How many bicycles fit into the courtyard of the Marco Polo Hostel at the same time? It's a question we'd never considered until we were contacted last month by the organizers of the Paris Pékin à vélo tour. Timed to arrive at the great wall of China 5 days before the Beijing Olympics, in celebration of the Olympic spirit of effort and stamina, this group of 104 cycle enthusiasts started from the Eiffel tower on March 16th and set off on their route overland all the way to China! Politics aside, one simply as to admire the energy of the riders as they steadily make their way across 12000km of very rugged terrain to their final destination. Marco Polo was a welcome rest, a few days ago, for the French, American, Canadian, British, Belgian and yes, Chinese riders and their support team, who yes, were able to fit all 116 bikes into our yard. No problem with beds though, as your massive Marco Polo can house up to 156 persons!

The group has moved on now, but you can keep tabs on their progress across Hungary, Serbia, Romania, Moldova, Ukraine, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan on the french language website at http://www.parispekinavelo.com