Inner Mongolia – Day 3, Desert

To read the start of the trip, read the first or second post. Otherwise, I’ll continue the story the next day where I go to the desert.

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I tried to get up early to watch the sunrise, but it was so cold, I couldn’t convince myself to get out of my nice toast bed until a couple minutes late.

I quickly ran back to my nice warm bed after taking a few pictures.

After a quick breakfast of fried rice and a Chinese donut (don’t know what it actually is called but it is some sort of fried dough), I had a lot of time to kill before we left.

I keep getting told to go admire the scenery, but after you’ve seen it all day yesterday, wandered around taking pictures, and got up for sunrise, what else is there left to see? It’s not like we’re going to a new place to admire a different view.

On the Road Again

We spend most of the morning and part of the afternoon just driving from the grassland to the desert.

It was a long boring car ride with some pretty scenery and random facts from my guide. I took lots of short naps.

But the most interesting thing that happened was I got a text message from the local government, which, if you live in China, you know is fairly normal.

But, instead of the weather, holiday information, or propaganda (they’re really from the Ministry of Propaganda according to the message), this one was about the plague! No, not the pandemic. The original plague. The bubonic plague.

We did stop to eat lunch at some random shop. I ordered some delicious pork thing. They got some beef hot pot type thing. I tried both and the pork was yummier.

But, then it was back to the neverending car trip. We finally made it around 2pm. 5 hours after we left. It was over!

Kubuqi Desert

It is one of the more popular deserts to visit in China as it is very close to a city. I’m visiting the part called Yamingsha or the Singing Desert. Supposedly, the desert sings, or really croaks like a frog, if it is dry enough.

Scientists have recently figured out that it has something to do with static electricity. My guide tried to explain it to me, but her English isn’t the greatest. I think it has something to do with the sun dries out the sand and it gains a static charge which is released when someone walks on the sand, creating the sounds. When it rains, like when I’m visiting, it doesn’t croak.

But it’s still pretty to look at.

Play Time

Once we arrived, I had to buy a ticket to all the outdoor activities. It wasn’t cheap but it was definitely worth it.

I was also given what they called a “neck sock”. I don’t think they know who Che Guevara is. I’m very surprised that they were even able to but something like that in China since protesting here is illegal and the man is famous for being a revolutionary. But, sure, let’s give it to the foreigner. It has pretty colors.

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The ticket let me ride in an SUV, UTV, ATV, a camel, some weird elevated car thing, a zip line, and go sandboarding. The trips were all short but with the large number of things to get on, it was awesome! I almost want to get another ticket and go again. Almost.

However, because it is a bit windy, they closed the zip line early and my guide decided that we should do it tomorrow along with the funny vehicle and sandboarding. I guess I can wait a day to do the one thing I really wanted to – the sandboarding.

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Of all the things I got on today, my favorite was probably the SUV as it was the longest trip and there was a photo stop in the middle. I can see why a lot of locals have their own cars for driving in the desert.

The UTV was also fun, if a bit short, and for the ATV, I got uncomfortably close to the driver. But it was a very short trip and he yelled at a couple groups of people taking photos on the sand dunes.

I was dreading riding the camel. I ride one in Egypt and freaked out. I screamed a little when I got on and off. The camel went up at about a 75° angle. I thought I was going to be flying over its head.

However, the camel here was very nice and quite a bit shorter. Meaning it didn’t stand up at as steep of an angle. I closed my eyes for the up and down parts but there was barely even a desire to panic. The ride was also more like a horse than the camel in Egypt.

Hiking the Desert

Another popular activity is going for a stroll through the dunes. There were people everywhere. Some were even close to where the various vehicles drive.

My guide and I went for a quick walk around. We climbed a couple dunes and chatted. But it was a couple of hours until sunset, so we went back to the hotel.

I went back out to try catching the sunset after I just missed the sunrise. Unfortunately, the weather had a different idea. It was now cloudy! I couldn’t see anything!

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Maybe I’ll have better luck for sunrise tomorrow.

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Activities spending : 398

Food : 40

Today’s total spending : 438