“On my own, would I wander through this wonderland alone,
Never knowing my right foot from my left, my hat from my glove”
With thanks to Johnny Mathis, American songwriter and performer
Ancient cliff dwellings. The odd pagoda I thought. Difficult to make out in the cold, heavy mist. Frequent stops to wipe the condensation off my glasses lest I come to a more abrupt halt. Emerging, eventually, into sunlight, only to encounter an abundance of coal depots. Black dust strewn across the road.
Then the town of Binxian. Familiar layout. Wide central boulevard. But just a brief stop for lunch. Eager to press on. Conscious of at least twenty miles of climb south towards QianXian, a day short of the city of Xi’an. Civilisation. And, I hoped, Bank of China.
