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Day 4 and a very different day. We knew that today would be easier as according to the schedule it was an easy 60km to Danba. It was a beautiful day with clear blue skies and this made the scenery all the more impressive. Today was all downhill and we would be following the river all the way to Danba. We were not sad to see the back of Xiaojin and soon got into the rhythm of cycling. The scenery along the river was stunning and we cycled through several villages. At every village we were greeted with 'hellos' and beaming smiles. Seeing kids smile and wave never gets tiring and no matter how tired you are it lifts your spirits. Plus the warmth from people is really inspiring. This generosity was confirmed by a local farmer. I was cycling along with Deven and we passed an apple farmer and gave each other the customary 'nee-how' and waves. The farmer then shouted something which Deven informed me was an offer of some apples fresh from the tree. So I turned round and went back. The farmer hurried to the road and thrust upon me several apples. He also gave Deven some and we went away with about 15 in total. The farmer wanted no money and this was a gesture of kindness. Such a small offering meant so much. It again made me realise that the people with the least always offer the most. I was really touched by this gesture. On our journey we encountered many landslides that had either just happened or had occurred some time ago. To see this landscape scarred by the landslides made me realise the dangers these people face every day. Along the way we stopped at a Tibetan temple - which was very interesting. The incense was burning and the chants were being played over the loud speakers. We were able to walk around and absorb this place in the beautiful surroundings.
Due to the good weather and the rolling roads we made light work of the 60km and by 2pm we had arrived in Danba. We made a group decision to change the schedule at this point. The original plan was to drive back up to the peak the next day and cycle back to Baoshan. However, looking at the map, we realised we could continue down the river and stop in Ya'an for the night. The only one potential stopper was that there had been a landslide that had blocked the road and it may not be passable. So Mike said he would make some inquiries, get the latest information and if it was possible we would take a different route. We all decided to go different ways for the afternoon and Nic and I spent the time chilling out in our hotel room.
Stats for day 4 - we cycled 63km (approx 40 miles) and dropped from 2200m to 1800m
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