London to Mumbai by Road 2016 – Revisited
Day 36 – 2 October 2016
Ancient Caves, Desert Landscapes and New Friends
Today was dedicated entirely to exploring the fascinating region around Turpan, one of the most historic and intriguing stops on our journey through China.
Turpan lies in the heart of an arid region on the edge of the vast Gobi Desert, an area that has been an important stop on the ancient Silk Road for over two thousand years. Merchants, pilgrims, explorers, and conquerors all passed through here, leaving behind a remarkable cultural legacy.
Our first stop of the day was a collection of ancient Buddhist caves and temple ruins, some dating back nearly 2,000 years. Long before Islam became established in Central Asia, Buddhism flourished along the Silk Road, and Turpan was one of its most important centres.
Walking amongst the ruins, it was easy to imagine monks, traders, and pilgrims gathering here centuries ago. Although much of the original artwork and structures have been damaged by time, enough remains to provide a fascinating glimpse into a forgotten chapter of the region’s history.
The caves and temples stand as reminders of how different cultures, religions, and civilisations met and interacted along these ancient trade routes.
From there, we continued to one of the area’s most famous natural attractions—the Flaming Mountains.
These striking red sandstone mountains stretch dramatically across the desert landscape and are famous throughout China. Their name comes from the way the rocks appear to glow like flames under the intense desert sun. The mountains were made even more famous by the classic Chinese novel Journey to the West, in which they feature as a major obstacle during the monk Xuanzang’s legendary pilgrimage to India.
The landscape was spectacular.
Barren, rugged, and colourful, it felt more like a film set than a real place.
While exploring the area, we also visited nearby ancient city ruins that once formed part of the thriving Silk Road network. Dayal decided to give this part of the excursion a miss and remained at the hostel to relax, while Ramesh and I continued our exploration.
The ruins provided another fascinating reminder of how important this region had once been. Today the desert dominates the landscape, but centuries ago these settlements were bustling centres of trade connecting East and West.
By around 6:00 pm, we returned to the hostel after a full day of sightseeing.
A quick taxi ride took us to a local supermarket where we stocked up on groceries and supplies before returning to prepare dinner.
As evening fell, an unexpected highlight of the day unfolded.
While we were cooking, a Chinese motorhome pulled up nearby. Out stepped four travellers—two men and two women—who walked directly over to us, clearly curious about our motorhome and our journey.
Fortunately, Stephen from Team USA was with us. Being of Chinese origin, he was able to act as our interpreter and bridge the language gap.
The visitors were immediately intrigued by the aroma of Ramesh’s curry drifting through the evening air.
It was impossible to resist.
Before long, we suggested that they bring over their own food and that we share a meal together. What started as a casual conversation quickly turned into an international feast.
They sampled our Indian curry, rotis, and rice, while we tasted several of their Chinese dishes. The exchange of food was accompanied by an exchange of stories, photographs, travel experiences, and plenty of laughter.
Their motorhome was modern and impressive, and they told us they had been travelling around China since June. By this point, they had already covered almost 20,000 kilometres, a remarkable journey in itself.
Although our routes and backgrounds were very different, we shared the same love of life on the road.
The evening passed far too quickly.
By the end of it, we had not only exchanged food but also friendships. Email addresses were swapped, photographs taken, and promises made to stay in touch.
As we finally said our goodbyes, the evening ended with hugs, handshakes, and warm wishes for safe travels.
It was another reminder that some of the most memorable moments of any journey are the ones you never plan.
Location: Turpan, Xinjiang Province, China
Weather: Warm and dry desert conditions
Highlights: Exploring ancient Buddhist caves, the Flaming Mountains, and Silk Road ruins
Most memorable moment: Sharing food and travel stories with Chinese motorhome travellers
Dinner: Indian curry shared with our new Chinese friends in exchange for local dishes
Mood of the day: Fascinated by history, inspired by fellow travellers, and grateful for another unexpected friendship
Join us tomorrow as Team Kontiki continues along the ancient Silk Road through the deserts of western China, uncovering more history, culture, and unforgettable encounters on our epic road journey from London to Mumbai
