Our breakfast this morning was revolting, a thick piece of dry bread, no butter, minimal jam. Later an egg arrived fried so hard you could have soled your shoes with it. Fortunately, we had eaten a banana before going down to breakfast.
This morning we travelled about 3/4 hour by bus to a large man made lake and took a fast boat to Bing Ling Temple. This is a series of grottoes filled with sculptures and paintings set in natural caves and caverns in a canyon along the Yellow River. As we were unable to enter any of these caves it was often difficult to see into the dim recesses or to take photos. There is a very large Buddha carved into the hillside. The scenery going across the lake was spectacular with sheer barren mountainsides coming down into the lake often in strange twisted shapes. Unfortunately, while at Bing Ling Judy began feeling very unwell with tummy problems. When we regained the wharf she was so unwell she fainted. On our return to Lanzchou, guide, Frank, organized for Judy and John to stay overnight in the hotel we had just left. After quite a delay, including time spent waiting for a rock fall to be cleared from the road, we continued on to Xiahe arriving about 7pm. Bill still has severe back pain and the very bumpy roads did not help. Dinner as soon as we arrived and straight to our very hard beds. No water in shower or toilet at first but eventually the problem was solved and water appeared.
The famous "flying horse" sculpture in the museum at Lanzchou.
Giant mammoth skeleton in museum
Gianr Buddha carved into mountainside at Bing Ling Temple
Another ancient sculpture in museum
Terraced hillside between Lanzchou and Linxia
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