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04.11.2007
I am still standing on one of the big stones - on Gustaf’s right side and I decide to
make it easy for both him and me. So I lift my left leg to bend over the saddle. Then
it happens – Gustaf sets off in full gallop.
Datong is the coal capital – a city of just over ½ million people. The outskirts are
lined with coal trucks, shabby restaurants, and countless brothels. And everything
is covered with a fine coal dust.
But in the centre is just a normal buzzing Chinese city. Construction work going on
everywhere.
A farther outside - about 15 km is one of the most interesting ancients Buddha
grottoes. The Yungang caves, is the real thing. Works started here around 460 AD
by the Touba culture. Toubas were of Turkic origin and were eager to promote
their own aspect of society. Influences came from far away such as the Middle
East and even Europe.
The result is stunning – colors and styles are mixed in a way that is rarely seen in
China.
This place is easily accessible and not yet too touristy. It can be said about the
Huyan Temple. The sculptures in the lower temple are the real thing dating back
to the Liao (907-1105 AD) dynasty.
We spent a few days in Datong - then headed back to our base camp 40 km north
of the city.
The night was cold – luckily the stove that we bought in Xingjian five months
earlier came to good use. Without that extra source of heat we would have been
freezing.
But the morning was bright and the riding grounds impeccable. Our horses
seemed to be n good mood after a few days of well-deserved rest.
Somehow I feel that they sense that this expedition is soon coming to an end.
Maybe..
The air felt very clean and crisp and also I did not feel to stiff. After half an hour
of easy walk we try some trot, canter. This is a truly pleasant surprise since we
expected a totally different surrounding for these final weeks. We head into a
small village - on the right side of the road there is a water channel. Unusual in
the sense that the stones that line the waterway are not dug into the ground. They
are about 50 cm high and quite rough on the edges and then there are very few
openings. A long line of big trees forms a very narrow alley between the waterway
and the trees. So it is difficult to find an opening for the horses. But there are
some smaller cracks here and there. Eagerly they drink – especially Gustaf. He is
the real drinker. He stays so long that the others move ahead. When he finally is
ready the Kristian, Ayken and Jusunbay are 150 m ahead.
I am still standing on one of the big stones - on Gustaf’s right side and I decide
to make it easy for both him and me. So I lift my left leg to bend over the
saddle. Then it happens – Gustaf sets off in full gallop.
My left leg is on his back or in fact leaning on one of the saddlebags. My right leg
is hanging down and my hands are tightly locked around his
Neck. I see absolutely nothing because my face is pressed to his neck.
And better that way because I do not want to be hit by a big tree or a large stone
block. The only thing that goes through my head is “ don’t let go, stick to him”
Gustaf makes no effort of shaking me off – for him this Indian game seems to be
the most normal thing.
He n I heard a snap and Gustaf stops. Just like that. I put my legs down, turn
around and look at my friends who are standing 50 meters behind me with an
astonished look on their faces.
It turns out that they were amazed to see me because they thought that Gustaf
was stampeding, as they did not see me at all. The snapping sound came from a
rope that broke when a cow that was attached to it got shit scared of Gustaf’s
speedy approach. Gustaf did not care about the rope and run right into it. Luckily
the quality of the rope was not that good. Ma-ma-hu-hu, which means Ok, so-so.
The exact translation is horse, horse, tiger, and tiger.
I have no idea what happened to the big black cow or to where it disappeared.
We continued to the small town of Huian – only 30 km outside our almost final
goal – Zhanjiakou. Beijing was waiting just behind the mountains.
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