When Xi Tong again stood in front of his bunch of old friends, the “Ol’ Boy”, as he is sometimes called, had been away for 160 days. In the words of his pal Peng Yongkang, “He’s ?nally drifted back!”

160 days ago when Xi Tong turned seventy, he was ready to realise a long-cherished dream and embarked on a solo motorcycle journey despite his venerable age. In 160 days, he left his footprints in Tibet, Xinjiang, Ningxia and Gansu; he came to Mohe, the northernmost city in China, on his own. In Wusu Township at China’s easternmost end, he witnessed the first rays of dawn... The silver-haired old man on his “iron horse” became an unusual sight on the move, and this tour made a special birthday gift for this ol’ boy from Kunming.

“He’s coming. He just called and he’s passed Mile!” On the afternoon of November 23, Xi Tong’s friends gathered at the Guandu Square in Kunming to welcome the return of the ol’ boy, who had just accomplished the heroic feat of travelling across China. “Had I known he could make it, I should have gone with him on my motorcycle,” said a friend, This feeling was shared by Xi Tong’s other friends, all gray-haired hardcore motorcycle enthusiasts.

After the long trek, Xi was still hale and hearty, “I’ve been away for a while and I’ve gotta go home to hug my grandson.” His motorcycle odometer read 42,877 kilometres, and it was only 16,926 kilometres when he set out from Kunming more than five months ago. He covered 26,000 kilometres in 160 days! During his interview, Xitong didn’t mind sharing with everyone his wonderful experience along the way.

Xi Tong has been to Tibet on motorcycle three times. He and several old buddies once agreed to “take a tour around China along the border provinces.” Knowing that he would no longer be allowed to ride the two-wheeled motorcycle after turning seventy, Xitong finally submitted to his inner impulse and set out his dream journey.

Through 160 days, the 70-year-old man traveled 26,000 kilometres. He had a heart bypass operation and faced various potential danger. Xi Tong chose not to mention these problems or make light of them when his family ex-pressed their worries. His 70-kilogram luggage included food, clothing, a tent, a repair kit and spare motorcycle parts. In the Gobi Desert, he sometimes rode 600 kilometres in a day. He camped in the wilderness and luckily met the patrol police before dawn. When he was riding in the Gobi Desert, his heart was filled with loneliness at all time. Xi Tong said, at such times he would sing at the top of his voice, and it was quite an unspeakable experience to ride under the cloudless skies.