A late merchant following Marco Polo's caravan?

My travelling around has finally found some real relevance! I have found the lost heir of Marco Polo! She was a bit late though, but trying hard to catch up with her Grand-Father’s caravan…

More seriously I am today in Jiayuguan, 嘉峪关，at the ‘mouth’ of the Corridor of Hexi. Here lies the historic Fort which was the last stronghold before the barbaric lands of Central Asia… So I went to see this fort they talk about, and it started with a frustration because the entrance is now 100 RMB, which is quite expensive for China. And then there was the tourists, with their tour groups and yelling and being everywhere… So I waited they every one went, and I got some nice momments by myself in this historic place. And I also managed to get the above picture of the Chinese tourist trappers bringing their camel back home for the night (they offer a 5min ride on a camel in front of the fort).

The city itself, however, is not that interesting. There is actually nothing, it just another developing city in China, with big avenues, ugly appartment buildings and factories vomitting a black smoke.

But I saw my first long bearded Central Asian looking guy! There are some Uighur here, and they all seem very nice and smily. So that gives me some hope for Xinjiang, which is coming soon…