After a couple of days driving we got back to Pingliang. During the drive, Dave the co-driver went through the route which looks amazing. The route we’re taking from Xi’an to Istanbul is 20,000km, roughly half way round the earth.
Spent the evening in Pingliang back at the same kebab shop I’d visited before – the owner and his daughters remembered me and made us some free special intestine kebabs, which I think they meant as a nice gesture.
Visited Shapotou Sand Lake in Pingliang yesterday, which is a Desert theme park on the Yellow River (which is very brown), kind of like Disneyland China. Well…maybe Alton Towers. Well…maybe Hastings seafront. Lots of water rides in rusty jet skis, a zip wire (discouragingly not to be used by anyone over 60kg in case it snaps and you fall to a watery death), rafts made of inflated sheep skins and trays on which to slide down the sand dunes.
Played Scrabble all evening over beers and helped a bunch of locals slide down the dunes on a tarpaulin before falling asleep half way into the desert.
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1/8
Spent all day today travelling by bus, and getting attacked by bees at every toll gate.
