More Bing Ling Si

Er, Scenery and some of the Buddhas we were allowed to photograph and a stone guard dog on a bridge and the second last one I thought looked like a dragon looking over the hill. Does anyone else see a dragon?

Xiahe dorm room and Bing Ling Si caves

These should be:

A shot of the dorm room in Xiahe (you'll notice, Brent, what I didn't include a shot of)

Some scenery on the drive to the reservoir

Then five or so shots of the stone, umm, forest? around the Bing Ling Si caves. 

Great Wall

I don't even have words. Me without words. To quote an American woman
I heard in a cafe the other day, 'My heart is overflowing.' But you
have to hear it with her leaning in to the r sounds with the same
accent as Terri Schuster's sister.
So with no words to describe the awesome, I'll give you the basics and
you will have to fill in the awesome for yourself.
We camped next to the Great Wall thousands of kilometres from Badaling
and Simatai where it looks like the wall you see in cartoons like Mulan. Here it is it is
layers of golden earth.
It was Andrew's 30th birthday. We celebrated. Al and Juan had bought
fireworks. Exploding flowers of light over the Great Wall in the
middle of nowhere.
This morning I found Fortnum and Mason Earl Grey tea in the breakfast
box. I cried. The taste of bergamot still lingers on my tongue.

They built it to keep the rabbits out, son.

We drive through a continuous basin between a pretty impressive set of
mountains. We've temporarily left the farm lands behind and, in spite
of the chill, it is clear we are getting closer to the desert.
The grass is a pale dusting of green over the yellow bones of the
earth. In the distance you can see proper shepherds surrounded by
fluffy white things that look far too sweet to be sheep.
The ancient remains of the great wall keep pace with us out the
northern windows of the truck. We have discussed what excellent cover
they'd make for a pee stop.

Xiahe to Jiayuguan

We went to see the Bing Ling Si buddha caves yesterday and it was
amazing. I have to share a secret and admit I haven't the slightest
interest in looking at buddhas. You've seen one statue with a wise look
on his face/earlobes, you've seen them all.
The thing that captured me about Bing Ling is what's around the
buddhas. It is the first time this trip that the scenery has left me
breathless. Though, to be fair, that could have as much to do with the
altitude.
We even had an adventure on the way to the caves. The mists and rain
were so dense that the boat driver couldn't see a thing, but he didn't
let that affect his speed. So when we hit the sand bar we were stuck
fast. The boys had to strip down, get in and help. The water was icy
and what we'd hit was more red-brown clay than sand.
The hotel we stayed in was a blessed relief after the hostel in Xiahe.
The dorm room thing was fine, though sharing with three men smells
quite different to sharing with two girls. The main difficlty was the
bathroom situation. The seven of us in dorm rooms were sharing a
toilet in a bed room upstairs. It was alovely and clean to start, but
several things made it a less than joyful experience.
First, employees at the hostel started using it. They had different
expectations about when you should flush and whether the pee should go
mainly in the bowl or mainly on the seat and floor. The toilet paper
ran out, so you had to remember to take some with you. No one cleaned
the bathroom the two nights we were there and someone alwas seemed to
be sleeping or watcing television in the attatched room. Then someone
pooed on the seat. Then I stopped drinking water. Hello dehydration.
Last night in the hotel in Jiayuguan I discovered you can get seven
cups of tea out of one rooibos tea bag and then I took the longest,
hottest shower you can imagine. I can't tell you how it felt after
four days of cold showers. Clean finger nails. Clean hair.
I got to share with our guide, Coco, again [and should be able to all
the way to Kashgar]. After we went for dinner with the drivers, Al and
Juan, we had the most marvellously girly evening, putting on
moisturising face masks and doing cross stitch together.

Labrang Monastery

I had a lovely time wandering around the monastery. It was very same same as the million or so monasteries that Mum and I saw in Tibet, so once I'd looked inside a few of the buddha rooms, I went back to my favourite travel activity. Talking to people. I had my photo taken with twin boys, then with each boy individually. We talked to some monks about football. We talked to a taxi driver about how we were happy to walk. I was too shy to take pictures of the monks, so I didn't.

It rains and rains here in Xiahe today. It is still my favourite place so far (if any one of you suggests it is because I found free wifi, I shall have to look at you sternly). 

We are sleeping four to a room in dorm rooms and have a shared bathroom up stairs that would have had tempers rising on the last leg. The floor in the bedroom is concrete and the beds are wooden boxes with a doona over them and another doona to cover yourself with. The pillow is filled with what feels like wheat. Once again, I slept like the dead. I know that pride goeth before the fall and all that, but I am super impressed with my sleeping skills at the moment.

I am sharing a room with the two Johns and Stuart. One of the Johns and Stuart snore, but in the easy to sleep through way. On the last leg we had three Johns and two Alexs. On this leg, two of the Johns transferred over, one of the drivers is Juan and there are two Andrews.

The cooler weather here is filling me with delight and happiness. A big change from the lethargy brought on by the heat sink that was Xi'an.

I miss the people from the other truck. I keep expecting to turn my head and see Mick. When something funny happens, I listen for Gaetano's laugh. I tried to tell Claire that there were banana pancakes on the menu last night. I have a huge store of inappropriate things to say and no Julia or Orla to say them to. I look for the Alexs every time Asima leaves somewhere (we had truck buddies to avoid people being left behind, they were my buddies. I felt very safe because they checked to see if I was there every. single. time.) I miss ordering food with Irina, we have similar views abot vegetables. But for all that I am as happy as a pork chop. No, wait, pork chops carry on, don't they. Well, I am as happy as a girl in China with a full tummy, new yak boots, lovely travelling companions and a good book to look forward to.

Lanzhou to Xiahe (on the 2nd

I spent the night in Lanzhou curled up in the gentle arms of Sleep. When I woke, my muscles were stiff from having been in the same position for more than seven hours.

I took pictures of the canola along the way for my uncle Rob. The crops are set out in patchwork rectangles of different plants. I can identify wheat, broad beans and peas. There is something that looks a lot like French lavender and the rest, I haven't a clue.

The landscape keeps changing. The hills are constant and the main variable seems to be water. Even here in Xiahe the mountains on one side of town are in stark contrast to those on the other.

I went shopping yesterday and bought some jeans because it is bloody cold here. I also bought some yak boots. I don't want to say I got them because Al (driverleaderperson) suggested it. He did suggest it (with a rather sarcastic 'They'll suit you') but I definitely probably would have done it any way. I prefer to think it is because I miss Nell and the boots are in homage to the ones she always wears to school.

I saw a huge bird of prey swoop down into the main (only) street. One of the Johns is a bird watcher and said it is probably a vulture. It was, maybe, ten metres from me but I stood staring in astonishment for too long to get a close shot of it.

Pingliang to Lanzhou

Goodbye to Gertie in Pingliang (apart from the surprise rescue visit)

Scenery

Tunnel

Mate

Birthday Cake for Tash

People taking pictures of Tash cutting the birthday cake

Three lots of scenery. I like how the houses and the hills are the same colour.

Kongtong mountain

To quote the little blurb on the ticket:

"Kongtong mountain is located in Pingliang City, Gansu province. It is near Xi'an in the east and Lanzhou on the west. It played an important communication role on the ancient Silk Road. It has the highest sightseeing, cultural and scientific value for its unique and beautiful natural landscape as well as its simple and profound humane influence."

I think I have already mentioned that I was mainly glad that I made it to the top of this one (and I won't mention that it wasn't half as far to go).

Xi'an to Pingliang

These, in order, should be:

Some lovely scenery.

Gemma taking a picture of the boy in the restaurant where we stopped for a delicious beef and rice noodle soup.

Gemma showing the boy how the camera works.

And a slightly blurry shot of some of the caves we've passed.

To Lanzhou

My timing has got all out of whack. The last two posts were from
yesterday and the day before. I have a bunch of photos I want to show
you, but they'll have to wait until we get some internet again. For
now I am relying on the blessed little kindle.

Yesterday we went to Kongtong mountain. I made it to the top of this
one, one of the new drivers, Juan, went with us and I didn't want him
to think I was a wuss.

Last night I slept in Gertie for reasons it is not really polite to go
into on a public blog. It was a lovely was to say goodbye to her. And
I can't bloody believe I miss a truck.

This morning was the last lot of goodbyes. I got to say a surprise
second goodbye to Mick when Asima broke down fifteen minutes from the
hotel and he and Gertie came to rescue us.

We had another long delay not long after. Two cranes were blocking the
way, lifting a truck full of bees back onto the road. Juan made mate
[tea] and shared it. Quite delicious.

Tonight was all about the all you can eat Korean barbeque and walking
home slowly in the dark. Hopefully tonight will also be about deep,
restful, boneless sleep.

To Pingliang

I don't know if I wasn't paying attention as we came in to Xi'an, but
the landscape has changed a bit. As we drove out there was that thing
I love at home up round Casterton and Coleraine where you are drivng
along the flat and the valleys drop down away from the horizon.

Now we drive through proper hills. Many of them have the caves dug
back into them that I remember from years ago when I caught the train
from Xi'an to Beijing. All the reds and greens have been left behind
and the hills are shades of honey mustard and khaki.

The new truck, Asima, has new people, new drivers and a new
organisational system. I am working hard on remembering that it is
different, not wrong.

Fwd: Goodbye to you

As anyone who has met me more than once can imagine, I am inconsolable
with the idea of losing so many people I love all at once. There may
have been tears twice or three times. No one tell me that I will have
a new truck and new adventures, I am not done grieving Gertie.

xx