Spaniard explores China on a bicycle

Barrionuevo rides across places near Tibetan in Sichuan province. Photo by Nicolas Marino / for China Daily

"Cycling is the best way to explore a new place. The average speed of 15 kilometers an hour gives cyclists a better understanding of the scenery passing by and the opportunity to meet more friends," says Barrionuevo.

In February, he rode to Qinghai Lake again. The only worker in the lake zone invited him to stay in his house by the lake. It was cold, empty and quiet. The cyclist rode around the lake early the next morning and felt "fantastic".

People are often friendly to cyclists, says Barrionuevo.

Once he went to a shop to buy a bottle of water. The shopkeeper gave him a bottle for free, but later charged tourists who came looking for refreshment. The shopkeeper explained that because Barrionuevo was a cyclist, he traveled with different goals than regular tourists.

"Tourists love to arrive at their destination by any vehicle. But it's the process of cycling to the destination that we enjoy the most," Barrionuevo says.

He notices that more and more Chinese enjoy exploring the world by bike, although it can still be difficult to obtain visas. As he puts it, the outside world is not as dangerous as one thinks if they dare to venture out and start riding.

Barrionuevo now lives in Beijing and works as a private golf coach. He prefers to ride his Manila rather than catch a bus. He has plans to cycle across more Asian countries.