what’s first?
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One last look at all that beautiful green:
…and then it was behind me, and nothing but dust and more dust were ahead:
Sometimes there were these surprising little patches of green, just as if some landscaping god had dropped them there by accident:
…but just because the plants can get water from the ground doesn’t mean that I can, so I’m still dependent on this:
“Water first”, a very good friend and me used to say once – and now it’s more true than ever. This will definitely become a problem in the future.
…but each day has its own worry, and today it was about the Internet, or more precisely: the lack thereof.
I’m using a GSM-card to go online, which has proven to be very slow but also very reliable throughout these last seven months.
But not recently – “no network” it would say, and then totally refuse service.
So once I passed this antenna I got out the computer and gave it another try:
“no network”
WTF??
A bit later, there were these signs on the ground:
BIG08 28m – maybe someone had hidden a large chest of gold? Or a cake? Or even my stupid Internet-connection?
Well, the inspector goes and checks things out, but alas! he found only this:
A shattered red pole.
Frown.
This was supposed to be the famous BIG08?
Frown.
And I had wasted 56m (2x 28m) just to look at this??
Super-frown.
Well, shit happens.
…
Somewhere on the way, hidden in all that dust, there were these murals from a different time:
…a time that seemed long gone:
…swept away by the waves of the “industrial revolution”, just like the walls that these murals had been painted on so long ago:
…
The village Shuiquanzi didn’t really seem that promising at first sight – there was no hotel, no restaurant and the shops didn’t even have any cookies:
…but I got a bed and some food in the home of a friendly car mechanic.
…and I managed to find a shop that did have some cookies.
..and somehow, magically, the Internet was suddenly up and running again.
So I guess things are looking up.
It’s good to be on a plateau.
Penny
water and internect connection, always remember bring the first and wish to get the second on your way…
Barry
Wie, Du kennst nicht die Bedeutung von Big08?
Melde mich übrigens ab, muss ne Woche zum Segel auf`s Ijsselmeer.
Pass auf Dich auf.
Hermann
wundere mich ja immer, dass es da überhaupt network gibt. also, christoph, hut kaufen, wasser nicht vergessen, es wird wüste….
Lilu
Ich finde das Bild mit der Wasserflasche toll.
Gisela
Hey, hast du "obrigado" gekannt, nachgeschaut oder geträumt? – De nada!
Jetzt scheint es ja ein bisschen öde zu werden. Ich bin sicher du findest auch dort interessante Motive für uns. Die kleinen und grossen Wasserflaschen sind auch unsere ständigen Begleiter. Leitungswasser im Algarve – nein danke, besser nicht. In Sachen Hut schliesse ich mich den Worten meines Vorredners an…
jule
halli hallo, die tage die ich verpasst hab waren ja wieder wunderschöne fotos dabei! der steinlöwe vom 1.6. kommt mir sehr bekannt vor, solche stehen auch in unserer einfahrt… 🙂
alles gute für die "wüste zeit"!
Christoph
Penny: True.
Barry: Viel Spaß!
Hermann: Hut erst mal nicht, habe ja Haare!
Lilu: Ein Lob? Wow!
Gisela: Hehe, kannte ich noch, das Wort.
jule: …ihr seid auch Chinesen?
jule
hehe, wir haben zwar früher silverster mit original chinafeuerwerk gefeiert, in meinem kinderzimmer hing eine lampe aus china, im haus waren ettliche chinesische sachen verteilt, der grauenvolle schnaps stand im schrank und die noch schrecklicheren faulen grünen eier hab ich auch schon mal probiert, aber mehr als fotos hab ich sonst von china leider nie gesehen. mein vater war immer wieder sehr lange in china auf montage und hat das land lieben gelernt. tja, ich werde es hoffentlich auch mal schaffen… bis dahin hab ich ja hier eine wundervolle virtuelle reise! 🙂
Austin
Hey, did I miss something? The town's name makes it sound like a spring, with pools of languid water everywhere… or at least one… did you just not shoot that, or is that name really more "optimistic" than anything else?
Christoph
jule: Später fährst du mal dahin! Gibt so viele Orte, die sich lohnen!!
Austin: Hm, good point. I think the place name is only suggesting that there is underground water to some extent around here, whereas the rest of the road is arid Gobi desert. A lot of place names out here have a 井 or a 泉 in them and appear as tiny green patches on the map.