Gobi desert - oasis of Turfan

Arrived 5:am this morning off the night train from Dunhuang. Soft class. Slept well. Tea in compartment. We are 500 ft below sea level, in the Uighur area. They are ethnically Turkik people, moslems. Today we shall see more Buddhist caves connecting the route Buddhism was spread from India along the SR. Warmer we have left the snow behind
Ttfn

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Good morning Dunhuang

This oasis town on the edge of the Taklamakan Desert has been a key stop on the SR since 200 BC. It is between Tibetan Plateau and Gobi Desert. The Sand dunes are HUGE like golden mountains blown into surreal shapes by the wind. The desert is second largest after Sahara. Time in Western China is standard Beijing so it is still dark this morning. In case any laggards were still in bed at 7:am electronic rendition of happy birthday has just been played about 3o times outside. Off to the Buddhist caves this morning, v important for B art. Bhuddist religion was brought to China along SR. Ttfn
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Censored

Greetings from a very smokey Xian. We arrived yesterday and will meet the hundreds of warriors today.
I am unable to post to my blog thru my laptop. I fear I am a victim of the Google fracas. I could give in, kick back and say, hey just enjoy. The journalist in me won't let me do that. So from now on short posts, no pix but this will be a good journalistic exercise in trying to make it short and interesting. Hope this gets through ttfn
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Sitting at SFO waiting for the flight to Beijing. State of emergency in Kyrgyzstan. Riots in the Capital. In Uzbekistan My hotel has been changed in Tashkent - government dignataries need it for a meeting. welcome to Central Asia. More later ttfn

Today I take off on my long awaited silk road journey - watch this space! ttfn

April 7, 2010