August Around Qinghai (6. Water Yadan)
We came here mainly because, with lockdowns everywhere, this was the farthest we could go forward.
In the dawn of the wilderness, we set off early. The scenery outside the window along the way was like a vivid geography lesson, revealing various landforms. For example, the flat areas were wilderness, with sand and wind almost covering half the road; the places with hills shaped like Bodhisattva heads were Yadan landforms; and where there was water, naturally it became Water Yadan.
By the way, driving through the Yadan landform felt quite something—I kept feeling that behind some distant mound, a band of mounted bandits might be ambushing, and with a whistle they'd gallop out, raising dust and looking fierce. But we weren't scared, probably because we thought the horses couldn't outrun our RV, ha——
We reached Water Yadan in the morning. From a distance, the pure blue water surface looked very clear, and the hills scattered across the water were quite spectacular. Moreover, as we approached, the lake displayed multiple colors. I think viewing from afar is more suitable for appreciating this beauty than being up close. Now I really envy Xu Xiake's era. Within the nine provinces of China today, wherever there's scenery, it gets fenced off and turned into a ticketed attraction. From Shenyang's "Strange Slope" to Yanguan's "Qiantang River Tide," dozens of kilometers along the river are completely closed off—another distinct national characteristic.
The visitor flow here was pretty good today. In recent years, the Qinghai-Gansu Grand Loop has become a major internet-famous route. When international travel isn't possible, many Chinese come here for road trips, with vehicles from all over the country and a wide variety of accents. My wife and kids had a great time inside—camels, ATVs, speedboats all suited their tastes. As long as they're happy, that's fine!
For the next leg of the trip, we're heading to Hoh Xil, passing through Yushu and then looping back to Xining. The next stop is Golmud. I checked the route, and it turns out we'll also pass Qarhan Salt Lake. From the navigation map, besides the expressway we came on, there's a new road—National Highway 315—which looks shorter, though it's not fully completed yet. We can try driving on it first.
This is a new road in the desert. Following the navigation, as soon as we got near, we saw a few mounds blocking the road. We drove around them over a flat area, and ahead it was completely smooth—over a hundred kilometers of brand-new pavement, no speed limits, no checks. Too bad we were driving an RV and couldn't go fast—what a pity!!!
We hit a small snag getting off the national highway. The road ahead was completely cut off. To get out, we had to drive back a few kilometers, go down a very steep slope to the shoulder, and then drive out on a dirt road beside it. We waited in line there for almost an hour. Almost all the sedans attempting the slope failed—either they turned back to find another exit or were towed down forcibly. Everyone gathered around, grumbling and chatting, cursing the road administration. It was quite lively.
Fortunately, our vehicle was pretty good. Even though I was a bit nervous watching it tilt slowly downward, it didn't scrape the chassis at all. We made it through smoothly and got onto the Liuge Expressway. Just as everyone was cheering, another big trouble arose. When my wife took over the driving earlier, she was wearing slippers, which I thought was too unsafe. I worried that if her slipper came loose and got stuck under the accelerator or brake pedal, it would be serious. So I insisted she pull over, change shoes, and then drive. But what I never expected was that the sand beside the expressway was so soft. A family car would have been fine parked there, but our RV was too heavy. After less than a minute, the wheels sank into the sand. It was already past 9 p.m., and passing cars just whizzed by without stopping to help. It started drizzling outside. My biggest fear was that as the wheels sank deeper, the RV might tip over—everything felt so hopeless. Luckily, I had noted several traffic emergency numbers when renting the car. My wife called them, and I walked from the nearest expressway exit to see if I could find a tow truck or a big vehicle willing to help.
I had no luck, but after several calls my wife finally got hold of a tow truck company. They would pull the car out for 600 yuan, but the tow truck had to drive over 80 kilometers from Golmud to reach us—another long wait. There were no villages nearby, only construction lights in the distance and the headlights of speeding cars passing by, which offered a small comfort. My wife calmed the kids down well; they chatted and laughed, and fell asleep when they were tired. How nice to be young, how nice to have a mom's love——
It was already past midnight when we arrived at Qarhan Subdistrict. Even my favorite halal noodle shop was closed. We parked our car right at the entrance of the potassium fertilizer plant. Tomorrow morning we can pass through the plant compound to reach the shore of Qarhan Salt Lake again. Little Yu has promised to go for morning exercise with me. This place feels destined for us. I'm really looking forward to tomorrow morning.
