:: zone3 ::

Anyone that is keen to on the idea of seeing east Europe, Central Asia and taking entirely in-appropriate cars (1000cc) over in-appropriate and at time non-existent roads, should enter the Mongol Rally 2008.

Entries opened today for 24 hours with a random draw with another chance at the draw on 6th Nov.

Even if not doing it, worth checking it out the site. And if doing it, will be a cool chance to see a lot of piles and get some cool photos.

A while since being online for more than a couple of minutes.

Spent two days at Heavenly Lake staying in Yurts (Gers). A beautiful mountain lake area off to the side of the Taklamakan desert. It's the source of some of the water for the Karez in the region. Was nice and relaxing spending a couple of days by the lake. The mountain are snow capped and looked a bit like home (a little like the Nelson Lakes area).

After the nice relaxing, on to long driving days in a bus... Although the views of the sand in the desert are amazing to see, it is a bit tiring spending 22 hours in a bus over a couple of days.

The Minshan Sand Dunes in Dunhuang seem to be quite low when the bus arrives to them at 6am. Have to get in at that time if want to catch the sun rise from the top of the Dunes...

Climbing a Sand Dune in the Taklamakan desert takes sometime. Even following the ridge line up, it is two steps forward and one back. Takes a good 20 minutes to get up. Then it is a case of sanding around waiting for the sun to rise.

It is a beautiful thing seeing the sun rise up over the the sand. The shapes of the dunes beginning to become more apparent as the sky gets lighter and the shadows starting to give the Dunes shape. With it getting lighter, can see it was actually quite a climb to the top of the Dunes.

Well, off to China today and into Beijing. Better have a coffee and finish packing, check-in soon.

Only downside is about 25 hours of travelling to get there, but at least gets to sleep on the planes, then am in summer. About 30c and sunny there at the moment.

Looking forward to the nice break away. Get to see a few things and play in the desert. And of course duty free on the way home.

Now have flights and travel booked for heading back to China. Going to do the Chinese part of the Silk Road for a few weeks.

Away from the current rain of Wellington, instead the sand desert of China, yay.

Better get visa sorted out tomorrow....