All Aboard for Dunhuang!

Well, I survived the 14 hour train ride from Urumqi to Dunhuang. It was quite the experience traveling on the train. I had reservations about traveling on a Chinese train because I wasn't sure whether or not it was going to be sanitary or safe - I heard a lot of horror stories from various people and websites, but my friend and tour guide, Lier, assured me it was fine and that we had the best accommodations. The train station in and of itself was completely packed and we had to go through massive security checks with only one entrance into the train station - it was absolute mayhem! People were pushing and shoving each other, and cutting the line - Chinese people are so aggressive! After check-in we headed to the waiting room to wait for the call to board our train. One thing I noticed about Chinese travelers was they often do not use luggage, but pack everything in a big plastic bag or multiple plastic bags. Some people do use small carry-on luggage, but nothing like my big suitcase. I had an inkling my luggage was going to be a problem when I saw what everyone else was bringing on the train. When the boarding call came, we headed to our rail car. I was fully expecting a private sleeper cabin for four people with a private bathroom. What we ended up staying in was a cubicle area with 6 beds (3 on each wall) with no door or bathroom, but had 2 windows with a view. The cubicle was open to everyone, so we had to lock up all our valuables in the luggage and sleep with our bags underneath the pillow.I couldn't store my luggage because it wouldn't fit under the bed, so I just had to slide it in between the beds, so it was kind of out of the way. What was I going to do on the train without getting bored. I had my journal, romance novel and guide book with me. Lier was reading my guidebook when the security officer came over and was intrigued by the fact she was reading an English book. We thought it would be better if we just told people we were from China, so they would just leave us alone. Everyone was so curious about us because we were speaking English to each other. Since Lier and I speak different dialects anyway, we can only communicate through English. People were so intrigued by us, so the security guard came over and struck up a conversation with Lier. Lier also tried to teach him some English, like okay and alright. He also gave us some pointers on what to see throughout our trip, and gave us some really good recommendations for cheap travel. Meanwhile, I was writing in my journal in English, of course, and kept commenting on my handwriting. He asked what I was writing, and Lier told him I was writing a book about my trip. While I was writing in my journal, a Chinese man grabbed my journal out of my hand to see my handwriting. He didn't even ask for it. I was a little shocked by it, and the security guard asked if I was upset by it. I told him I wasn't because I knew the man was curious about my handwriting and just wanted to see it up close. He couldn't read my journal anyway, so it was no big deal, just a little shocking that he grabbed it. I wrote in my journal for a few hours, not realizing the time. The security guard kept telling passer-bys how smart I was to be so fluent in English that I could not only speak the language, but write in it fluently. He also said he was waiting for me to finish my writing, so he could turn out the lights. I didn't realize he was waiting for me and apologized, and he said it was fine because I was doing important work. In all honesty, I was actually finishing up my journals for the NEH tour, nothing majorly important.

My biggest dread was the bathroom. If you don't already know, China is infamous for not using western style toilet bowls, they use squatter bowls. I have no idea why, but they do. The squatters make a huge mess and I didn't look forward to sharing the bathroom with 50 other people. I tried to be a camel, so I didn't have to use the bathroom at all. It worked for about 12 hours. I couldn't hold it anymore. It was okay, but it wasn't by any means anywhere near my idea of a perfect bathroom. The sleeper was fine and I was able to get a decent amount of rest, and the ride was pretty smooth. We will be taking another 14 hour train ride in two days, so I am a pro now!

When we arrived in Dunhuang, all we could see for miles was sand. Dunhuang is located in the middle of the Gobi Desert and is basically a big oasis. We took a taxi to our hotel, The Silk Road Dunhuang Hotel, and fell in love with the hotel. It is so beautiful with its rock gardens and zen decor - great for relaxation and meditation. After a quick lunch, we were ready to go. We hired the taxi driver to be our private driver for the next two days for the low price of $50 USD - that is like a month's salary for him. He was going to take us to a few of the lesser known places today - the Ancient Dunhuang City (actually a Japanese created movie set), the 1000 Buddha Caves (only 16 still exist), Yanguan Pass, and the White Horse Pagoda (total disappointment because there really wasn't anything to see - we were in and out in ten minutes). My favorites were the 1000 Buddha Caves and Yanguan Pass. The 1000 Buddha Caves were so beautifully painted and the colors were still vibrant after thousands of years. Unfortunately, we weren't able to take any pictures well inside because they are so meticulous about preserving the few caves they have left. Yanguan Pass was the best! Yanguan Pass was a fortress that people traveling the silk road had to pass through in order to get to the emperor in Chang'an. The fortress was converted into a beautiful museum with a great exhibit on the Silk Road. After the museum visit you are given the opportunity to visit the ruins of the only surviving beacon tower from the pass. The beacon tower was cool to see, but the view from the top, being it was the highest point, was absolutely amazing. It had the most amazing view of the Gobi desert, the oasis, and the snow covered mountains that border the Gobi Desert - simple perfection! I have never seen anything quite like it! It was so beautiful! Wait until you see the pictures!

Now that I have my Mac connected to the internet, I am going to post some pictures in my next posting. Hugs and Kisses!