Drive to Lanzhou across a scary mountain road was uneventful apart from having to physically remove a farmer from the roof of the truck whilst he tried to steal a broken spring – apparently they make good ploughs.
Everyone on the truck gets a job – these include security (counting people on and off the truck and opening the money/passport safe), green waste (burying rubbish) and set-up (prepping the camp/cooking area). I got bar which is simply collecting a float, then buying and filling the fridge with cold beers.
We’re also divided into 3 cook groups, who take turns cooking when we’re camping. I volunteered for the first so had to do the shopping. Got all the ingredients from little local shops (including a live chicken, which started me on my murderous spree across Asia) and fed 13 people for 3 big meals for less than $10.
From Lanzhou we visited Bingling Si, a collection of grottos and a monastery only accessible by boat, or in our case speedboat, then a hairy Jeep ride up a canyon.
