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Sha-po-tou started in the 1950's as a research project,
trying to find a way to keep the desert from covering nearby railroad
tracks. The project was so successful that it received UN recognition, and
over the years tourists have found out that you can also have a lot of fun
here!
(Above) Andrew makes his way through the Tenger Desert sand dunes
toward a Mongolian hut.
(Below left) Four travelers (and our guide,
who shared a camel with Andrew) on the
Silk Road
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After 45 minutes
in the dunes, our camels dropped us for a delicious lamb lunch at a
replica Silk Road pit-stop. You can rent these nearby "yurts" overnight,
but we chose the hotel on the Yellow River instead (it is just over the
hill--and came with plumbing!). |
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Our hotel was on
the river below. The chair lift takes you up a huge sand hill (the camels,
train tracks, and desert research station are at the top of the hill).
When you are ready to come down, just take a sand sled! It was really a
blast, especially if you had the guts NOT to use the brakes! This is
Vivian's decent (right). On Michael's second drop he lost control, to the
delight of our spectators! |
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Michael's
"sheepskin" helped make him a good teacher, but that's nothing compared to
THIS. A dozen inflated sheep skins are the only thing that keeps these
people out of the Yellow River! Was it fun? Just look at Andrew's face! |
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It rained briefly every
evening while we were there, and after one marvelous storm we saw this
rainbow. Contrary to what one would expect, the climate was pleasant, even
without air conditioning. They said we came at the perfect time of the
year. One night, we even shared dinner with a young Jr. High English
teacher and her husband. We really had a wonderful two days--river view,
camel rides, rafting, sand sleds, chairlift, dune buggies, an air canon
for Andrew, and more! (Rainbow
photo and those with date stamps were taken by our Scottish companion, Alistair.) |
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See more vacation photos by clicking "Ningxia" below, and click
here for Vivian's description of our vacation.
The Chinese-language website for Ningxia is
www.nxtour.com.cn |
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