Jul 16.
Our group arrives late in the evening from our flight in from Xian. But not too late for Margaret and Tricia to check out the prices for a massage and to schedule sign up for treatments. How can you go wrong for 60 – 80 CNY (about $10 US)? Just add alcohol and a match?!!
Jul 17.
Our next morning is off to a relaxed start and I think that we all are adjusting to the time zone. We decide to follow Margaret and Tricia’s lead and schedule a foot massage as we wait for Morgan, Rick and Holly’s daughter, to fly in. She had to delay her departure and is to arrive today after a flight in from Michigan and an overnight stay in Beijing.
Today’s itinerary includes West Qianfo Caves, camel riding at Singing Sand Dunes and Crescent Spring Lake. And, sand bobsledding. Atypical weather continues to follow us and it rains in the evening as we head back from the Singing Sand Dunes.
Jul 18.
Next morning, we are off to visit Mogao Caves and then tour a local market. We end up with quite a bit of spare time and improvise by visiting the Dunhuang County Museum, a local crafts shop that manufactures stoneware from quartz like stone with high iron content (magnets actually attract the objects), and a welcomed visit to the local ice cream shop that has no ice cream. While at the ice cream shop we enjoy smoothies and wait out a downpour of rain. The region’s annual rainfall is 16mm and we witness about 25 mm (an inch) in less than an hour!
That rainfall haunts us later as we wait for our overnight train ride to Turpan. The train is delayed over two hours due to flashflooding. We end up checking in at the train station and then after jostling with the frsutrated crowd (no air condiitoning and high temperatures), we wise up and decide to wait in the bus. The bus can’t leave until we board the train, our local guide is there as well as two assistants that we picked up to help us with our luggage. And, it is a long way back to town from the train station.
The train finally arrives and we board in a light rainfall.
Please click on the link below to launch photographs from Dunhuang and surrounding area.