Day 7 – Hanging Temple at Cuiping Peak

---

Woke up at 7:00am and decided to go for a quick dip in the Aman pool before setting off on the 400km hop to Datong. This particular perfectly manicured Aman pool must be one of the most spectacular underground swimming pools in the world. I know that, as far as hotels go on this trip, and as we head West, the hotels are going to be more and more localised.

We set off on the journey, and for the first time on the road I found myself totally in awe of the rugged beauty of the China landscapes. Heading through the mountain passes and catching glimpses of The Great Wall, it was the first time I truly felt we were on a roadtrip like no other. We’ve covered 2,000km in 7 days of leisurely driving. The weather has been picture perfect, and the sights breathtaking.

I was really looking forward to seeing the hanging temple, and as we left the highway and hit the dirt roads to Cuiping Peak, I began to wonder if my car would make the whole trip. We’d been easily outpacing the Landcruiser on the express way, but off road, the underbelly of the MX 5 suffered some minor grazing and progress was reduced to a snails pace. Upon reaching Datong the team satisfied their hunger on bowls of freshly cut Daoxiaomien.

One of the many highlights of this trip, The Hanging Temple was simply spectacular.

At over 1,500 years old on a cliff face that is constantly exposed to harsh weather, I cannot fathom how this intricate structure of wood still stands strong.

On the way down from the temple, Sin stumbled on a witches broom and we each took turns testing our flying skills.

Back to our new haunt for the night, a dubious stereotypical business hotel in Datong. We regrouped after checking in, and headed of for an unremarkable dinner of vegetables and breads before stocking up on snacks for the car at the nearest 24hr convenience store. Dang, no internet in this hotel so I’m typing this on Word to post later. And the room smells !

---

Comments

[Annie]

driving donkey
when you are driving a broom, it is as handsome as driving donkey...