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Day 16:
The train ride is actually quite fun, with us making friends with our cabin
mates, and a little boy from the neighbouring cabin actually had so much fun
playing with Yanling that he nearly cried when we had to alight the train!!
We've finally reached
Dunhuang, after a long wait in the bus at Liuyuan rail station. The driver
refused to start the bus, and we had to see time pass for 1 hour. I've decided
that China is the place for those who can take the Chinese's' slow pace.
Day 17: We
wasted the whole day (strolled to Dunhuang Garden under the hot scorching sun,
finished up 1/4 watermelon, slept the whole afternoon) just for the sunset, cos
Mingshashan(Singing Sand Mountains) is too hot a place to be in during the day.
There's also a sharp change of temperature from the past 2 weeks, and here we
are, in the middle of an oasis, and in our shorts.
Climbing up the sand dunes
is an extreme test to our legs cum emotion test
(2 little kids of about 5 years
old overtook us in the middle of our climb, and we lost sight of them in
seconds! leaving the 2 of us--jaws dropped).
If going up the dunes is a
difficult task, then coming down is another test to take--we were so afraid that
we would to roll down the sand (about 10 stories) that we hesitated for very
long, before deciding to pluck up our courage (if not, we'll be stranded in the
dark and cold desert for the night!).
And for the sake for future travellers going to China, don't ever try their 'da pen ji'--literally translated being 'big pot of chicken'. Sounds interesting?? That's what Yanling and I thought when we rode back to Dunhuang town after the tedious climb up and down the sand dunes. Our new friend, a caretaker in Feitian Hotel, recommended us his favourite shop, assured us that it's a very good choice, and off we go, waited 20 minutes for our 'da pen ji'.
For those who come from Southeast Asia, 'da pen ji' is actually curry chicken, except that it's terribly hot, and not as spicy as the curry we know of, in a big basin (really, it's the kind of big red basin the Chinese uses for washing face!). Dried chillies float on the gravy (a layer of chilli oil, technically speaking), and we were given a whole plate of pasta-like cooked dough to dip with the gravy!! *Yucks* again. I can't imagine how much oil I had consumed.
No points for guessing right: we couldn't finish the 'da pen ji'. And can you imagine that they have 'da pen tu' (rabbit's meat) and 'da pen yang' (lamb)??!!
Day 18: Another attraction in Dunhuang is the Mogao Caves. It's another human's great creation, where people in the olden times found the dried-up river, dug up caves in the river bank, and made paintings in them. A total of 492 grottoes are standing today, being exposed to the harsh elements of the climate.
Dunhuang is one of the major crossroad of the Silk Route, and the paintings are of Buddhism influence. We only got to see selected caves cos they are very vulnerable to sunlight. But a great pity to these caves is that many beautiful wall paintings and Buddha figurines had been dug and transported away to places like USA and Germany.
However, even without these missing valuable gems, Mogao Caves still shines and leaves visitors with a deep impression.
Day 19:Stepped out of the rail station, got a good deal to take us to Turpan, and off we go, to the 2nd lowest depression on earth (after the Dead Sea). It's really, really hot in Turpan. Noon temperature hit over 35 degree C, and this isn't high summer yet!!
The normal tour ride to surrounding places include Gaochang Ruins,Flaming Mountain,
Bezekilk Thousand Buddha Caves, Jiaohe Ruins, and Karez Underground Irrigation Channels.
But by noon, when we reached Jiaohe Ruins, it was too hot for us to stay under the sun. The best place to be: under the trees!!