The adventure of travelling the Silk Road was amazing. From the Takl
amakan Desert (roughly translated as 'go in, don't come out!'), to the wonders of the walled cities of the desert Khiva, Bukhara and Samarkand and the alpine majesty and magic of places such of Kyrgyzstan. This had been a journey of contrasts, of heat, of cold, of beauty, of desolation, of lost and decaying civilisations - and the emergence of the new. No more was this new world more apparent and exciting than in the last country of our journey - China.
From the moment we entered from the west into Kashgar, through the dramatic deserts, oasis', mountains, valleys, traditional villages, modern cities, the Revolutionary Museum, the old capital of Xian, the Terracotta Warriors, to our final destination Beijing - this was a country of spectacular beauty and dynamism. China was a fitting finale, for anyone who says China is slowing down, simply hasn’t been there recently. From kilometres and kilometres of sustainable energy wind turbines and solar panels in the desert, to thousands of electric motorbikes in the cities, China is a country proactively engaging the 21st Century and the Sustainability Revolution. There could be no more fitting climax and conclusion to the journey across the Silk Road. A journey where east meets west, where ancient meets modern, and where from the ashes of the past we can clearly see an emerging sustainable future!
 |
| I'm going professional when I get back! |
 |
| Tiger Ted |
 |
| Our fearless guide Sophie |
 |
| Man with umbrella and fish! |
 |
| Thats the way you do sustainable energy Tony! |
 |
| Morning on the lake |
 |
| Evening on the lake |
 |
| I'm sure we've seen these guys before |
 |
| Took ages to wrap! |
 |
| Now we just have to work out how to deliver it! |
 |
| A magic monk and a magic moment! |
 |
| The full beauty and power of the Yellow River |
 |
| In 'Little Tibet' |
 |
| Monks discussing man with umbrella |
 |
| More 'Little Tibet' |
 |
| The tip of the Terracotta Warrior Iceberg! |
 |
| Terracotta Warriors lining up to meet the tourists! |
 |
| Terracotta with Attitude! |
 |
| The magic of the dance |
 |
| Restoring the old, overlooking the new, in Mao's Town |
 |
| Serious Street Partying in Mao's Town |
 |
| Mao and the Revolutionary Museum |
 |
| Artists in training |
 |
| Picture for the local photo albums |
 |
| Post Hypothermia feels good! |
 |
| A traditional Village in the mountainside |
 |
| Over the valleys, through the mountains! |
 |
| Reg's close shave (almost lost that Mo!) |
 |
| Making like a tourist! |
 |
| Before gift wrapping! |
 |
| Its tough trying to keep them mongul hordes out! |
 |
| Hi from the great wall! |
 |
| Moonrise over The Great Wall |
 |
| The last caravanserai |
 |
| I'd just like to make one more point |
 |
| I'd quit while you are ahead Reg |
 |
| The wall that goes on forever! |
 |
| Making like a tourist 2 |
 |
| A study in concentration |
 |
| Magic architecture |
 |
| Them electric motorbike are everywhere! |
 |
| Definitely not a Manly Ferry! |
 |
| Man and woman with umbrellas |
 |
| Girl with umbrella ... promise no more! |
 |
| Picture of an artist |
 |
| The Summer Palace |
 |
| Making like a tourist 3 |
 |
| At the Theatre |
 |
| And thats how you do Wind Turbines Tony, by the thousands! |
 |
| Hold that pose! |
 |
| Now that;s a good one |
 |
| Morning in the desert |
 |
| A quick consult |
 |
| How long is this wall? |
 |
Yes, it was hot!
 |
| But now its goodbye team, goodbye Penelope |
|
 |
| All revved up and ready to go ... home - electric bike style! |
