speaking of which
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It’s always hard to leave a good place, knowing that there is only that much more walking through the nothingness ahead:
I had picked the hotel I was staying at simply because of its name – Journey To The West Hotel 西游酒店, and it had definitely been the right choice.
Everyone was so friendly to me!
Today it was time to say goodbye though:
And then I had to go out into the rain:
Yes, rain. And yes, Gobi desert. Real nasty combination:
Are you also wondering about the white foamy stuff on the road? I had seen it before (the NYHC special move), and today when I asked someone they told me that it had to do with the pH-value of the asphalt or something. Hm… I guess I could live with that.
Still it was pretty nasty to get sprayed by every large truck coming my way though.
Remember me proudly proclaiming that the Gobi lay behind me now (is this the end?)? Well, it does in a way, but there are still some small patches here and there for me to cross on my way to Ürümqi:
Today wasn’t much: after about 20km of plain nothingness I reached a village that was nestled in a green patch at the foot of the Tianshan 天山 mountains:
There was supposed to be a hotel around here, so I just kept walking down the main road, past the little ones…
…and past the grown-ups:
Once I walked by a beautiful traditional grill somewhere, but I guess it was too early to try out the lamb sticks:
Then I arrived at the hotel and went into my room:
Why the candle though?
Well, the whole village was going to stay completely powerless tonight due to maintenance work on the grid.
So the hotel people had given out candles to everyone.
…there I was all by myself, in a room with a candle in a hotel full of strangers, somewhere in the Gobi desert.
Being romantic.
Hermann
na ja, immerhin, ein Zimmer, ein Bett, eine Kerze, Musik auch noch, vielleicht mal ein Fußbad oder tantrische Massagen, wird es doch in China bestimmt geben, oder, irgendeinen Trick kennen die bestimmt, der die Füße stärkt und die Heilung fördert und den Tunnelblick einschaltet, damit du die Straße vor dir nicht aus dem Blick verlierst. Bin wieder dabei. Herzliche Grüße und gutes Gelingen auf dem Weg.
Barry aka Ba Lli
Ich prophezeie Dir, dass wird noch öfters kommen. Und nicht nur weil mal eine Wartung fällig ist. Strom ist eben in vielen Gegenden immer noch Luxus. Ja ja, ich weiß, jetzt komme ich wieder mit meinem blöden Rumänien. War aber so: entweder Strom und kaltes Wasser oder keine Ströme, dafür warmes Wasser. Wir haben halt mit der Laschentampe geduscht.
Schön das Du wieder da bist, Hel Man.
Vielleicht noch ein bißchen zur Buchmesse?
Freddy
Finally I see RAIN!
Christoph
Hermann: Tantrische Massagen? Tunnelblick einschalten?
Barry aka Ba Lli: Ok.
Freddy: Happy?
Fredb
I know that feeling. I travel a lot with my job, and sometimes when I finally get to my hotel room after a long day I just think to myself: How did I end up in this obscure little place among these people all on my own?
It’s a nice feeling for the most part. As long as you don’t miss your home.