📅 17th/18th September 2025 📍Baise, China

Southbound: Tunnels, Mountain Peaks and Everyday Scenes

Our journey carried us further south, and it was here the mountains began to really assert themselves—jagged peaks and rolling hills straight out of a Chinese picture book. Steering away from the main highway, we explored the side roads, curious to discover what lay beyond.

Impressive trees lined the route. In Hechi, we came across a Volkswagen dealership spectacularly situated amid towering mountains—a truly remarkable location. Hechi itself stands out from the other Chinese cities we have seen; the mountainous landscape surrounding the city creates a unique atmosphere.

As dusk fell, we pressed on. The motorway led us ever deeper into this mountain landscape, threading through a seemingly endless series of tunnels. Lorries were being repaired at the roadside, and along the way we witnessed harvested cotton drying and being processed right where traffic rumbled past.

During one short break, I stopped at a local barber for a shave — one of those simple, refreshing rituals that connects you to the country in a way that a guidebook never could. Watermelons were sold everywhere. They were sweet and perfectly chilled, and went down very well as a refreshing drink. Electric scooters zipped by everywhere you looked, weaving the pulse of modern China into every scene.

Next stop: