Blogs from Gansu, China, Asia - page 5

19 janvier 2015 : Lever à 7h00 puis petit déjeuner. A 8h45, la navette de l'hôtel nous récupère et nous emmène à l'a&roport. Il ne nous faut que huit minutes pour y arriver mais heureusement que nous sommes venus tôt car il y a un monde fou. Nous allons prendre un A380 de China Southern qui contient un peu plus de 500 passagers et il est plein. Nous décollons de Sydney à 11h25 et arrivons à Guangzhou (le nom chinois de Canton) à 21h00 (heure de Sydney). nous réglons nos montres sur 18h00 (heure de Canton) après 6233 miles, soit 10016 kilomètres. Nous avons notre vol pour Paris à 23h20 ce qui nous fait un peu plus de cinq heures dans cet aéroport. Nous décollons avec une demie-heure de retard et arrivons à Paris à 12h30 ... read more

Leaving Xiahe today back to Lanzhou to catch train to Dunhuang. But first we wanted to visit the Bingling Si grottoes, a collection of carvings and frescoes and statues from the Han and Ming Dynasty. Trusty driver roared off in usual fervour and few hrs later we were at the boat launching place on the side of the lingshuia reservoir. Into the little speed boat and a 30 min race across the waters to the remote location where 'they' discovered this amazing site. Dodging the souvenir sellers and the restaurant touts we ventured into the chasm where the frescoes were. The caves were first cut In 420AD and continued for a thousand yrs after. There are 216 cave niches and one massive carved Buddha , about a thousand metres of mural paintings, and fifty pagodas. The ... read more

First day in Xiahe we explored the Labrang Tibetian Monastery - second in size only to that in ?Lhasa. We joined the many pilgrims and 'did' the Kora walk - a 3 km circuit of the monastery whizzing all the prayers wheels as we went. Very few touristy mainly nomadic Tibetian pilgrims who we're making their devotions. Many prostrating themselves on the ground in a repetitive fashion... read more

DUNHUANG. WEDNESDAY. 18.6.14 Dunhuang is an appealing city, a small, modern central CBD, offering reasonable fashion shopping, a variety of supermarkets and liquor stores, and a few outdoor shops. It is promoted as the gateway to the Silk Road and pictures of camels abound. The city didn't appear to be very busy, perhaps it was siesta time. Western China does gave a two hour siesta period in mid afternoon. Many shops appear to stay open until 10 pm. There is a tourist dining street, with the roadway lined with tables and chairs, bordered by hot coals' BBQs grilling lamb and chicken skewers, selling recently baked hot bread and veg. You must eat the bread when it is served hot, as when it 's cooled it is hard like concrete. This street food wasn't cheap. The lamb ... read more

WINDMILL CAMP. SUNDAY 15.6.14 111kms Brilliant blue sky, cloudless morning, finally. 32C forecast high. Last days of the HEXI Corridor. Now entering Barbarian Country! Scenery of high plateau bordered both sides by mountain ranges. As we are above the tree line, mountains are barren, giving very definitive shape to the rock formations. Mountains on the left are snow capped. Morning air is fresh. Today the site was 111 Kms from JIA YU GUAN. Before lunch route was uneventful, although came upon an amazing religious complex comprising seemingly a Buddhist Temple and a Muslim mosque and school, dubious I know, but the picture confirms it! Lunch was shortly afterwards. Much roadwork followed, roads were bumpy and sandy, certainly uncomfortable for cyclists! It was interesting being in the tour leader's truck as he was putting tape markers out ... read more