October 18th
107km (1,263m)
Impressive scenery today as we were surrounded by misty mountains (impossible to capture in photos, I've found). We followed the Great Wall all day...even riding through it at one point. Although small from a distance, it was surprisingly formidable up close – 15 feet tall and 6 feet thick, I'd guess. It stretched from horizon to horizon; a man-made structure on a truly massive scale.
Knut raced past us this afternoon drafting behind a big truck. He's already been told not to do this, since it is very unsafe and could get the tour in trouble if seen by local police. On the way into Jiaguan, he hit a big pothole (those are hard to see when you are right behind a truck) and warped both of his rims. He had his wheels rebuilt on new rims during the rest day. Despite this, he was still drafting trucks today. What an idiot.
Tonight is our last night of camping, and we're in an amazing spot - right beside the Great Wall and a kilometer into the open desert, away from the road. Perfect. We had a big campfire, told funny stories, sung songs and Louise even lit some fireworks...which exploded randomly in every direction. (Quotes from the startled spectators included “There's no way that was safe” and “Louise is standing farther back than we are.”)
Its sad that we won't be camping anymore, even though I'm happy to get a warm bed. In the middle of the desert, away from city lights, the stars always dazzle and the moon floods the vast terrain with soft light. It always inspires an extra moment of reflection...before I run back to the relative warmth of my tent.
Colourful traffic on the way out of town:
Riding through the Great Wall:
Me and the wall:
Camping beside the wall...in the middle of the desert:
More wall:
No comments:
Post a Comment