At 8.30 this morning I got the bus back to my end point yesterday. Then I walked 31 kilometres to get to Lao Niu Wan. This is where the border between Inner Mongolia and Shanxi Province turns eastwards away from the Yellow River. As does the Great Wall.
I had heard from many people that this was a tourist attraction for it’s very scenic location. I had also heard that there were several hotels here. My plan was to book in at a nice hotel and have my first shower for a week, wash clothes and check the route for the next few days on Google maps. I was even considering spending a rest day here as a tourist.
My disappointment was therefore huge when I discovered there was nothing remotely like a hotel here. Not anything like a shop either. I am not disappointed in the place itself, just that I had planned to spoil myself a bit after some long and cold days.
So now I’m sitting on the Kang of an older couple that run a sort of Chinese bed and breakfast service. There is one warm room, so we are all sleeping on the Kang tonight. I won’t be able to check the route or wash myself and my clothes.
IF I have understood the man I spoke to this evening correctly, there is no path along the Great Wall tomorrow. From looking at the very mountainous area after walking today, I am going to be careful not to walk myself into any problems. Have to check the weather first to make sure I can continue walking tomorrow and sleep in a tent for some nights.
31 Kilometres today
Terrible to hear about your disapointment. Though I had to laugh reading that you are spending the night in the same bed as an old chinese couple:-)
oh my friend, sorry to hear that you cannot “spoil” yourself as you planned. but for me ” the KANG” is a best treatment, i remember when i was small, my grandmother’s house had a big kang, in the chinese new year’s eve, my entire family was sitting on it and sleeping on it.
31 kilometers is a great record so far, congratulations!
Congratulation with the progress! But I must say it’s incredible little snow there when thinking about the temperature which falls below minus 20… News today tells about a chinese train stucked in snow in minus 34 degrees(!)