Welcome to the first world tour of a vehicle powered only by solar energy!
Welcome to China22.04.2008
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The road from Luang Prabang to China is riddled with potholes. The Solar Taxi bumps and grinds. Hardly anybody ever strays into these mountains, so the astonished people all come out when the Solar Taxi passes through the villages of straw huts. Just before Luang Prabang, the Solar Taxi is plugged into a power point in a mountain hut when it suddenly bursts into flames. Luckily it's not too serious. The local mechanic brings me a new plug and attaches it to the cable. Unfortunately, this arrangement doesn't hold for long. I reach the last town in Laos on empty batteries. Tipsy people greet me at the petrol station. It's the end of Songkran, the Buddhist New Year festival. When I connect the battery to the power, I feel a blow to my arm as if a bullet had hit me. The new plug wasn't properly insulated and the earthing was twisted together with a phase. My first 220-volt electric shock, and hopefully my last!
The Chinese border town is a kind of Las Vegas. A huge, new casino, hotels, lots of shops, expensive cars. Eating in a restaurant, I hear grunting and scratching coming from the corner and discover five Asian black bears in tiny cages. These cute animals are kept to amuse the guests. James is waiting for us at the border. This likeable young guy dressed in European outdoor clothing is our tour guide and will accompany the Solar Taxi through China. China is the most complicated country of our trip so far. To drive a European car here, you need three months advance notice, an agency, a lot of money, a tour guide, and a Chinese number plate. This is a piece of paper that we stick to the windscreen. The local police chief hands me my Chinese driver's license. Thomas has to demonstrate the brakes again, because the officials don't trust the roadworthiness - not of the Solar Taxi, but of our Toyota escort vehicle. We set off. We've got 39 days in China. Lots of mountains, a full programme of events and 6,000 kilometres lie ahead of us.