Stranded in Jingtieshan

Taiwan > Hong Kong > Beijing > Harbin > Yanji > Songjianghe >Changbai Mountain > Dandong > Dalian > Dandong > Chengde > Beijing > Datong > Hohhot > Huitengxile > Hohhot > Taiyuan > Zhengzhou > Xi'an > Lanzhou > Zhangye > Jiaugyuan > Jingtieshan ...

Oh lordy! Here in China, its maddness. We are in the mountains in Jingtieshan, 90km north of Jiaugyuan, where we expected to see a glacier today, but the taxis were asking too much, WAY too much! Like 300 Yuan (for 30 min ride) and not 120Y. So we don't go. No biggey, we have plenty more chances to see mountains without being ripped off. Actually ended up being a lovely day at the foot of a mountain range, even though you can see parts of the local iron ore mine!

Anyway we missed the last train back to town (where we have a hotel room waiting!), as the train workers told us 5:30 pm last train, but actually 1:30pm (and we were sitting there when the train left eating lunch, making a day of it)!!! Grrrrrr.....
So stranded in the middle of dusty nowhere surrounded by beautiful mountains and dusty mining workers!

Eventually, after releasing the anger, we jumped on the dusty workers bus to find a place to stay for the night. This is poo as we have a place in Jiaugyuan that we've already paid for!

We are now in a small dusty site built for the dusty workers from the underground iron ore mine. It's cheap to sleep (Y15 / 1 pound per person) and eat (7Y for mutton noodles), but dirty and dusty. Dust everywhere, dust in my lungs and in my eyes.....oh the pain! It's at the foot of a mountain range so it's beautiful too. Got sunburnt sitting about all day and cut my hand throwing big rocks into the river while building a dam. I realise I'm still just a boy. Tomorrow we leave this dusty adventure, heading for Dunhuang.

Jingtieshan Train Station, where we sat all day!



MC