Xining to Huatogou

6 may 2012

20 hours to reach Huatogou ( aptly pronounced 'far to go' )

The street next to my hotel is full of great eating places specialising in Chinese, Tibetan and Uighur food. The fruit is delicious too, there are the most incredible tasting strawberries, melon and apples.

I set off on the first long haul journey across the western edge of Qinghai province and into the Altun mountains. This part of the journey was spent travelling by sleeper coach as it would take 20 hours to reach Huatogou ( aptly pronounced 'far to go' ). The scenery along the way was stunning. We passed alongside the vast Qinghai lake and then on across kms of grey pebbly desert and into the mountains.