Mike Chrisp

After packing the jeep we set off for the nearby fort at Jiayuguan where we stopped to have a look at but no time to explore the newly restored 14th century fort guarding the old Silk Road. It defends the narrow strip between the Qinlian Shan and the Hei Shan. It was built in 1372 and was considered impregnable. It was the furthest west out post of the empire.

Continuing on towards the expressway, we studied the map and noticed that the legend stated -under construction. What did it mean? We would soon find out. The metalled road just stopped as we passed through some large metal gates. The construction of the new expressway took precedence over the old road and drivers were left to their own devices.

The desert now encroached. Heavily laden trucks with their big tyres had chewed up the surface and we were effectively driving on sand. Cars, 4x4s and trucks both large and small had to negotiate a tortuous route at times down to one trail as the potholes gapped deep and wide. Lao Bei had to use all his off road skills to weave his way through the traffic. Overtaking some going our way and avoiding trucks coming towards us.

The sand thrown up was fine, like talcum powder. The rear view was impossible as dust billowed out from the tyres. We dare not open the windows and bounced around with the luxury of an over strained air-conditioning unit.

The Qinlian Shan sat low and brown to the south. To the north was nothingness. A vast flat empty space with the occasional bit of desiccated scrub. We drove on hour after hour. Lao Bei occasionally hit a bit of metalled road surface as we crossed and re-crossed the new expressway. Trucks carrying all manner of commodities just ploughed on towards Hami, northwestward or back from where we had just come.

We had to make a detour through Anxi as the main road was being re-constructed but eventually found the road to Dunhuang. We saw our first Bactrian camels just out side of the city, a group of about fifteen of them, eating the scrub.

The Qinlian Shan were much closer now but the region to the north was as flat as a pool table. With the heat brought the mirages and inviting looking lakes would appear. With the speed of the car we could see how the phenomenon changed with our angle to the sun.

At 4:50 pm we pulled in to the car park to see the Mogoa Caves. We photographed the caves, which extend over 1.7 km along a canyon wall but could not look around as they shut at 5:00 pm. All this way and we never got to see probably the greatest collection of Buddhist wall paintings in the world. The first cave art appeared around 366 AD and grew over years to house 1400 or so monks and nuns. There were many monasteries built and represent Sui, Tang and XiXia. Although there was a museum with faithfully reproduced reproductions we never got to see them.

Tim and I were bitterly disappointed. We had hoped that at least we might be able to photograph the replicas, as we knew photography was prohibited. We almost had a falling out with our driver. The distances we had to travel meant that we did not have a lot of time to see the culture we wanted to.

"Hami, we go Hami." Said Lao Bei.

Tim and I were pretty upset and Tim stalked off to get something to eat. Lao Bei followed as we found a cafeteria like eatery.

"No, no, no, no. Hami, we go Hami.

Tim bought an ice cream and some water and we wandered back to the Nissan. We tried to explain that we needed to stop and film but we had trouble getting the concept across. Around 7:00 pm we pulled into a PetroChina garage and refueled. We then headed over the road to a trucker's stop for something to eat. We were now so far from Beijing that the sun did not set until after 9:00. Lao Bei was tired but he would continue driving.

"Lao Bei drive," he said. "You sleep."

We got dazzled by an on coming truck and so Lao Bei pulled off the road and dug out an enormous spot light which he magnetically attached to the front of the bonnet (hood). We got flashed more frequently now but could give it back too with the remote controlled lamp we could pan up and down as well as side to side.

—Mike Chrisp

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