Traveling

Dunhuang- Gobi Desert!

Just because I am so excited I won't tell you about the past week- I will catch up on all that when I get to beijing.

Today, we got to the Gobi Desert!! A desert- with camels and everything! We took the train from Lanzhou to Liuyuan (sp?) and then a bus for 3 hrs to get to Dunhaung. The whole thing has been so amazing. Just to explain a bit: I have been having quite a bit of trouble with the traveling part of traveling.. umm.. I don't especially like the smoking in the trains and buses, the fuss to buy tickets and well, thats about it really. So the train to Dunhuang, I got the tickets at the counter (usually f does this, but she was like 'you can do it!' and I did!) Then after getting the tickets I checked where we were actually going.. i.e. compared the characters on the ticket to the characters for Dunhuang and SURPRISE! they matched. Yay Me! So that train ride, which we originally thought would take from 4:20pm to 12:00pm the next day ended up taking only 14 hrs.. (only... we were woken up at 5:30am) Then we got a bus right away but it was empty. This is a very bad thing In China bc buses only leave when they are full. Very full. Like people on every seat AND in the aisles. And there is no exception. EXCEPT the bus to Dunhuang. It left with only F and I and one other guy..

And thats how Dunhuang started. We got in around 930am and found a hotel with hot water right away. We then set out for the sand dunes. There are quite famous caves not far from here, and thats the reason most ppl make it to this area but we are saving those for our second day.
Fist off, Dunhuang seems like a relatively large city, but without the dirt and noise and, well, all that disgusting stuff, that ever other city has. Its beautiful. We walked the 6 km to the dunes and were amazed. They just rise out of no where.

There is also a cover charge of 80 kuai (which is ridiculous- our hotel with own bathroom and shower is 30 kuai a nite). Fabs book wrote of a place you coulsd sneak in, so we went about looking for it (how can you possibly fence off sand dunes?) and finally found it- we only had to jump 2 fences and slip through a barbed wire one... a truly 'Ting Boo Dong' moment. (Have I told you that Ting Boo Dong means i hear you but I dont understand you- smthg we use VERY often). Anyhow, we walked in awe of these dunes (you are going to be amazed at the photos) and found the place you can sand tobbogan!! Yes thats right. So fun! Then we went paragliding down the dunes.. well f did. I ended up getting very dizzy (too much sun- not enough food) and wiped out twice before giving up. Just think for a second what it was like to have an "instructor" try to explain what you have to do when you cant speak his language and he cant speak yours. Good times.
Him: Run Run Run! No Jump! Run Run Run!
Me: No Jump?
Him: NO NO NO Jump! Run Run Run! 1 2 3 Run Run Run!
Oy.

Then we lounged on the grass, said hello to many many Chinese tourists and got on many tourists videos and talked about where we are going next.
F then decided to walk along the top of the dunes and I decided to lounge some more. I followed her bright orange pants all along and met her at the end near the entrance.. We stayed til the sun set and then walked back.

We have a plan. I think. She will head South East and I will head to the center of China on the 20th. I want to see the worlds largest Buddha at Leshan, and then perhaps make it to the Panda reserve before meeting F in Yangshuo in the SE. She wants to go rock climbing- I don't.
We will then head to Tiger Leaping Gorge which is supposed to be THE most amazing spot in China. I' ll keep you posted.
Then I think we will head to Laos, but this depends on who we meet in Kunming and other places-
Hope you are all doing well- thanks for the comments!

posted by jjoollee @ 7:19 AM