16 hours on the bus
Posted by lowellr | Filed under Total Solar Eclipse: Live from China
Yesterday’s bus ride was 16 hours. Most of the team got on the bus only 6 hours after a 24-hour plane flight. We had an early departure to catch up with XJTV, who we were traveling along in a modern media caravan. XJTV (state-run) trucks have red and blue light bars on their vehicles and are not bound by speed limits, but we also had police escorts along the way, which made the line of cars look even cooler. Needless to say it still took 16 hours. Xinjiang is an enormous piece of real estate, 1/6th of the total size of China. It spans 1.6 million sq. km.
Probably the hardest part of the trip for me was my inability to control myself from taking thousands of photographs from the bus window (not ideal) as the Silk Route unfolded in front of me, shielded by a thin layer of automotive glass. The trip across the desert is incredible. Small towns, fruit stands, giant thermometers, domesticated camels. Our trip to Yiwu took us across deserts, mountains, and grasslands. It was amazing, except we barely got to get out of the bus. I find this ironic, because today without my protective metal and glass container I am covered with dust and sweat and all I want to do is get back in the bus, which, tired of my presence, is off running an errand.
Tags: silk route, travel
