Through the Gobi Desert to Jiayuguan

( My second attempt - the first one disappeared)

Cycling through the Gobi Desert has been the realisation of a childhood dream. I was in Junior School in Zimbabwe when I read a book about a prisoner of War who had escaped and had to spend many months of suffering crossing the Gobi Desert to safetry. It is reputed to be the driest desert in the world and this poor man had to meat snakes to survive. I had scuttled off to the atlas and noted that the Gobi was in a part of the world totally unknown to me. Would I ever see and feel that desert? I now have had the privilege to see it, smell it, eats its dust, sleep in it and curse its icy winds!
Our route travelled along the Hexi corridor,with the Gobi to our north and east, and with the lofty, snow capped Qilian mountains to the south. We are now in Jiayuguan which has had a settlement since the 2nd century BC but is reputed to be the last western outpost of the Great Wall. For desert travellers along the Silk Route it marked the end of known territory and entry to the unknown. Its main attraction is a splendid Fort built in 1372 and from here the Great Wall can be seen extendeing North and South, far onto the distance over rocky mountains and desolate plains.
We were able to climb up to a look out tower and allow our imagination to run riot. We had made it here across the desert by leg power only. Perhaps not as impressive as Marco Polo and the boys - but still a good feeling.