Few people were up early on 17th August – perhaps something to do with the party in carriage 9, that lasted late into the night. Gradually people appeared – a few nursing sore heads. I …
Continue reading140. Through Siberia to the Urals
Category: Asia
139. Lake Baikal
I was up by mid morning on 16th August, just in time for the train to stop at Ulan Ude. I staggered off the train in shorts and sandals, not realising that the temperature had …
Continue reading138. Beijing to Mongolia
I had no intention of missing a train that only goes once a week, so on 14th August I was up at 4:15 am to finish cramming things into my backpack. There was nobody on …
Continue reading137. The “10,000-Li Wall”
On 12th August, the intention had been to head first thing for the Great Wall of China, but plans changed around a little, and I ended up going to the Mao Zedong mausoleum instead. I …
Continue reading136. Temple of Heaven and Forbidden City…
I slept well, thanks to the air-conditioning, and being tired from the previous night on the street. The first task on 8th August was to find out if I still need a visa for Czechoslovakia. …
Continue reading135. The Dreaded Soviet Visa Application…
After the mega-party on the night of 2nd, I didn’t get up until midday on 3rd August, and only at 1pm did I have some breakfast. In the afternoon I saw a few of the …
Continue reading134. To Lanzhou and Xi’an
Early on 30th July I managed to buy a ticket for the 12:30 pm bus to Linxia – the halfway point to Lanzhou. Thus having the last morning in Xiahe free, I pedaled over to …
Continue reading133. Labrang Monastery
On the morning of the 28th July it was, yet again, raining. So another slow morning reading my Lonely Planet guide led eventually to lunch with the Swedes and a Frenchman called Cyril. A group …
Continue reading132. Mapping the Hills of Xiahe
Early rain on 26th July made me reluctant to get up. I went and met Klarie for breakfast, and we decided to hold off on the hike until it dried up. Back at the hotel, …
Continue reading131. The Curious People of Xiahe
After breakfast on 24th July, I managed to rent a bike and went in search of the Xiahe Hotel at the other end of town, in order to change some dollars into RMB (Yuan). This …
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