Dunhuang to Tulufan

This is us on the road from Dunhuang to Tulufan by bus. Is the terrain going to start looking like the mighty Taklamakan Desert?

One thing we realised by now is that the sights are getting pretty commercialised. This was the second time that Binni had done this trip and according to her the places had lost much of their original flavour. What I noticed is that the locals getting pretty savvy earning tourist money and everywhere you can find vendors who are trying to sell postcards, souvenirs etc. There is even a fanciful building at Sugong Ta (Emin Minaret) which I suspect is going to be a white elephant. Really strange. Virtually all the sights now collect entrance fees which are pretty steep. Fortunately, they are going to be used for conservation which is really a good thing.

This is the Bnfo Dong (Bozikelike Thousand Buddha Caves). Not as spectacular or well preserved as Mogao Ku but still worth visiting as it is at the foot of Huoyan Shan or Flaming mountain.We went to Gaochang which is a ruined city. You can walk in or take a donkey or camel ride. The kids there are wonderful.That’s me with our gear in a mess in the dormitory where we stayed. Most of us heard horror stories about the bad toilets and toilet manners of the Chinese but I found out a new one this time. Even if you check into an upmarket hotel in the west (Lanzhou and Xinjiang) with nice plumbing, they don’t function well and may jam especially if you throw paper into the toilet.
There is a waste basket at the side where you throw the paper after you wipe your arse! Haha, really gross especially if you use a squat toilet and the full basket is just beside you. For me, I just try my luck and hope that I don’t have to ask the service staff to help afterwards.
The temperature is crazy and we are both messed up with a cold and Binni hasn’t fully recovered. Still I am happy that I am no longer as tender as the day when we started.