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I am riding on MARS (finally found it!) 🇨🇳 |S8, EP123
Mars-like landscapes in China: overlanding on a vintage bike
In this episode, I am riding on Mars (according to the Chinese that is). Regardless of what you call this place, it is definitely out of this world!!
Here I teach all my filming techniques including getting drone shots while riding!
The episode follows Itchy Boots as she rides through a landscape she jokingly calls Mars, highlighting its surreal, otherworldly appeal. She demonstrates filming techniques used on the road, including how she manages drone shots while riding. The video blends travel storytelling with practical cinematography tips, showcasing the challenges and rewards of overlanding on a vintage motorcycle in China. Expect sweeping scenery, solo adventure vibes, and a behind the scenes look at creating on the move, from camera setup to drone control and stabilization. The emphasis stays on the ride, the terrain, and the craft of storytelling through motion.
In this episode, Itchy Boots embarks on a ride through a landscape she calls Mars, a place described by locals as otherworldly and extraordinary. She pushes her Yamaha Tenere through rugged terrain, sharing the thrill of off road adventure while embracing the mystery of remote Chinese routes. Throughout the video she also reveals her filming workflow, including how she captures drone shots from a moving bicycle, giving viewers both a firsthand travel experience and practical tips for filming on the go. The episode blends rich scenery with a DIY approach to cinematography, inviting fans to witness the blend of exploration and craft that defines her overlanding journeys in China. The focus stays on the ride, the terrain, and the techniques that help tell the story from the saddle to the screen, all while celebrating the spirit of solo adventure on vintage machinery. It’s an inviting snapshot of remote travel, a reminder that with the right gear and mindset, you can turn an extraordinary,
The episode follows Itchy Boots as she rides through a landscape she jokingly calls Mars, highlighting its surreal, otherworldly appeal. She demonstrates filming techniques used on the road, including how she manages drone shots while riding. The video blends travel storytelling with practical cinematography tips, showcasing the challenges and rewards of overlanding on a vintage motorcycle in China. Expect sweeping scenery, solo adventure vibes, and a behind the scenes look at creating on the move, from camera setup to drone control and stabilization. The emphasis stays on the ride, the terrain, and the craft of storytelling through motion.
<p>Itchy Boots starts her day in Shanshan, Xinjiang, with a clean bike and high spirits, aiming for the bizarre wind-sculpted landscape known as Devil City. She admits her Chinese is still limited to 'hello' and 'thank you,' finding Mandarin too complex to learn on the road. After refueling, she hits a punishing gravel track that really shows the toll of Frankie's missing rear suspension. Despite the jarring ride, she marvels at the desolate beauty around her.</p><p>Upon arriving at Devil City, she explains how wind erosion over millions of years created these eerie, building-like rock formations. The area, stretching 300 kilometers, dates back to the late Cretaceous period when it was full of lakes. The howling wind through the shapes has inspired local legends of haunting sounds, giving the place its spooky name. Itchy Boots finds surprising joy in the stark geology, enjoying a rare patch of green in the vast desert.</p><p>Her day ends at a bizarre hotel sitting alone in the middle of nowhere. After a fascinating dinner conversation about the complexities of Chinese characters—learning that 'potato' literally translates to 'bean from the earth'—she attempts eating with chopsticks in her left hand. She closes the video excited for the next ride, which will finally cross the TianShan Mountains one last time before heading toward Mongolia.</p>
Join Itchy Boots as she braves China's surreal 'Martian' desert on a vintage Yamaha, with a broken rear suspension no less. This episode is a raw, behind-the-scenes look at adventure filmmaking—complete with drone crashes and bumpy gravel—against the otherworldly rock formations of Devil City. It's a gritty, gorgeous ride through Xinjiang that proves the best stories come from the hardest miles.
Itchy Boots rides a broken vintage bike through China's surreal 'Devil City' desert, battling gravel and filming challenges for an authentic adventure.
Riding China's Mars Desert on a Broken Motorcycle | Devil City
1:32 In China, only hotels with a special license can host foreigners, limiting accommodation options to mostly three-star hotels in cities.
3:40 Mandarin Chinese is very complex with thousands of characters; don't expect to pick it up quickly, even 'hello' and 'thank you' can be challenging to pronounce correctly.
9:29 On loose gravel, it's better to keep your speed up for stability rather than slowing down, which can make the ride more difficult.
17:29 To read a basic book in Chinese, you need to know at least 3,000 individual characters; many words are formed by combining characters.
1:32 In China, only hotels with a special license can host foreigners, limiting accommodation options to mostly three-star hotels in cities.
3:40 Mandarin Chinese is very complex with thousands of characters; don't expect to pick it up quickly, even 'hello' and 'thank you' can be challenging to pronounce correctly.
9:29 On loose gravel, it's better to keep your speed up for stability rather than slowing down, which can make the ride more difficult.
17:29 To read a basic book in Chinese, you need to know at least 3,000 individual characters; many words are formed by combining characters.
0:00 Good morning in Shanshan
1:22 Leaving the city behind
2:30 Refueling and tire check
4:45 Torture on gravel roads
7:03 Devil City appears
8:08 Explaining Devil City geology
14:42 Reached Mars landscape
15:59 Hotel in the middle of nowhere
17:29 Learning Chinese characters
20:19 Chopstick challenge and goodbye
0:00 Good morning in Shanshan
1:22 Leaving the city behind
2:30 Refueling and tire check
4:45 Torture on gravel roads
7:03 Devil City appears
8:08 Explaining Devil City geology
14:42 Reached Mars landscape
15:59 Hotel in the middle of nowhere
17:29 Learning Chinese characters
20:19 Chopstick challenge and goodbye
round the world on motorbikemotorbike travellersolo female travelleradventure rideroffroad motorcycleitchy bootsyamaha tenereyamaha xt600xt600zvintage motorcycle1987 yamaha tenerearound the world中国を陸路で旅するtravel china中国バイク旅中国のおすすめ体験travel xinjiangWhat is Devil City?
Devil City is not an actual city but a huge area of rock formations that look like buildings, created by wind erosion. It's named because strong winds create strange howling sounds that local herders believed were haunted.
How old are the rock formations at Devil City?
These rocks were formed during the late Cretaceous period, around 100 million years ago, when the area was full of lakes and rivers.
How many Chinese characters do you need to know to read a book?
You need to remember at least 3,000 individual characters just for basic reading and writing.
What does the Chinese word 'potato' literally mean?
The word 'potato' in Chinese is made of two characters: one meaning 'earth' or 'soil' and the other meaning 'bean', so it literally translates to 'bean from the earth'.
