Starting in Hekou, I first crossed over a minor mountain range, then joined the railroad at the Nanxi River. The next 68 km were relatively easy riding. The road and the railroad parallel the river on opposite sides. Minor ups and downs abound, but no major climbs. I had a tasty lunch of boiled beef jerky and sweet bamboo shoots at Yao ethnic restaurant in a wooden house by a waterfall.

About halfway along the day’s ride, the highway and railroad switch sides. The railroad bridge runs diagonally across the river. I was lucky that there happened to be a train crossing at the same moment I was there.

All along the river there are small suspension bridges, some wood, some metal, some concrete. I decided to follow one across the river and see what was on the other side. I rode my bike across the swooping, swaying bridge which was kind of thrilling. On the other side was train station and switching yard called Lahadi (腊哈地). Lots of old railroad buildings, railroad cars and engines, and a railroad turntable. 
  
74 km from Hekou is a town called Baihe (白河). It’s not very big, but it is the biggest town apart from Hekou on the route, and it’s where I spent the night.

Baihe has the air of an old railroad town. As recently as 2010, a station agent still manned the crossing. A sign warns that pedestrians are now on their own to stay out of the way of passing trains. I was lucky to see one chugging through town just after dusk; its piercing horn and slow pace made it hard to miss. 

I talked to some of the townspeople about the town’s history and economy. It’s ironic that whereas 100 years ago, when travelers elsewhere in the province faced weeks of arduous animal pack trains to Kunming, Baihe was one of the most efficient transportation connections in the region. Just hop on any one of the daily trains and be in Kunming in 30 hours!

By 2002, the last year passengers could still board trains in Baihe, that 30 hours no longer held much appeal. I talked to some old timers who remembered riding the train, but didn’t seem to miss it too much.

10 km north of Baihe the main highway makes a steep ascent up the mountain to Pingbian (屏边) County. At this junction I waited for James, who arrived in Pingbian that morning and rode down the mountain to meet me. Then we continued following the Nanxi River, only just time the road wasn’t paved; it was made of rough cobblestones, making cycling very slow.

Further north, the river enters a narrow canyon and at times the railroad disappears completely from view, clinging to the precipice high above. The river in this stretch is full of boulders, waterfalls, and deep, natural swimming holes. James and I went swimming in these.

We bought some of the cheapest papayas we’ve ever seen from a farmer in one village. Continuing up the valley, the railroad temporarily leaves the Nanxi River valley and makes a U-shaped detour up the Chahe River (岔河) valley in order to gain in elevation before climbing out of the Nanxi River watershed and onto the Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau. The cobblestone road also jogs to the right, running right up the middle of the “U” , producing the interesting phenomenon of railroad tracks running along both sides of the valley. 

From here it’s only another 8 km to the final destination. The Renziqiao bridge is located at the bottom of the curve in the “U”. The bridge is a worthy destination. With its distinctive 人-shaped arch, it is an achievement of design. But it’s the bridge’s surroundings that make it so impressive. It bridges a narrow gap between two vertical limestone cliffs, and is approached on either side by tunnels, resulting in a unique profile, which has become something of a symbol of the railroad. Having first seen it in photographs years ago at the Yunnan Railway Museum in Kunming, finally reaching it in person was breathtaking.

Wanting to get up as close to the bridge as possible, we climbed up to the railroad tracks and walked towards the east tunnel, only to be thwarted by a female railroad police officer. So we simply went back down the valley and up to the tracks again on the western side. This time there were no police guarding the tunnel entrance, so we proceeded inside with flashlights. Right where the tunnel ends and the bridge begins we were discovered by another policeman. Luckily, he was friendly and allowed us to snap a few closeup pictures from the viewing platform.

Back in Renziqiao village, which is also nestled in the curve of the “U”, we had planned on pitching tents and camping for the night, as there are no guesthouses in the village or tourism infrastructure of any kind in the village. We ended up spending the night in a local home at the invitation of a kind farmer.

It was night when the freight train finally chugged up the valley. We scrambled out of bed to watch it make its curve around the “U” and cross the bridge. Its headlight beam was playing all sorts of tricks, spasmodically illuminating this corner of the valley, and then that, as the train made its way along the zigzag bends in the track.

The nearest city with buses back to Kunming is Pingbian, 57 km away. But the route to Pingbian entails a backbreaking 1400 meter uphill climb. We decided instead to backtrack along our previous two days’ route, covering the 112 km back to Hekou in one day, which is perfectly doable since the majority of the route is downhill.