Hangzhou Global Tour: Day 11

We headed to our hotel where we got an early check-in, got showered and rested a bit before a long afternoon in the sun. Before heading off for our camel adventure in the Gobi Desert, we stopped by the Dunhuang Soluxe Hotel (the only five star property in Dunhuang) for a wonderful lunch.

It was then off to another part of the Gobi Desert (different from the previous day), a place called, “Singing Sand Mountains & Crescent Moon Spring” (also known as: Mingsha Shan & Yueya Quan). This is a highly developed area with throngs of tourists,  but also a pretty cool and quite expansive area to explore.

After taking some initial photos of the massive sand dunes in front of us, we made our way to the camel stables (I assume stables is the correct term).  It took some serious negotiating with our local guides to find where to go—there was lots of shouting and jostling going on within the stables. Even our Chinese guides didn’t know what all the confusion and disorientation with the camel herders was all about. Eventually, we climbed aboard our camel, which was an experience in of it self. The camel rests on their knees, which also allows their mass to be low enough for riders to climb aboard. Then, the herder gives the camel some cues in order to raise, which is done by the front, then the back legs…jostling riders slightly, which requires a firm grip on the make-shift camel horn.

As soon as each rider and its respective camel was at attention, we began our trek up, and into, the dunes of the Gobi to get a better perspective of the awe-inspiring site that surrounded us. After an hour on the camel, I was ready to get off.  The width of the camel was stretching the insides of my thighs in a way that does not get much attention.

After disembarking our camels, we took a short walk along a well manicured paved trail to another attraction area within the park—this one would require us to climb a tall sand dune with the assistance of a cable and wood contraption resembling a flexible ladder. It was quite surprising how much help this device assisted the assent. On occasion, I would lose my balance and step to the side and would quickly find my foot submerged many inches into the sand.

After the arduous climb, we stood in line to obtain a wooden sled of sorts, a sand toboggan if you will. I thought it was a tough climb to get the pleasure of sliding down the dune, but it was nothing compared to the guys who carry the sleds back up the hill for riders who pay for the pleasure.

It was finally my turn and I was excited about going as fast as I could down the hill. There were quite a few people at the bottom, watching in great anticipation for riders to crash during the decent—much like you’d see at a car racing event. I would not be one that cause such oohs and awes…or so I thought. I wanted to capture the event using my new Ezviz sports camera, but this enthusiastic idea minimized, actually prevented me from being able to steer the sled. Half way down, with great speed, I lost control and was propelled forward. Thankfully, I actually landed on my feet, which caused some surprised (maybe impressed) gasps down below. I quickly got back in my sled that thankfully didn’t go much farther than I did, and rode the rest of the way down.

After sand boarding (sledding seems to be a better term), I meandered to this amazing pagoda that welcomes visitors to the Half Moon Lake (also known as Crescent Lake), one of the only water reprieves along the silk road. This oasis and the pagoda are believed to be originally built over 2000 years ago…it still welcomes visitors today.

After our day in the Gobi park, we went to a really lovely dinner at the Fuguo Hotel. One of the highlights was a chicken dish that was literally cooked using nothing but hot stones. It was then a late arrival back to our hotel where we got ready for our departure the next day en route to Athens. Click here to read tomorrow’s update. Click the following link if you missed Day 10 of this epic adventure.