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TraveljournalJOURNEYDOWNTHEMEKONGPART1THEDREAMANDTHEPLAN¡¡¡¡MynameisWangKun.Eversincemiddleschool,mysisterWangWeiandIhavedreamedabouttakingagreatbiketrip.Twoyearsagosheboughtanexpensivemountainbikeandthenshepersuadedmetobuyone.Lastyear,shevisitedourcousins,DaoWeiandYuHangattheircollegeinKunming.TheyareDaiandgrewupinwesternYunnanProvinceneartheLancangRiver,theChinesepartoftheriverthatiscalledtheMekongRiverinothercountries.WangWeisoongottheminterestedincyclingtoo.Aftergraduatingfromcollege.wefinallygotthechancetotakeabiketrip.Iaskedmysister,Wherearewegoing?ItwasmysisterwhofirsthadtheideatocyclealongtheentireMekongRiverfromwhereitbeginstowhereitends.Nowsheisplanningourscheduleforthetrip.Iamfondofmysisterbutshehasoneseriousshortcoming.Shecanbereallystubborn.Althoughshedidn'tknowthebestwayofgettingtoplaces,sheinsistedthatsheorganizethetripproperly.Now,Iknowthattheproperwayisalwaysherway.Ikeptaskingher,Whenareweleavingandwhenarewecomingback?Iaskedherwhethershehadlookedatamapyet.Ofcourse,shehadn't;mysisterdoesn'tcareaboutdetails.SoItoldherthatthesourceoftheMekongisinQinghaiProvince.Shegavemeadeterminedlook¡ªthekindthatsaidshewouldnotchangehermind.WhenItoldherthatourjourneywouldbeginatanaltitudeofmorethan5,000metres,sheseemedtobeexcitedaboutit.WhenItoldhertheairwouldbehardtobreatheanditwouldbeverycold,shesaiditwouldbeaninterestingexperience.Iknowmysisterwell.Onceshehasmadeuphermind,nothingcanchangeit.Finally,Ihadtogivein.Severalmonthsbeforeourtrip,WangWeiandIwenttothelibrary.Wefoundalargeatlaswithgoodmapsthatshoweddetailsofworldgeography.FromtheatlaswecouldseethattheMekongRiverbeginsinaglacieronaTibetanmountain.Atfirsttheriverissmallandthewaterisclearandcold.Thenitbeginstomovequickly.Itbecomesrapidsasitpassesthroughdeepvalleys,travellingacrosswesternYunnanProvince.Sometimestheriverbecomesawaterfallandenterswidevalleys.WewerebothsurprisedtolearnthathalfoftheriverisinChina.AfteritleavesChinaandthehighaltitude,theMekongbecomeswide£¬brownandwarm.AsitentersSoutheastAsia,itspaceslows.Itmakeswidebendsormeandersthroughlowvalleystotheplainswherericegrows.Atlast,theriverdeltaenterstheSouthChinaSea.JOURNEYDOWNTHEMEKONGAlthoughitwasautumn,thesnowwasalreadybeginningtofallinTibet.Ourlegsweresoheavyandcoldthattheyfeltlikeblocksofice.Haveyoueverseensnowmenridebicycles?That'swhatwelookedlike!Alongthewaychildrendressedinlongwoolcoatsstoppedtolookatus.Inthelateafternoonwefounditwassocoldthatourwaterbottlesfroze.However,thelakesshonelikeglassinthesettingsunandlookedwonderful.WangWeirodeinfrontofmeasusual.SheisveryreliableandIknewIdid'tneedtoencourageher.Toclimbthemountainswashardworkbutaswelookedaroundus,weweresurprisedbytheview.Weseemedtobeabletoseeformiles.Atonepointweweresohighthatwefoundourselvescyclingthroughclouds.Thenwebegangoingdownthehills.Itwasgreatfunespeciallyasitgraduallybecamemuchwarmer.Inthevalleyscolourfulbutterfliesflewaroundusandwesawmanyyaksandsheepeatinggreengrass.Atthispointwehadtochangeourcaps,coats,glovesandtrousersforT-shirtsandshorts.Intheearlyeveningwealwaysstoptomakecamp.Weputupourtentandthenweeat.AftersupperWangWeiputherheaddownonherpillowandwenttosleepbutIstayedawake.Atmidnighttheskybecameclearerandthestarsgrewbrighter.Itwassoquiet.Therewasalmostnowind-onlytheflamesofourfireforcompany.AsIlaybeneaththestarsIthoughtabouthowfarwehadalreadytravelled.WewillreachDaliinYunnanProvincesoon,whereourcousinsDaoWeiandYuHangwilljoinus.Wecanhardlywaittoseethem!