Hangzhou Global Tour: Day 10

Today was a travel day. We flew from Hangzhou to Dunhuang, China, which is located in the northern part of the country in the Gobi Desert. When we arrived in Dunhuang, it was a new experience for me…we landed on a runway that seemed to be in the middle of nowhere…no buildings in sight other than the small airport. The area was flanked by a mountain range, with the lying areas covered in sand. It was as if we had just landed in a desolate area of the desert. And we did, sort of. A small metropolis was just a short drive away. We disembarked the plane right on the runway next to the only terminal at the airport, which was a cool experience to be up-close to a big bird that roams the skies of the world.

We dropped off our luggage at a hotel, then boarded a bus for a campsite within the Gobi Desert. This excursion on the itinerary sounded like a cool experience…that is, to camp under the stars in the middle of massive sand dunes while enjoying barbecued food near a roaring bonfire. Personally, I expected to camp within a yurt or some authentic style amenities that would be more reminiscent of a Silk Road experience. Instead, we were at a typical campground with small tents stacked nearly on top of one another. And, it wasn’t just our group at this campground, but several others…at least 100 people in all. There were even other campsites nearby, making the total number even larger.

The weather in Dunhuang is much dryer than Hangzhou, so even though the temperatures were warmer, it felt cooler. Once the sun fell low on the horizon, it was actually quite comfortable, especially when a light breeze graced us with its presence. Because we were much farther north than Hangzhou, the light of the day lasted much longer, not getting dark until nearly 9:30. During the food preparation, I was wandered around a bit taking some photos, when this large Chinese group tried to chat me up. None of them spoke English, but they did understand the word, “American,” which to my delight, brought great applause. They offered me a drink, a shot of some sort. I later found out it was 100 proof liquor. I excused myself for a moment so that I could get a translator from our group so that I could thank them for their hospitality. We ended up getting into a conversation (through my translator), when they offered us another shot. I enthusiastically accepted, but my translator had trepidations. I told her it would be rude to decline, so she took a sip, but I would end up finishing it. It didn’t take long for me to feel the euphoric effects of the alcohol. It was enjoyable hanging out with this friendly and boisterous group, but unfortunately it was that same enthusiasm for life that would later proved to be quite a hindrance for us getting some much needed sleep. After dinner, some in our group, as well as others, took to the dance stage where a lot of synchronized moves were being preformed. A bonfire lit the night sky, and a bit later, so too did a round of fireworks. After which, the Capaldi family had a crowd gather as they preformed a few tunes, including their “Hangzhou Happy” song.

It was a lovely ending to the evening. Or so I thought. While it was now after 11pm, it was well time for us to head to our tents for some much needed sleep. Our tents were as rudimentary as they come, with only a thin pad for comfort and no pillows provided. The howling partying of the other groups lasted until the wee hours of the morning, preventing any of us from getting meaningful rest. Even when the revelry stopped, the heaving snoring took its place, preventing any visit from the sandman, which was ironic given how covered we were in granular partials. I finally crawled out of my tent around 5:30am. With nothing to do, I climbed the sand dune in front of our campsite to watch the sunrise. I lugged my camera and tripod to the top, but unfortunately cloud-cover hampered the amber glow from reaching the dunes. It was quite a sight, but I was unable to find solace given the massive chicken farm in the distance…the roosters were crowing away, letting all who could hear, know that it was now morning. Tomorrow, it’s a camel ride and some sand boarding, so please stay tuned for that update. In the meantime, click here to read the previous day’s events. Or, click here to read the next.