Hello,
We're Here! Zhangye has Jiayuguan, desert landscapes alternated with agricultural fields and villages. Then since we left Jiayuguan, we found ourselves face ourselves and the expanse of desert.
Jiayuguan is historically the Gateway to the West of the Middle Kingdom. We visited the fortress and we have seen, one last time, the Great Wall which closes access to the north and west. North, it was the Gobi desert that has opened us to the south, the north (the beginning) of the Tibetan Plateau with its snowy peaks more than 6000m. And west, for us, we went in the direction of Xinjiang.
We have four days from Jiayuguan to Dunhuang. We found several oases on the road, the tiny village with water pipes started to cool down to mid-sized cities as Yumenzhen, Ghazhou and now Dunhuang. We carry more water with us, around 10 liters for now. Generally, the distances are that we find one has maybe 2 times a day. The first night we camped Jiayuguan after the output of a village. Then the next day, after pedal half the day on the highway, we were surprised to find a city and then a hotel. Many merchants melons and watermelons were in positions before. They are delicious. The highway, yes, because again, the G312 is a national abandonment and along the highway. And here, people at tollbooths are not paying attention to our passage, so that's what we did until the end of the motorway Ghazoua. The 3rd day, driven by our enthusiasm, we did 140 kms in the sun. It runs really well on the highway! After 100kms, the sun was setting and it was more pleasant to ride (it was already 18h). Either we camped in the open desert, we reached Ghazoua is just 40 kms from. This earned me a sunstroke, very poorly prepared to be exposed to the sun for almost 8 consecutive. A headscarf is not enough. I just bought a straw hat. What a difference! For Oceanne, it goes pretty well. He wets his hat. She also has a small wet towel that she can put around your neck to cool off. She also has a sunshade on top of his trailer. We have therefore come to a 21h Gazhou exhausted. It was then told "no" several times for hotels. There are cities like that, sometimes it's all so on, and sometimes we must seek and go to a specific hotel ...
we were on the road the next day for Dunhuang saying that it was an easy road, 120kms in two days has to do with our water, it should go. Surprises. Immediately after leaving the city and he found himself in the desert, an intense really intense headwind blowing. I thought I was in Patagonia with more heat. The dry desert heat is more bearable than humid than we had before Xi'an. We do not perspire, or say it evaporates automatically. But when the wind blows hot, stifling and even oppressive. We were driving at 10 mph, I was directly in back of Rupert to try let me cut the wind. After an hour, we stopped to get behind a wall of a house. People have told us to go home and we were prepared to eat. Let's say it was their lunch hour and they have shared with us. It was our lunch, delicious. This is the first time we did invite from someone. We try to find out if the wind is going to last ... It is not known. It looked like quite a storm in the desert ... We did not get sand in your eyes because the it is the rock very very thin soil that remains. 30 km, 3 hours of cycling, we deplete our water does not move forward. He had to wait at least 18h unless he does hot stop and camp because no shade at all to stop before. We stopped in the shelter of a truck stopped to make a decision and the woman just give us slices of watermelon. We devoured it so fast that it leaves us the whole watermelon! I never appreciated all the fruit in the open desert! It is 80 kms to Dunhuang. We decided to stop a truck to bring us. It takes 10 seconds, 1 vehiculequ'on sees for getting caught. In the desert, people help immediately. And we're off to motorized hearing this crazy wind blowing. Idea was to provide some money to the driver arrived, but he sat next to us (we imagine the boss) is ahead of us and its price on the way! We negotiated! ... Contents
to arrive at Dunhuang even after only 40 kms, we are again exhausted! And it is even later. We plan to stay here for tourism and rest. Yesterday was our first day of rest. I was sick, bedridden almost all day. Digestive system ... My heat stroke has not happen. This reminded me of my only time ill during a previous trip, Honduras still has great heat. The same symptoms. Late yesterday after-noon, at 18h, it starts to do better, we went to see the dunes Mingsha. Rupert went climbing to the top. He felt alone in the world. I still really bad, stayed down, lying in the sand in the shade. Oceanne had an enormous pleasure to play in the sand, all alone, or with people around and watch people slide sledding on the dunes. We also saw caravans of camels taking tourists were walking! ... All with fluorescent orange booties so as not to burn your feet! Back at the hotel, I went to bed directly. 24 hours without eating. It all happens at midnight. And here I am in full form today! I finally had the opportunity to visit a little town today. Tomorrow morning early for us, 8am when we recently used to get up at 9-10am, before the great heat, we go to visit the Mogao Grottoes.
should take the bus to Hami, Xinjiang, after tomorrow, to request a third extension of visa. It is hoped to pedal librement apres cela. A suivre!
A bientot,
Dorothee
0 comments:
Post a Comment