This morning I plot the route from Dongxing, on the Chinese side, to Maoming in the Guangdong province, which Google maps tells be will take about five and a half hours, but is more likely six to six and a half due to the top speed of my little camper. Ok, I know I am not in Dongxing just yet, but it’s only across the Ka Long river, and I’ll be there in an hour or so.
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So I get a simple breakfast of tea, bread and jam, and make my way to the border road. It’s an easy and well arranged crossing, with the two border buildings either end of the Ka Long Bridge. I pay my dues, have my papers checked a few times and pass through the Vietnam gates. At the Chinese side I go through the same things again, but they get me out of the camper and give it a good look over. I suspect they are rather envious that I have one and they don’t! I am finally allowed through, but I don’t intend to stop, and make my way out onto the G7511 east.
Open road with the wind in my hair.
The initial G7511 takes me along the coast and south of the mountains. It’s a good route and I pass plenty of transports heading in both directions, but not as much traffic as I was expecting. The G75 to Maoming is a good, well maintained road and I make great progress through the area. En-route I pass Zhanjiang, a city of about 7 million people and a fine history. Despite its dynastic past, it was still a simple fishing village in 1898 when the French arrived and occupied the area. The French managed to force the Chinese into a lease of one part, and they renamed it Fort-Boyard and intended to develop it as a major port to take advantage of the silk trade. The port was taken over by the Japanese during the Second World War, and eventually relinquished by the French in 1946 by Charles de Gaulle. The port is now one of the busiest in China and has an annual throughout of more than 2,600 million tons.
The G15 takes me a little north and onto the city of Maoming. There are well built roads everywhere, but not that many vehicles on them. As I drive into Maoming, I notice the tower blocks and larger buildings in all directions.
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After nearly an hour on Google, I find a room I can ‘book’ in the Nanguo Hotel for 251 CNY (£25.00) for the night. I am using the Agoda.com site here, which is a little cluttered, but has all the right information. I could stay in the camper, but I am actually feeling a little out of my depth here. Tomorrow I head north east to Shenzhen, and look forward to meeting up with my niece in Honk Kong.