companions

On this trip to the northwest, I participated in a scattered group. Fortunately, I met two people who also traveled alone. The three of us met together, and we had an extra happiness on the way.

The elderly Fei came from Jiangxi. He was very cultured, calm and kind, and had a kind look. The old man himself carries a selfie stick, but occasionally he still asks us to take a picture or two of him. Lao Fei was very interested in taking a group photo. He refused our request, and his smile was as bright as ours as the sunshine on the plateau. During dinner at the Dunhuang Night Market AA, Lao Fei asked for a bottle of beer. Because the two of us did not drink, the old man insisted on paying separately. We could not resist and let him go.

Xiao Zhou is from Anhui. He is a handsome guy in his early twenties. He is warm and polite, and looks like a good boy. Along the way, I helped everyone take photos. In Yadan on the water, I trotted to help a big sister pick up a silk scarf that was blown off by the wind. As a result, I stood panting for a long time due to altitude sickness, which made everyone laugh in kind. I took many handsome photos of him, and because of him, the Qinghai-Gansu line left countless marks on my mobile phone. I also left the footprints of a traveler on the vast Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.

After the trip to the Qinggan Grand Ring Road, we all went home to rest and rest. Only Xiao Zhou boarded the train to Xizang seamlessly. Looking at his photo taken in front of the Potala Palace in the circle of friends, people couldn't help but sigh. It's so good to be young.

young guide

The tour guide Xiao Yang is a young man from Gansu in his early twenties. He is not tall and far away from the northwest man in his impression. However, he is very capable, bold and quick in his work, without hesitation, and has the boldness of a northwest person.

It is not surprising that a student majoring in tourism has an orderly service and a gentle and close attitude. What surprised me was his business ability. During this trip to the Qinggan Grand Ring Road, Xiao Yang's explanation focused on the local customs, historical anecdotes, and Buddhist culture of the Northwest. He made few mistakes along the way. Especially in explaining Tibetan Buddhist culture, he spoke many awkward Buddhist terms, such as people's names, religious names, sect names, etc. very clearly and fluently. Listening to his explanation, I kept thinking, I stuttered these words when I read them in the book. How could he speak them so smoothly? There is a specialization in his profession, that's all I'm talking about, but it's really rare for a young man to be so young.

Writing here, I can't help but think of the two tour guides on the trip to Guizhou and Phoenix. It's really complicated.

innkeeper

At the foot of Huashan Mountain, the owner of an inn in Huayin County can't remember his last name, but I can never forget his help to me.

This is a young man who came to Shaanxi alone from Jiangxi to start a business. He is enthusiastic and gentle, but he never talks much. Talking with him can not help but make people feel warm. After learning about my itinerary, he took the initiative to remind me that I could go directly from Huayin to Lanzhou without having to change to Xi'an. The next afternoon, I returned to the inn after traveling to Huashan. There was not much time left to leave for Lanzhou. The boss decisively rode a small electric car and took me to the bus station. When he arrived at the bus stop, he estimated the time, resolutely stopped the taxi, explained a few words to the driver, and put my suitcase into the trunk. After getting on the bus, I told the driver to go to the train station. The driver replied that the man had already explained everything.

For more than a year, I always forget this innkeeper every time I recall my trip to the northwest. Being alone in a foreign land, it is really unforgettable to have someone helping you like this.

silk Road

After all, it was just a group tour. Although it was claimed to have taken the Silk Road again, it was still a quick tour. Today's Silk Road is no longer as full of yellow sand as it used to be, and the prosperity is not what it was yesterday. The straight and flat roads along the way, the high-rise buildings rising from the ground, and the green protective forest that runs straight into the eyes are all like modern civilization. Those stories about the Han and Tang Dynasties and legends about the Western Regions either fly in the desert sky or in our hearts linger, or quietly wait for the next visitor in the museum.

In the Han Dynasty, we stayed in Dunhuang for one night in the four prefectures of Hexi and passed by the edge of Zhangye. As for Wuwei in Jiuquan, together with Yangguan and Yumen Pass, we had to spend some time with them on the bus. Back then, in this land, Zhang Qian had traveled thousands of miles and narrowly escaped death, while Huo Qubing was as powerful as a bamboo and majestic as a bamboo. Later, Master Xuanzang went through hardships and went to the West alone. History left an indelible mark of the Chinese nation here.

Compared with these predecessors, today's Chinese people are very fortunate. When we walk on the new Silk Road, the Northwest China welcomes friends from all over the motherland and even all over the world with its bustling eyes and smooth roads. What it brings us is not only an easy journey to cleanse our souls, but also a direct hit. Enjoy your heart.