1) Our teachers were really excited about it!
2) I was excited to be anywhere but on that train!
Thankfully, the bus took us to our hotel first so we could drop off our luggage and shower before starting that day’s itinerary. I can’t remember the last time I enjoyed a shower that much! After lunch, we went to the Mogoa Caves or the “Caves of a Thousand Buddhas.” The Mogao Caves consists of a massive Buddhist temple built into the side of a mountain and a series of little caves. Travelers on the Silk Road would often stop in these caves and rest before continuing their journey towards Xi’an. Traveling on the Silk Road was dangerous, so merchants would paint murals in these caves to honor Buddha in hopes that he would bless and protect them. The caves were filled with beautiful Buddhist paintings and artwork! The artwork was so detailed and contained so much meaning, and it was really interesting to gain more insight into Buddhist beliefs. Also, I really liked the name of the Mogao Caves. The first character (莫) is my Chinese surname, and the second character (高) means tall. Therefore, while some might refer to this place as the “Caves of a Thousand Buddhas,” in all actuality the caves might be more accurately known as the “Tall Myers Caves.” I could already tell I was going to like Dunhuang. Work with me. :)
We were all pretty exhausted after touring the caves, and I thought we were going to go back to the hotel for a couple of hours before dinner. When I woke up (who doesn’t enjoy a good nap on the bus?!), I saw that our bus had stopped in front of massive sand dunes. My first thought? 4-wheeling! Man, this was going to be awesome trip! I was mistaken. Our program director asked us if we wanted to ride camels to the top of the sand dunes. I had never been to sand dunes or ridden a camel before, but I figured I couldn’t go wrong with a combination of the two. We were half-way up the sand dunes when I realized what was going on. I was in the deserts of western China riding camels! Out of the many things I had planned to experience in my life, this was certainly not on my list. It was so fun!
After dinner, we all went to see a local play/acrobatic show. It was very, VERY Chinese! I think the highlight was when a little girl (who could not have been older than 8 years old) successfully picked up a cup and placed it on her head, all while on someone’s shoulders and using only her feet!
Our second day began with a 3-hour bus ride to what can only be described as the middle of nowhere! I don’t know how to describe the bus ride. I would compare it to three hours on a really old wooden roller coaster, just much bumpier and without the fun. Mom and Dad, I can finally understand what you are talking about when you say that the roller coasters at King’s Island hurt. Unfortunately, this time there weren’t any zebra cones to sweeten the experience. :)
We got out of the bus, and I could see nothing but dirt. Beautiful. No, but really, we were in the middle of nowhere! This place made my drive through the brown of Arizona look almost scenic. However, I will admit it was kind of a neat feeling to be away from any form of civilization. “Yeah, go ahead and supersize those fries please.” As we continued down what in no way, shape, or form could be considered a road, we started to see huge rock formations. They were amazing! The windswept rock formations continued for miles and miles. Marco Polo wrote about them when he was traveling through China. My favorites were the Buddha snowman, the Star Wars mountains, and the naval fleet. I was amazed that anything could be worth the pain or length of that 6-hour bus ride, but it was!
Before dropping us off at the airport to fly to Xi’an, we stopped off and saw remnants of the original Great Wall started by the Han Dynasty. We only spent a short two days in Dunhuang, but it was so fun! I had never been anywhere like Dunhuang before. It honestly felt like we had reached the edge of the earth! Painted caves, camels, and Buddha snowmen…I love Dunhuang!
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