Chapter 3 1. The long road to the west

Looking out of the window inadvertently, that glance is still unforgettable to me. There are a few white clouds hanging in the blue sky, a desolate Gobi stretches to the end of the sky, and unknown plants grow firmly in the yellow-brown desert. In the far distance, there are rolling mounds. This is the Gobi Desert in the Qaidam Basin. It is desolate and shocking... On July 23, 1999, I carried a huge equipment bag on my back, boarded the No. 75 train bound for Xining, and started my lonely journey into Tibet. Looking around the car, I couldn't find another like-minded person. Most of the passengers were on business trips or returning home; many people looked at the surprisingly large equipment bag I was carrying with surprised eyes.When I learned that I was riding alone to Tibet, I made a strange hiss.well!People living in the city, why are they so naive and ridiculous sometimes.It seems that at least before arriving in Xining, I have to enjoy the loneliness alone.

Crossing the North China Plain, the train began its westward journey and passed Lanzhou at noon the next day.Looking at the desolate scenery of the Loess Plateau outside the car window, facing the unknown journey, I felt a little uneasy.In my itinerary, there is no plan to stop in Xining.Although the beautiful Qinghai Lake Bird Island, Riyue Mountain, and the famous Huangzhong Kumbum Monastery are all I want to see.But in order to save limited resources and physical strength, I had no choice but to give up.If the train arrives in Xining on time at 6:06 in the evening, I can catch the 603 train bound for Golmud at 6:30.Anxiously hoping that the train would arrive on time, but the train was still late and arrived at Xining Station at 6:25, and I was the first to rush out of the train.Fortunately, train 603 was parked on the adjacent platform, and I jumped on train 603 in one stride, regardless of the conductor's obstruction.

The train was unexpectedly crowded, and it was hard to squeeze into the captain's office seat, and there was a huge crowd of people, making up for a sleeper ticket was simply an extravagant hope.I was carrying a big bag, thinking about how to survive this long journey?Suddenly a clear Beijing accent sounded in my ear, "Are you paying for the fare too?" When I looked up, it was a little girl with fine eyebrows and fine eyes. "That's right! I'm from Beijing. I just got off from No. 75. I really didn't expect the bus to Golmud to be so crowded." "I'm also from Beijing. Don't be in a hurry to pay for the ticket. Find a seat first." It seems that this lovely girl is quite experienced in taking this train.I followed the girl I just met through several crowded carriages before I found two empty seats and sat down.At this time, I was so tired that I didn't even have the strength to put my luggage on the train luggage rack. "True waste", he said to himself, and suddenly remembered that Xining's altitude is about 2300 meters. In fact, this is already altitude sickness.

The compartment was overcrowded, with people and luggage everywhere, quarreling over seats and luggage racks, and the air was filled with the mixed smell of cigarettes and instant noodles.After chatting, I learned that the girl I met for the first time was Xiaorui, a student of Beijing International Studies University, who studied Spanish.Her family is in Golmud, and this time she is going home for summer vacation.Speaking of our fate, we both took the No. 75 train, she was in the seat, and I was in the sleeper car; now we are going to spend this long journey together in such a crowded and dirty car.After packing up the luggage, Xiaorui and I went to the driver's office seat to go through the fare replacement procedures.

It has been a long time since the train left Xining. The noisy carriages at the beginning of the departure also became quiet as the train entered the dark night. Passengers have obviously found their comfortable seats.Looking at the child next to me chewing bread with relish, I felt hungry like a conditioned reflex, and then I remembered that it was already eight o'clock in the evening and I hadn't eaten dinner yet.Remembering that there are still a lot of instant noodles in my travel bag, but I have to go through several crowded carriages to get hot water, I am really a little apprehensive.At this time, Xiao Rui took out a small bread and a small piece of ham sausage from the bag behind her like a magic trick, and said apologetically, "I only have these, let's each have half." I couldn't care less about being polite, I said thank you, and took a few mouthfuls to swallow. "It's delicious!" Just as I was still savoring the aroma of ham sausage, Xiaorui took out another plastic bag, ah!It is Xi Zhilang's "Crystal Love" jelly.To be honest, this is the first time I have eaten this food, especially on this train heading to the northwest border, just seeing the name will give me a warm feeling.

Tasting the jelly, chatting with Xiaorui like an old friend.Xiaorui's ancestral home is Tianshui, Gansu, and his father is a road construction engineer. He works on the Qinghai-Tibet Highway all year round, and his family lives in Golmud City, the starting point of the Qinghai-Tibet Highway.Xiaorui was born in a Taoist class named Nachitai near the Kunlun Mountain Pass on the Qinghai-Tibet line. She is only 19 years old this year.Unlike those girls in big cities, who feel good about themselves, are indifferent, and always put on a feeling of repelling others; this girl from the hinterland of Northwest gives people the impression that she is enthusiastic, sensible, cute, but also There is no lack of stability, maturity and strength.

Unknowingly, a long time passed, the train had stopped several times, and the inside of the carriage was getting colder and colder. For a while, we were close together unconsciously.Seeing the passengers dozing around staggeringly, the little girl Xiaorui couldn't take it anymore after two days of "hard" travel.I suggested that she lie down for a while, and took out an inflatable pillow that I bought in the "EMART" supermarket in Korea from my backpack.Seeing that her slender body was just accommodated by the three-person seat, she fell asleep comfortably on my pillow.Sometimes a good pillow is the best hypnotic tool.The train is speeding in the dark, what kind of scenery is it outside the window?What is the journey ahead?There are still so many unknowns in the future, which suddenly made me feel uneasy, and I pondered for a long time...

The regular "click" sound of the wheels passing through the cracks in the rails seemed to have a hypnotic effect, and I fell asleep before I knew it. I don't know when I woke up, but I just feel that my eyes are so bright.The strong sunlight on the plateau shines directly into the compartment, illuminating everything brightly.Looking out of the window inadvertently, that glance is still unforgettable to me. There are a few white clouds hanging in the blue sky, a desolate Gobi stretches to the end of the sky, and unknown plants grow firmly in the yellow-brown desert. (I later learned that it is called Red Willow), and far away are rolling mounds. This is the Gobi Desert in the Qaidam Basin, which is so desolate and shocking.I hastily took out the camera, opened the car window, and pressed the shutter on the Gobi scenery outside, killing more than a dozen films at once.Xiaorui also woke up at this time, and praised my pillow for being so good, it brought her a good dream.During the night driving, many passengers must have got off the bus, and the compartment was a bit empty at this time.After a night of sound sleep, the girl Xiaorui became active. She seemed to be very familiar with this line, and explained to me the scenery of the salt lake and Gobi outside the window from time to time; and invited me to stay at her house for a day to rest.Looking at the desert scenery I saw for the first time in my life outside the car window, I thought about my next travel plan.Originally, I didn't plan to stay in Golmud, but after this night of hard torture, I was really exhausted.It has been many years since I have experienced such hardships. Thinking about how pampered and pampered I have become over the years, I have become squeamish. Maybe through this trip, I can regain my past self.The thought of going to the house of a girlfriend I just met seemed a bit abrupt, so I really hesitated a little.