed the navigation and ended up somewhere I didn't recognize. But who cares? You only see different scenery by taking different roads. Since I was there, I might as well look around. There were very few people, it was very peaceful, and the scenery was nice.

This guy was crouching by the lake, pondering life

In the dry season, you can clearly see how much the water level has dropped

I took a few photos, breathed in some fresh air, and moved on. After rechecking my location, I realized the right place was the Qingshan Lake Scenic Area, not Qingshan Lake itself. I saw the familiar big archway. Last time, we rode here, had lunch, and played cards by the river until dark.

A fading Chinese Dream. With the recent wave of child abuse cases and the eviction of migrant workers, what Chinese Dream is left? Only science-fiction China: Folding Beijing.

The scenery was still beautiful, but the power lines ruined it. I complained about this last time too. Whoever planned the lines didn't consider how they'd spoil the view; I couldn't avoid them from any angle.

I passed a stretch of road full of autumn color, lined with alternating green and yellow trees. On one side was Qingshan Lake; on the other, villas and townhouses. Real lakeside homes.

An action camera stuck on top of a helmet does look a bit odd. Once, while I was waiting at a red light, two girls walking arm in arm passed by and laughed at me. I knew exactly what they were thinking of: that famous show, Teletubbies...

The Ghost Face looks pretty good from the side

One from behind. It's been with me for over 2,000 km. A trustworthy companion; it's a Honda, after all. The Power of Dreams.

I reached the scenic area, which was still under construction. The view from here was much wider than before and the scenery even prettier. The developers clearly knew how to pick a site. Now and then, a visitor or two took a boat or speedboat ride. I checked the prices, and they were pretty steep: over 100 yuan an hour.

A selfie of a greasy middle-aged man, to prove I was here

My LS2 helmets. I bought two at once: Little Red and Little Yellow. They're cheap and reliable, and one of the few Chinese-made helmets with a SHARP four-star rating. I brought Little Yellow this time.

This was shot with an SJCAM action camera. The image quality isn't great. It's passable in daylight, but at night it's truly awful.

Pack up and ready to ride :)