We’ve only a
week to go now, and still some big distances to make up. There are also still
some awesome sights on our itinerary, not least the Great Wall pass.
We eat at
another Muslim restaurant where the owner has a soft dark face and the most
amazing hazel eyes. He’s beside himself when he realises we’ve driven Bob all
the way from Australia.
He even scoots off on his motorbike to go and get Joe some bread for his soup.
We visit the
Great Wall pass at the far western end of the wall. This area was historically
an important trading post for the Silk Road.
It’s a real desert moonscape here, dusty and hot.
We decide to
camp beside the wall and from the top, scan the area for somewhere to setup.
I’m reluctant when I see what looks like a military base about 3-4km away, but
we ask the locals and camp there anyway. It’s the Moon festival tonight, and to
celebrate Yingshu has bought us some delicious Moon Cakes. So we sit in our
camp chairs and play cards and eat moon cakes, as the brightest of moons casts
all its glory over the Great Wall of China.