Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Caravan: Day 2

Day Two: The approach to the Heavenly Pass.

Over the Pass and now traveling the Qyzylorda Valley. It's the highest “valley” in Asia: over 4,000 meters! This is a frozen lake. The English explorer Robert Conway disappeared into those mountains seventy years ago.

After two day’s difficult travel we have reached Hotan. We will rest here for a day. Hotan has quite a history. According to al-Biruni, an 11th-century Arab scholar and scientist, this was the city of the so-called Stone Tower, where the Roman geographer Ptolemy said Western and Chinese merchants met regularly in the first century to exchange goods.

3 comments:

phlegmfatale said...

Wave at me if you see a girl on a purple Yak.

James R. Rummel said...

Great stuff.

James

Home on the Range said...

Makes me want to change my request for a cabana boy to one for a Sherpa.