The Great Wall

Jiayuguan was the last stop in ancient China before travellers faced the vast expanse of the desert and the mountains beyond. It is no coincidence that this is where the last sections of the Great Wall can be found. I headed 9kms north out of town on the bike to get my first glimpse of the Wall (having been preoccupied with the great visa hunt in Beijing).

This section of the wall is known as the overhanging wall because of the steep hills it traverses. It is actually 2 sections (with 2 separate tickets required...). It was a steep ol' climb to the top, between that and the desert heat, you have to wonder what crime would befit the punishment of being sent out to the western end of the Great Wall.

The views out over the Gobi from the top of the northern section of the wall were awesome. For the first time I could see a clear demarcation between civilisation and the start of the desert.

Along the length of the wall there are watchtowers with the TINIEST little doorways and staircases.

While surveying the scene I stumbled upon this presumably left by one of the messengers or maybe conjured up by the winds of the Gobi?? Think this one's for you mum -

From the wall I headed back into town to the Jiayuguan fort. Built in 1372 this place was a maze of fortress walls, layer upon layer. The mix of big fortress walls with traditional Chinese architecture made for an interesting contrast.

Exiled Chinese are said to have been thrown out of the western gate of the fort to fend for themselves in the desert beyond...