Pingliang

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“Angus” – That’s what I was going to call this one.

I went sightseeing at the Mosque fairly early that day:

crescent

What a nice building:

mosque

This was erected in the 1990s solely through the efforts of the community – just like the church I had visited two weeks ago (watch my back, Lord).

Too bad I wasn’t in time for the service, I sure would have liked to see that.

Am I boring? I think for many people this site must be kind of disappointing. There’s just not enough action, is there? Just this bearded guy wandering around ever so slowly…

Well here’s something for ya:

stones

See this river crossing?

Yes, I was forced to make my way through the blustering waves, jumping from stone to stone:

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MacGyver-style.

Oh, and did I mention the ever-present plastic bags that were lurking about everywhere, waiting for a chance to snap and pull me into the abyss?

…boy was I happy that the rest of the way was such a breeze:

1760km

As you can see on the pylon, I am on highway G312, which is apparently going to take me several thousand km up to Xinjiang – the most western part of China (or the most eastern part of Central Asia, however you want to look at it).

WTF, several thousand km??

Time for a good coffee break:

brown water

Oh, did I just say coffee? And did I really say good?

What I actually meant to say was…

foam

…Angus MacGyver’s wrath on the filthy scum who is responsible for this outrage!

“How do you like it here?” people often ask me.

Well, this place does have so much potential – with its range of post-modern relics in stunning landscapes:

pi

With its massive ancient trees towering over small houses:

tree

With its beautiful, kind and ever so charming people:

old and young

– but alas! there is always more than one side to reality:

fire

Ouch!

Well, even the toughest adventurer needs food, drink and rest:

muslim restaurant

Two hours of beef noodles and a Jackie-Chan-flick. What could have been better?

You remember the white line (cruelty lines, babies walk on roads inclined) I’ve been talking about?

Here’s what happens to anything on the wrong side of the line:

work

And here’s something that might possibly be built in its place:

pink houses

Doesn’t look too bad, huh? Kind of Mediterranean I would say, and so was this hat:

hat guy

The rest of the way wasn’t so nice, though; too many steps and too many vehicles:

truck

This one kind of reminded me of a work by Christo.

I smiled when I saw this little guy:

smart kid

Poor me couldn’t hold on to anything, I could just walk walk walk until the street lights got turned on:

lamps

And then walk walk walk some more.

– The first hotel had Internet but was renovating.

– A bunch of other hotels I went to didn’t have Internet.

– One place was booked out, and another hotel rejected me because… well, because I am a foreigner (something that very rarely still happens here).

I got very unhappy and said some mean things.

Then I walked another half hour until I found a place to stay for the next couple of days.

A nice hotel with Internet.



  • Hermann Mensing

    Boring site? No. Exciting. Greetz

    Reply

  • Yang Yu

    I really enjoy reading your post every day, although I have not written any comment yet.
    It is not boring!

    Reply

  • Anne

    Hey Chris,
    I keep on having a look on your page once in a while – and I start to realise step by step that I don't know much about China. Well, just what's in the newspaper and all that.
    The truth seems to be in the people and the every-day-life or -walk. You kind of catch pieces of reality with your fotos and the little stories. Hum…may that is what life is all about?? catching pieces of reality and little stories and share them. I like your idea of sharing it!

    Do you know this one: "When I have been truly searching for my treasure, i've discovered things along the way that I never would have seen had I not had the courage to try things that seemed impossible for a shepard to achieve."

    Anne

    Reply

  • jule

    du glaubst nicht wirklich, dass die seite langweilig ist, oder? du hast nur nen guten aufhänger für die sensationelle, wagemutige rinsalüberquerung gebraucht!
    naja, ich werde auch weiterhin gespannt auf die neuen berichte dieser langweiligen seite warten… 😉

    Reply

  • Alfredo

    Not boring at all. I got hooked on your site recently, and I am now reading from the start. In fact (I hope it is OK for a perfect stranger to say such personal things), I think you have really hit your stride since you have been in the countryside. The first few posts, back in Beijing, would not have kept my attention for long, to be frank. But once you were in the countryside, they became more and more focused. Some I find really memorable (the encounter with the "clean wanderer" on the day you titled Questions Unasked. I went back and read it twice), but most have a very intense quality. I like their factual character – the ones I like best are about the place and the people, with little commentary or personal opinion stated.
    There is a very strong sense of place in your pictures, too – maybe you think you are picking out the weird, or the pictoresque or the beautiful, but it ends up being unmistakeably China – and I enjoy it very much.

    Reply

  • John

    hi christoph,
    and i like the personal opinions that are stated as much as the factual ones.
    i enjoy hearing your take on the experience, and how you feel about all of your adventures. by giving us your opinion, we can feel your joy, understand your frustration, and vicariously share in your accomplishments. your adventure becomes our adventure – it is unmistakeably china, but it is also unmistakeably YOUR adventure in china!

    Reply

  • Steven

    Mr. H. M. is "speacial or what" !

    Reply

  • Steven

    Today is …….
    April Fool ……
    Right ?

    Reply

  • Steven

    I love to be bored !
    KEEP BORING !
    Man

    p/s
    Am I being a bit 'childish'?
    Just couldn't helpit….

    Reply

  • Wanda

    Hi Christoph! Marvin & I are reading this together tonight (and Ghosty too!)…what do they say "it's not about the destination, it's about the journey (or something to that effect). We think it's incredible and love reading it every day. Take care and get rested. Love ya…

    Reply

  • Rubi

    oh doch, kacken langweilig. was erdreistest du dich, so eine seite in die welt zu setzen?
    der spaß kommt doch erst.
    wenn ich da bin!

    Reply

  • Ina Zacherl

    Es gibt offensichtlich viele Menschen, die Deine Aufzeichnungen verfolgen.Warum sie damit begonnen haben, hat sicherlich unterschiedliche Gründe. Sie kennen Dich, haben von Dir gehört, in der Zeitung oder sonstwo gelesen, sind an solch "exotischen" Geschichten interessiert etc. Aber diese Menschen haben Deine Berichte in ihren alltäglichen Rhythmus integriert und freuen sich, genau wie ich, am Ende des Tages auf Deine aktuellen Erzählungen und Bilder, das spricht doch für sich – not boring!
    Ich freu mich natürlich auch auf die Ruben-Christoph-Stories, sofern diese zustande kommen…

    Reply

  • Christoph

    Hermann Mensing: 🙂
    Yang Yu: happy you like it!
    Anne: friendly words from a nice shepard. Didn't know that one.
    jule: Rinnsal??? Hast du die tosenden Wassermassen gesehen? MacGyver wäre stolz gewesen!
    Alfredo: If there is any improvement during my journey, then I am deeply grateful for it.
    John: Thanks man, you've been with me from the start, I really appreciate it, and I hope we get together again to shoot for CFP when all this is over!
    Steven: It's always nice to think of one happy Hong Kong guy up in Canada!
    Wanda: Think of you guys often when I'm on the trail. And of the kids, too. And Ghostie!
    Rubi: …die Beförderung vom Zwergonaut zum Robozwerg ist die aber ganz schön zu Kopf gestiegen was? 😉
    Ina Zacherl: 🙂 Die Rehage-brothers-story wird die allerbeste!

    Reply

  • kobe

    your are a brave guy,your have a strong will to finish the goal to me which seams uncomplishable!best wishes,young man!

    Reply

  • jule

    macgyver hätte sich warscheinlich aus den plastiktüten nen heißluftballon gebastelt und wäre über den reißenden strom geflogen…. aber ich würde sagen du hast das auch ganz gut gemeistert! 😉

    Reply

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