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Cycling China in the wrong gear and bound for Thailand

In this, Book 2 of the Rambling On trilogy, the load gets lighter and the speed slower, but Graham Field’s objective remains the same: he is fully focused on making the route to his demise as pleasurable as possible.

And so the quest to his Chinese destiny begins. Now relieved of the whiskey, the road nevertheless continues to be an uphill struggle, not helped by the sub-zero winter temperatures. But being towed behind trucks and loaded on to buses evens out the ratio of endurance and pleasure.

Along the way, Graham proves that, with a little manipulation, a dream can become a reality. Above the suffocating city pollution, he finds a clearer view of China upon a 2,000-year-old trading route through Shangri-La to Tibet. This revered road tempts with a Chinese whisper: an alluring ascent that calls to be ridden in a solitary trance of wonderment.

As the author pushes on, he promises himself, should he reach that pinnacle of personal achievement, the run-off reward will be relaxation. With the descent into Thailand there is a change of gear.  The gulf widens as he searches for the perfect beach retreat, refusing to be palmed off as a sex tourist.

One day at a time, that’s how a journey progresses, that’s how a diary is written and a tale is told. It’s far less daunting that way.