From Turfan to Dunhuang
On to Dunhuang. As usual for us we are leaving the TuHa Petroleum Hotel in Turfan early to catch the train to Dunhuang. Even though we planned to leave at 9 AM for a 1040 train, leaving over an hour to get through security, we still had breakfast and caught a taxi at 8:50 and arrived at the station at 9:15. As before, the line for security to gain access to the station was long and noisy. In this case, more westerners that locals.
Bazeklik Grottoes
About a 45 minute drive from Turfan is Bezeklik Grottoes. The drive passes the famous Flaming Mountains which are red in sunlight. Flaming Mountains were on the Journey of the Monkey King, the popular version of the story of the monk Xuanzang “Journey to the West.”