We’re at GuBeiKou now, having eaten what was a fine meal, and getting ready to settle into our suites. The bill for the meal was, amusing, more expensive that rooms for all three of us for the night. The Driver, in a rush of blood to the head, ordered stacks of the most expensive food on the menu. After much discussion, outrage, hilarity and mis-communication, we settled on a sum and paid our due. The rooms were twin share rooms (although we ll opted for single rooms due to the snoring problems every one else seems to have had, as was the common theme from all three of us) with a small bathroom and a real toilet. None of this squat bowl stuff. If it had been Christmas or my birthday I couldn’t have been happier. If there is one thing I hate in rural Asia, it’s the ablution facilities. The bed was about as semi comfortable as one might expect but the blanket or duvet was a treat. It made you warm as toast the minute you pulled it up over your shoulders. It was plenty cold (forgive my Americanisms) outside and a warm inviting bed just makes it all worth while.
We’d agreed on a time to get up and head to the wall. I’d have gone at 4:30 or 5:00am, but there was general discord over this, so we agreed to head up there around 7am, which meant leaving the GuBeiKou Hilton at around 6:30. It was, as expected, colder than a polar bears bath outside but we were rugged up and ready to roll.
We entered the wall at exactly the same point that we ventured to the night before. There were a few people heading up with us. I have noticed, more and more, a burgeoning group of local Chinese photography enthusiasts that are up with us at stupid o’clock to get the best light. Great, misery loves company!
The GuBeiKou (Part 2)” href=”http://www.1ds.com/wp/?page_id=173″ target=”_blank”>linkGuBeiKou (Part 2)” src=”/wp/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/105051906.jpg ” alt=”Janshanling -> GuBeiKou (Part 2)” />
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