I posted an article yesterday about Jiayuguan which seems to have disappeared ... perhaps it's just this computer, in which case my apologies for repeating myself.
Jiayuguan is fairly industrial and your typical Chinese town - white tiled buildings and red tiled footpaths etc. The train from Korla was exceedingly cold, slept fully clothed plus gloves and hat under a duvet!
I spent yesterday afternoon at the Jiayuguan Fort and the Overhanging Wall, the most western part of the Wall which snakes away up a hill. Its was awesome to see it - its been reconstructed a bit and the parts on the flat are a bit disappointing, but up higher on the hill it feels much more real and has brilliant views. The very top watchtower was disintegrating and you can't go inside it, so I hopped over the Wall and scampered up some scree (making the most of my insurance) to see what was beyond it - the Wall stops there, and I felt I could imagine how the ancient Chinese garrisons would have felt looking out over those barren ridges at the West - it's a very lonely place.
The Fort was impressive and totally reconstructed, but it had less of the feeling of being on the border between ancient China and the rest of the world (out the back were people hawking camel rides on some pretty cold and reluctant-looking camels). Still, the doors to the fort, the temple, and the outdoor theatre were all beautifully decorated and everything looked picturesque covered in snow, and the associated museum was well worth a look.
Yesterday evening I spent at a very average swimming pool (mainly so that I could have a shower!) and had an even more average bowl of noodles. I went looking for another museum about the Wall this morning but failed and have returned to the warmth and 2nd hand smoke in the net cafe. At the train station the clerk spoke a little bit of English and explained that the only tickets to Xi'an today are standing (as in no seat, no sleeper, standing up for 26 hours), and maybe I am crazy but I decided to buy one anyway - I tried to buy a ticket yesterday but they wouldn't sell me one and said to come back today. Also, my phone no longer knows which network its on, so I couldn't call anyone to help me. So I am hoping that maybe I can upgrade my ticket onboard, or otherwise this will be a test of endurance and the money I have saved on this ticket can go towards an extremely comfy room in Xi'an! Anyway, I will do a Heidi (come on, you remember Johanna Spyri's book about the girl from the Alps who couldn't afford a suitcase and had to wear all her clothes to travel!) and wear as many warm clothes as I can, which is going to make bending difficult but then it looks like not too much of that is going to be required anyway. You can rest assured that my hair is in pigtail plaits for the occasion ...
