I say for a couple of nights in a town called Liujaxia, where they obviously don't see many Westerners from the looks I got, and caught a boat up the Huang He (Yellow River) from the huge Dam, 60km to the Bingling Si Buddha caves. An enormous seated Buddha has been carved from the cliff face. At 27m high and 1600 years old, it's an amazing thing to behold (though not the biggest in China by a long way) and some of the other carvings there are both old and beautiful, a bit like me. I took a half hour walk [View Full Entry]

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I stay a couple of nights at Pingliang, possibly the world's most boring city, but visit Mount Kongtong, a Daoist monastery, perched precariously on the top of a cliff. It's quite a walk up the mountain, but absolutely worth it and looks just like you imagine China to look like, with little temples and Pagodas clinging to the tree-lined slopes. When you see these stunning views, it becomes immediately obvious why religious shrines and places of worship were sited here. [View Full Entry]

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After I finished the last post, i went down to the "night market" and had some dinner of chuanr (kabobs) and some bread, walked around some more, and came across this group of kids in front of a Dico's (Chinese KFC) dancing to this music. It was really funny, just watching them, and I got some pictures as well. Went back to the hotel, took a shower, helped out some Americans who were trying to communicate with the hotel staff, then went up to bed to chill, and relax. Turns out, the chuanr (i think) was a bad idea, so I [View Full Entry]

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Okay, well now I'm writing about stuff that actually happened today. Got off the train at 7:30, and went directly to a hotel suggested by god (remember, the travel book), and got the cheapest room, for 80 kuai. It has 3 beds, and no bathroom, that is down the hall, and the shower's on the floor below. I think I could have found somewhere cheaper, so I'll try for cheaper places in the upcoming days. I took a shower, and it was only 9:30, so decided to take a nap, as the last 2 nights of sleep were not up to [View Full Entry]

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Writing this a day late, while I'm in Jiayuguan, but will do my best to remember what went on. Beijng: Woke up really early, as in 4:45, and was amazed how light it was out that early, quickly packed up my things, had breakfast, and embarresingly left a bag of milky-cornflakes on the table. I know, it sounds weird, but I had a bowl of cereal, didn't finish it (probably had to do with the fact that I was nervous about leaving) and decided to just put the leftover 'flakes in a bag, then pitch it on my way out the [View Full Entry]

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The last of Dunhuang Photos have been uploaded but no labels have been given to them as this stupid Russian keyboard won't let me, its complicated, but at least you can see them! I have been all over the place in the last few days! My last day in Dunhuang was pretty low-key while also intense. I woke quite early and packed my bag ready to cehck-out and catch my train later that night, but first I had to make sure I could extend my visa. I headed to the PSB and to the 'Aliens' section and explained that I wanted [View Full Entry]

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Happy New Year to everyone! While my New Years' may not have been the best I have had, I had other things to worry about and they are the two things that travellers definitely don't want to be worrying about: money and visas. Yesterday, after my day trip with the taxi driver I hired him for another day to see a few more of Dunhuang's amazing sights, however after getting back to my hotel I realised that I was a little short of cash, I had enough for the day trip tomorrow and the entrance fees but not enough for food [View Full Entry]

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Mogao Caves and Crescent Moon Lake Unfortunately, whilst typing this blog, and getting halfway through it, I somehow managed to drop my LP on to the keyboard and in the process it deleted everything that I had written, and I hadn't saved it. So, even though I am frustrated beyond all measure I will try and re-create the masterpiece that it was. Yesterday, I managed to hire a taxi driver to take me to the Mogao Cvaes and the Crescent Moon Lake at Mighsha Shan (Singing Sands Mountain) so I woke up early after getting a good night's sleep to find [View Full Entry]

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Dunhuang I arrived in Dunhuang this morning and it is easily the coldest place I have ever been to. My fingers froze during the 500m walk from the train station to the taxi and bus stand. Once again, good old winter has meant thant anything recommnedd in the LP by way of hostels, hotels or restaurants is closed. They should have two editions, a sumer one (which could just be the normal edition) and then a winter one, where they remove 90% of the thing recommended in the book. This meant that finding an actual dorm room was impossible and once [View Full Entry]

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Its cold in Jiayuguan, especially when riding a bicycle So I arrived in Jiayuguan early this morning, so early that most of the hostels or hotels were still closed. The two places that I did have a look at both said no when i asked about dorm rooms, so etiher they were both full (unlikely) or they didn't want me to pay the cheap rate, so I ended up forking out for a decent room with a fantastic shower - really, this thing is amazing, it reminds me of the whizz-bang toilets that the Japanese have: more buttons than you know [View Full Entry]

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