Time for some photos, I think. Here’s a whirlwind look through my route so far – from Lanzhou to Khotan. Enjoy!
Storm clouds gathering near Bird Island, Qinghai Lake
Taoists in the Mist, Mt Kongtong, Gansu
Kunlun jade for sale in Golmud – with the dirt still on it…
Wutun Thangka Painting Monastery, Tongren
Snow on the lakeshore at dusk, Lake Qinghai – definitely what I would call ‘brisk weather’
A dusty heavenly king, Qutan Monastery
A ginormous thangka, Tongren
And the storm breaks… Qinghai Lake
Dust storm at dusk, Zagunluk Tombs, Cherchen
Monks washing their trumpets in the Danxia River. They’d both been playing since their early teens and had calluses on their lips (!) from their practise
Don’t Look Down! Maijishan, Gansu
An elderly gentlemen takes a turn around Rongwo Monastery, Tongren
A laughing policeman, Maijishan, Gansu
Caterpilar Fungus, anyone? Hezuo, Gansu
Carpet making/Gossip-while-you-weave, Khotan
Checking for flaws, Khotan Carpet Factory
A Dharmapala Chapel, Qutan Monastery (the images are meant to scare you into being nice)
Making silk in Khotan. Somehow, this lady made untangling this little lot took easy…
Metalworks, Kumbum Monastery
On the road to Sangke Grasslands (quite possibly, the only grasslands in the world where you can ride a horse and then do karaoke), Gansu
Glamourous nomads, Gartse
Spinning prayer wheels on the evening kora, Labrang Monastery, Xiahe, Gansu
Run rabbit, run! Bird Island
Bazaar 2, Khotan, Xinjiang
A private prayer spot, Labrang Monastery, Xiahe, Gansu
Bazaar, Khotan, Xinjiang
Maybe time for a few more photos before the rain… Qinghai Lake
Cloudgazing, Qutan Monastery
Ghetto Blaster in situ, Ma Bufang’s old house, Xining
A rather stinky Cormorant Rock, Qinghai Lake
Brown-headed Gulls, looking for their next meal, Qinghai Lake
What’s left of Melikewat Ancient City, with the Kunlun Mountains as a backdrop
Yellow River (of Rubbish), Lanzhou. This was taken from a pier where you can sit and drink beer (when it’s not raining) – the poor inhabitants of Lanzhou must be really stuck for drinking spots…
My first (and very welcome) sight of Mt Kongtong, a holy taoist mountain in Gansu – lots of steps…
great photos…. enjoying your blog – Bill
Thanks, Bill! Did you and Ruth ever make it out to the far west? It’s totally worth a visit, if you can stand ultra-long car/bus journeys and dust 🙂
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