17-Jul-2008 -- This is the eighth out of 23 confluences that I visited on my bicycle trip to the North-East of China. The story starts from 40°N 117°E.

The previous day, I had visited 44°N 122°E and had stayed in the city of Tōngliáo (通辽市). On confluence day I got up at 4 am and left the hotel at 4:50 am. I always feel sorry to wake up the hotel staff at these early hours. On that day my departure caused – as usual – four people to get up: the guard in the entrance hall, who on my arrival in the hall wakes up the receptionist, who then calls the chamber maid to check the room and finally the garage keeper who unlocks the gate in order to access my bicycle.

I left Tōngliáo towards the North-East and kept riding with pleasant tail winds all the way to a place called Jiàmǎtǔ (架吗吐镇). I made good progress and covered the 100 km distance within less than 5 hours. In Jiàmǎtǔ the beeline-distance was 3.5 km to the confluence. I was prepared to hike this, but a nice asphalted road brought me within 400 m distance and another track within 250 m. I surrendered the bike at 70 m distance at the edge of a corn field and walked the rest.

The confluence was in a young sunflower field and easy to access by cautiously walking between two rows.

I left the confluence the same way that I came. In Jiàmǎtǔ I rewarded myself with a watermelon. The friendly shop-keepers posed for a photo.

I had lunch in the nearby town of Kēěrqìn (科尔沁). I continued biking towards the north. Unfortunately, a thunderstorm brought some rain and bad head winds. In the town Tàipíngchuān (太平川镇) I stayed for the night.

CP Visit Details:

• Distance to an asphalt road: 400 m
• Distance to a road: 400 m
• Distance to a track: 250 m
• Distance of parking the bike: 70 m
• Distance to houses: 1.82 km
• Time starting the hike: 9:40 a.m.
• Time at the CP: 9:50 a.m.
• Riding time (distance) from Tōngliáo: 4:17 hours (96.5 km)
• Measured height: 149 m
• Minimal distance according to GPS: 0 m
• Position accuracy at the CP: 5 m
• Topography: flat
• Vegetation: young sunflower field, corn fields and poplar trees nearby.
• Weather: cloudy, 24° C (felt temperature)
• Description of the CP: In the eastern part of Inner Mongolia on cultivated agricultural land. On the floodplains of Xinkai River.
• Given Name: The Young Sunflower Confluence

Story continues at 45°N 124°E.