Day 17, 16 June 2012 Xuahua to Qinghai Hu

Today total distance traveled 443.6km


This blog is prepared in my tent by the sandy shore of Qinghai hu lake. The view from here is superb and no words can describe the feeling of tranquility in the whole surrounding area.

On our way to Qinghai hu from Xuahua, we stopped by street market to buy some fresh vegetables for our cooking tonight. We started to see the culture differences as we move further into the west, as mosque starting to replace the sight of Buddhist temples.

 Xuahua bridge where the Annual Yellow River Swimming Meet take place

 Chinese mosque

Qinghai Lake, formerly known as Koko Nur or Kukunor, is a saline lake situated in the province of Qinghai, and is the largest lakein China. The names Qinghai and Koko Nur both mean "Blue/Teal Sea/Lake" in Chinese and Mongolian. It is located about 100 kilometres (62 mi) west of the provincial capital of Xining at 3,205 m (10,515 feet) above sea level in a depression of the Tibetan Plateau.

Looking for suitable campsite around Qinghai Hu 

The lake has fluctuated in size, shrinking over much of the 20th century, but increasing since 2004. Despite its salinity, it has an abundance of fish, such as the edible naked carp (huángyú (湟鱼)).

We arrived Qinghai hu at about 1600hrs and immediately we started preparing our camp site and dinner.

 Promoting Penang to the Chinese

The wind has picked up a bit, about a couple knots northerly direction but we are very well prepared with proper gears and tents. All our camping gears are rated for cold conditions.

The outside temperature is about 5 deg celcius and the grassland is cold to touch. In the distance, birds are returning home in the last light of the day at 2100hrs. Several dogs an be heard barking, presumably the famous Tibetan mastiff used by the locals to guard their herd of yaks, sleep and goat.

The evening skies remained clear, any trace of rain clouds all but disappeared. Stars are appearing in and out between the fading twilight, and the Orion Belt and Dippers constellations clearly seen as guides, no longer relied on, but relics to remind us that where we stand today, it is because we stood upon shoulders of giants who have gone before us.

As our body warmth warms the cold air in our tent, the distant chatter drowns away, a calmer peaceful thought floods my mind, melting away all that stands in our way