Advertisers

Fundraising for travelling and volunteering

Work as a charity fundraiser

Raise funds for deserving charities and earn money for your gap year at the same time

Find out more >>

YOUR MONEY PLANNER - V1.0

Download our FREE gap year financial planner.
Useful charts and planners to help you budget for your trip!

Find out more >>

Fundraising for travelling and volunteering

Bangkok to Brighton by tuk tuk: Feeling the heat

Wednesday 5th July 2006: Turpan, North West China
Ants writes...

Its 42 degress outside and after a morning of exploring in the scorching heat, Jo and I have retreated indoors to blog and sort out Kazakhstan issues. We arrive at the border in six days and still have a few things to do to ensure the crossing goes smoothly and that we have the correct documents and insurance.

Kazakhstan has the potential to be our most difficult country; corruption is endemic and even if we have everything in order, there is nothing to say that we won't be held up at the border by guards wanting to make a quick dollar. So we are going to be armed with letters from our embassy, our press release in Russian, newspaper clippings and a big smile...and pray that we won't run into a problems. Olov, a Swedish guy we have been in touch with who did the crossing recently on a 1938 bike and sidecar he bought in Beijing, had his bike confiscated and got a hefty $500 fine at the border. He's now hired a lawyer to sort out his problems and has advised us to go back to Beijing and cross into Mongolia - and avoid Kazakhstan at all costs. Too late. So all we can do is cover everything and hope the guards are feeling charitable when we arrive.

Turpan

Last night we arrived in Turpan, one of the old Silk Road cities, a man-made oasis inhabiting the second lowest point on the planet. At 80 metres below sea level only the Dead Sea lies at a lower depression. Such unusual topography means that the Turpan basin has baking hot summers and viciously cold winters. In July the average temperature is 39 degrees whilst in winter this plummets to -20. Add to this the fact that there is no rainfall and you wonder why people ever settled here. Water is provided by an ingenious irrigation system, conceived over 2000 years ago, whereby water from the mountains and glaciers is chanelled to the area via 5000km of underground pathways.

Jack was so worried about driving here in the blistering heat yesterday that we were up at 6am, with TT loaded and rearing to go by 6.30am. Unfortunately, there was no sign of Jack. Half an hour later he appeared, rubbing the sleep from his eyes and apologising profusely for the fact that he had slept in. After getting lost leaving Hami for another half an hour, we eventually got onto the road for Turpan and started our 410km tuk through the Gobi. Except for a freak rainstorm at 9.30am which had us scrambling for the rain covers and getting soaked, our desert drive was uneventful. Jo and I just thanked our guardian angels that the roads here are a million miles better than in the south - straight and pothole free. Amazingly, we arrived in Turpan by 3pm, we never could have dreamed of covering such mileage in so little time a few weeks ago.

Turpan mosque

Jo, Jack and I have had another day off today so with hats, suncream and buckets of water we headed off to the ancient city of Jiaohe this morning. We didn't even wake up until 10.30am, so by the time we made it there it was boiling hot. We did have a plan to cycle, but after seeing the state of the ancient bikes, we decided a taxi was a far better option. Any movement in this heat is not advisable.

Jiahe was far and away our favourite Chinese 'scenic spot'. In short, it's the ruins of a 3000 year old city, built of clay and destroyed in Buddhist vs Islamic wars in the 14th century. It was the first 'scenic spot' we've visited which hasn't been ruined, plasticised and plagued with vendors and recalcitrant camels. Yet another point scored for North West China.

For two hours we wandered around, took photos, groaned about the heat and tried to imagine what it would have been like 1000 years ago, with 7000 inhabitants and a river 30 metres deep. Then it was time for wine tasting, lunch and air-conditioning.

Later this evening we've requisitioned a donkey cart to take us on a wee trip into the countryside, in the company of a few cool pineapple beers (a bit sweet but good for the thirst). Then tomorrow it's 187km west to Urumqui, capital of Xinjiang, for another day off and an en-route swim in a salt lake. That's it from me..."

Love Ants and Jo x

Click here >> to follow the journey from the beginning
Click here >> for Ants' and Jo's update from Vientiane, Laos
Click here >> for Ants' and Jo's update from Vang Vieng, Laos
Click here >> to Ants' and Jo's update from Luang Prabang, Laos
Click here >> for Ants' and Jo's update on arriving in China
Click here >> for Ants' and Jo's update on troubles in China
Click here >> for Ants' and Jo's update on the Stone Forest, China
Click here >> for Ants' and Jo's update on China Under Construction
Click here >> for Ant's and Jo's update; dirty tukkers in China
Click here >> for Ants' and Jo's update on Western China
Click here >> for Ants' and Jo's update on the Silk Road
Click here >> for Ants' and Jo's update on the Great Wall of China
Click here >> for Ants' and Jo's update on sand tobogganning in the desert
Click here >> for Ants' and Jo's update from Turpan, China
Click here >> for Ants' and Jo's final update from China
Click here >> for Ants' and Jo's first update from Kazakhstan
Click here >> for Ants' and Jo's update from Almaty, Kazakhstan
Click here >> for Ants' and Jo's first update Lake Balkash, Kazakhstan
Click here >> for Ants' and Jo's update on their impressions of Kazakhstan
Click here >> for Ants' and Jo's first update on Russia
Click here >> for Ants' and Jo's thoughts on Russia

Why are Ants and Jo undertaking this crazy trip?
The girls are completely the 12,000 mile journey from Bangkok to Brighton in an attempt to raise £50,000 for the mental health charity Mind. Here at gapyear.com, we fully support their efforts and wish them the best of luck in their challenge. We'd also ask that anyone who has a spare few pennies sponsors Ants and Jo, as it really is a fantastic cause.

Click here >> for the full story

More about Mind Mind

Mental health problems can affect anyone, rich or poor, young or old, shattering the lives of those affected and the lives of the people close to them. One in four of us will experience a mental health problem at some point in our lives. Each year more than 250,000 people are admitted to psychiatric hospitals and over 4,000 people take their own lives. Mind is the leading mental health charity in England and Wales working to create a better life for everyone with experience of mental distress.

Further info

Click here >> for an interview with Ants and Jo
Click here >> to sponsor them now - every penny counts...
Click here >> for Ants and Jo's website
Click here >> to find out more about Mind
Click here >> for more fundraising information

Relevant adverts