To Chongming and Back

After more than 100 miles on bike and ferry, we're home from Chongming Island where we spent the weekend. Though my legs feel like jello and I'm still pretty exhausted even after a solid sleep last night, the trip was fun and rewarding. 

About 70 of us got going at around noon on Saturday, separating into three groups at certain points along the way for various reasons. A number of flat tires slowed us down, and we found ourselves behind schedule, having to take a later ferry over to the island. Once there, we rode on wide, open, and tree-lined streets as the sun was setting. This was a welcome change from where we had just been prior to reaching the ferry terminal -- on the freeway, riding alongside semis and breathing in exhaust fumes. Our lungs, no doubt, suffered; that part was no fun. (Day one stats here.)

But the reward was indeed handsome. After a much-needed shower and change, we gathered in the middle of a rice paddy field, at candlelit tables on a cement platform. A jazz band played in the background as we drank beer and began filling our plates with fluffy white rice and crayfish etouffee -- here,  a thick, spicy, tomato-based sauce with plump crayfish and red peppers. Although I'm pretty sure anything would have tasted good at that point, the food was amazing, and without shame, Mike and I went back for seconds. There were moments during dinner when I'd look up at the moon and down at my empty plate and ask, "Where are we right now?" Bliss.

The ride back home the next day was painful in that we had to do it all over again -- minus the bliss. Looking back, I would have liked to spend more time exploring the island (apparently, its wetlands and parks make Chongming quite the nature getaway). The route home was a better one (we stayed away from the freeway this time), but back in Shanghai, we found ourselves back on crowded streets and having to strategically maneuver around pedestrians, other cyclists, cars, and mopeds. At that point, I have to admit, I was done and ready to get off the bike.

Our reward Sunday? Burger and fries; my favorite fat-kid meal. And well deserved, I'd say. (Day two stats here.)