Some people say that if you haven't been to the Northwest, you don't know how big China is. Going to the Northwest is equivalent to meeting half of China. When writing this travel note, my body still seems to be exhausted. Although the 6-day trip was personally experienced every minute and every second, it is only a few days apart now, but it is like a dream. Before, I searched through the guide, but I didn't have much memory about the Northwest in early May. All the guides tell me that the Northwest should come in July and August, I don't believe it! After coming, hmm. . . . I believe it. Listen to me, Daxibei, please try to go again in July or August! In the northwest in early May, we were shivering from the cold, and the strong wind blew us apart from humans and animals. But this did not disappoint us, on the contrary, it made us feel very unforgettable, and we can see all aspects of Northwest during this trip.
In the Northwest, nature shows us its power and the insignificance of human beings in a more magnificent way. Qilian Mountains, Golmud, Qaidam Basin, Danxia landforms, Yadan landforms, the previous knowledge of geography has become the scenery around you, vivid and vivid. Thus telling us how lacking the feeling of beauty is, how weak the language of the lens is, and how pale the words used to describe are. In addition, on this trip to the Northwest, I would like to thank the friends who traveled together. I am glad that there are partners who are in the same film to complete the dream of self-driving in a RV. This trip will be without regrets in this life. route

We took the unclassic and unusual Qinggan small ring road, starting from Lanzhou, heading west all the way to Dachaidan, and finally returning to Lanzhou. Pass through Gangcha, Qinghai Lake, Chaka Salt Lake, Delingha, Qaidam Basin and so on. The normal Qingan-Gan small-ring line should take the Chaka Salt Lake, Qilian Mountains, and Menyuan Lines, but considering Qinghai in May, the rape blossoms have not yet bloomed, the snow in the Qilian Mountains has not yet melted, and it is dangerous to drive a RV, so I finally changed to another one. The Qinggan small ring road that is too popular. Fortunately, I changed the route and saw the Dongtai Jinel Lake before the closure, the most beautiful Emerald Lake, and the niche Keluke Lake.

Way

RV self-driving - this has to be introduced emphatically. In fact, we have a RV plan before we have this trip to the Northwest. If only time could be turned back. . . . . . Then I will choose to charter a car to travel. To sum up this RV: tired, but special, you can also read it in reverse: very tired. 4 girls, 2 drivers, 2 assistants. Along the way, the driver concentrated on driving and assisted the part-time navigation photographer, nanny, and karaoke machine. It was a very special experience.


Prepare

1. Sunscreen. Sunscreen, please put on! Please paint! Please paint! Don't think that if the wind is strong, you can not wear sunscreen. You have experienced it yourself. If you don't apply sunscreen, you will cry when you come back dark. sunglasses. Please put it on! Please put it on! Please put it on! Whether it is taking pictures or lighting, it is very necessary. hat, this. . . . . Do it yourself, when the weather is bad, the wind is so strong that you may lose a hat at any time, and when the weather is good, straw hats are very thin. Especially when we went to Chaka Salt Lake, we caught up with the strong wind, and the down jacket was still blown so that we could not recognize our relatives.
2. Hydrate. Mask, lip balm, body lotion. The dryness in the northwest is beyond my imagination, even beyond the imagination of my friends in the north. I wake up every day with a sore throat, chapped lips, and even nosebleeds. Therefore, lip balm and body lotion are very important! Mask is also very important, if you have time, please apply it every night, the premise is. . . . . . You have to have time.

3. Clothes. If you want to take a more literary photo, the skirt for the concave shape is strongly recommended to be bright red, long skirt, and big swing. In the northwest, this is an artifact for taking pictures, and other bright colors are also good. I brought 4 scarves and 1 large shawl, and the preparations were in place, but I didn't have many opportunities to use them. The most frequently used ones during the whole trip were down jackets. Driving a RV, stop and go, you can change into beautiful clothes in the car to take pictures at any time, and go at any time~~ The imagination is full, but the reality is: looking at the sun shining brightly, blue sky and white clouds, when you get off the car, you will pour sand into your mouth and put You blow like a fool.
4. Others. Because I planned this RV trip for a month, I thought about what I should and should not bring. In order to reduce the burden of checked luggage, I bought them online and mailed them directly to Lanzhou. We found a rookie station (thank you rookie brother here, who took the trouble to be harassed by me, and also helped to count the express delivery) I bought: pots and pans, baking pan, Cass stove (very useful), multi-functional electric cooker (It all depends on it on the road), and even bought Hainan coconut chicken (eating Hainan coconut chicken in the Northwest RV, wonderful~~).
5. Something that can be had, but is not necessary. We brought a microphone, and we sang karaoke songs while driving in the caravan. We sang for up to 8 hours. We sang until the library of Chinese songs was exhausted, and we sang for nearly 2 years without wanting to go to KTV. We also brought poker, but didn't have much time to play. We even had picnic mats, hammocks, tents, decorative lights, fireworks, umm. . . . . Not suitable for windy and sandy days in the northwest.
6. Rent a drone. focus! ! In the Northwest, please bring drones as much as possible. The beautiful scenery captured by drones is ten times more beautiful than your naked eyes. It's a pity that due to the strong wind, our drone was only used for two days, but just for these two days, we decided that the drone was worth it! Mobile WiFi, eh. . . . . . You can take it or not, after all, it doesn't work well in areas where the mobile phone has no signal.
7. Remember to bring some other household medicines for emergencies.


About RV experience report preparation

4 girls, 4 days and 4 nights, 1 RV
Model: Datong C-type RV80 six-seater four-bedroom
Driving experience: high body, blind spots, heavy steering wheel, big rear, difficult to reverse.
Ride experience: The back seat is extremely insane, and the reverse seat position is very uncomfortable and makes you vomit.
Playing road conditions: The mountain road is not very easy to run. But the general road conditions are fine.
Sleep quality: The forehead bed cannot sleep two people, and the upper and lower beds are not as comfortable as normal beds.
Water and electricity: Don't worry about this. Roadside herders and gas stations can add it.
Meals and meals: Basically, they are settled in the RV. It can be hot pot, stir-fry, and barbecue, which is very convenient.

Conclusion: No matter how many disadvantages or tiredness there are in RV self-driving, if you stop when you see a good view, if you are hungry, there is food in the refrigerator, if you are sleepy, there is a bed in the car, and when you want convenience, there is a toilet in the car. OK worth it!

D1: Lanzhou-Xining-Gangcha-RV camp (not recommend today's route, don't go!)
Today's main task is to pick up the RV in Lanzhou, then resupply in the supermarket, then go to Xining to pick up the friends, and then officially set off. Whether it is the city of Lanzhou where we just started, or the roadside during the trip, our RV has attracted a lot of attention, and even passers-by came up to visit. I slept until I woke up naturally in the morning, went to Lanzhou West Railway Station to pick up the car, taught about how to use the RV for more than an hour, and then we were officially on the road. The teacher is quite patient, we are quite savvy, no problem. It is quite convenient to ask questions and answer questions at any time on the road. There is a bug here. The teacher who teaches is a chartered driver. It is strongly recommended that we take Xining-Gangcha-Qinghai Lake No. 9 Camp-Huanhu West Road, which runs counter to the Kumbum Temple-Erlangjian Scenic Spot in my previous strategy. Because the master himself has rich experience in chartering a car, he hesitated again and again, and finally adopted the master's opinion. Now, the person concerned feels: Regret! I am very sorry! We should stick to the original route and not go to Camp No. 9, which caused us not to go to Kumbum Monastery in the end.
The itinerary on the first day was completely on the road, with almost no scenic spots. Even because half a day wasted on the first day of the trip, we have been on the road after the trip. When I arrived in Gangcha, it was already 8 or 9 o'clock in the evening. I only took a quick look at the night scene of Gangcha, and I couldn't even taste the colorful prayer flags (I can only take pictures online to express my regret for not seeing it). Gangcha I didn't go to the cliff position. Finally, when we arrived at the RV camp, there was no need to go except for the convenience of adding water and electricity. Only the stars in the sky can comfort our wounded hearts. Cook coconut chicken at night and follow the variety shows. When you eat the sweet and delicious coconut chicken soup, you will have a real sense of travel.

D2: Huanhu West Road - Rubber Mountain - Chaka Salt Lake - Delingha
After sleeping in the RV for the first night, we decided to stay in the hotel for the rest of the night. Moreover, the RV camp charges 150/night, and the hotel in the northwest during the early May holiday is only around 150-200. Woke up in the morning, had breakfast, rested, and was ready to go on the road. Here I would like to express my feelings: Fortunately, on the first day, our supermarket in Lanzhou was very well-stocked. I even prepared fruits and vegetables, bought sauced beef, and stuffed the entire refrigerator to the brim. Because in the following time, we were on the road every day, and we arrived at the rest place at 9 or 10 pm every day, so we had no chance to resupply. Outside the RV camp, within 30 meters is Qinghai Lake, all the way to the west, is the most beautiful Qinghai Lake Huanhu West Road, there are large prayer flags, or colorful flags, on the side of the road. It is said that Tibetans believe that when the wind blows over the prayer flags once, it is equivalent to reciting sutras once.


Before, I actually had great expectations for Qinghai Lake. I always thought that Qinghai Lake would be extremely majestic and beautiful, including cycling around Qinghai Lake. I came at the wrong time, the rape blossoms were not in bloom, and the bird island was not open, so I couldn't see the vivid Qinghai Lake. I just feel that the wind outside is not good, and the height of 3,800 meters near the rubber mountain pass is a bit high, and the reverse seat of the RV is very uncomfortable. Until we arrived at the first important scenic spot of our trip - Chaka Salt Lake. Chaka Salt Lake may be a must-see scenic spot on the Qinghai Ring Road. I originally planned to visit Chaka Salt Lake for 2-3 hours, but when I arrived, I found that the ticket office is still a long way from the scenic spot, and I need to take a shuttle bus. After getting off the ferry, you have to walk for a while, and you have to buy a small train ticket when you arrive at the scenic spot. The whole process has taken nearly 2 hours, which is a waste of time. This is still the off-season when there is no need to queue up. You can imagine the time-consuming in the peak season strenuous. Tickets for Chaka Salt Lake are 60 (Zhejiang people are free of charge), and small trains are 50 one-way. If possible, it is not recommended to take a small train, especially a small train without windows on a windy day. ~~ And we were not allowed to get off the bus halfway, and we were pulled to the last station. If we wanted to walk out, we could not do it, so we had to take the return train.
In fact, Chaka Salt Lake is inside a salt factory, and the so-called ticket office is more like the reception room of the factory, and there is a salt factory auditorium next to it. The scenery is not flattering, it is a vast expanse of whiteness, because there is no reference object in the lake, and there is no reflection, so it is far from the "mirror of the sky", and it does not have the charm of "Chinese version of Bolivia". It needs to be explained here that any scenic spot in the northwest needs to be beautiful. The weather is different, and the scene presented is completely different. Because of the weather, the Chaka Salt Lake I saw may not be satisfactory, but what others see may be beautiful. Also because of the weather, the Dongtai Jinel Lake and Emerald Lake I saw are very beautiful, but in the eyes of others, it may be nothing more than that. It's not anyone's aesthetic problem, it's just the difference between good weather and bad weather. My impression of Chaka Salt Lake may only be on sea salt ice cream.

After coming out of Chaka Salt Lake, it was already close to 7 o'clock. It is definitely impossible to rush to Dachaidan, so we can only choose to rest in Delingha. On the northwest side, the sun will not set until after 8 o'clock, so it always gives people the illusion that it is still a long time and you can take your time. Therefore, we "take your time" and choose to have a good meal in Chaka Town, and "take your time" to Delingha. In terms of eating, Northwest gave me the impression that the portions are big, meaty, and solid. Chaka Town developed on the back of Chaka Salt Lake. The town is not big, but it has a lot of food and accommodation, and you will not be disappointed if you choose one. Recommended kang pot lamb, old yogurt, sea buckthorn juice. It was nearly 10 o'clock in Delingha, and it was another day full of dust. The lady at the front desk of Delingha Hotel is very enthusiastic. She even upgraded the room for free and gave her a breakfast voucher. The guy at the front desk is even more like Ding Zhen.

D3: Delingha Haizi Poetry Memorial Hall - U-shaped Highway - Dongtai Jinel Lake - Dachaidan Town
The third day is the essence of the whole itinerary, and it is also the day I am most looking forward to. Wake up in the morning, go to breakfast, please don't expect anything from the breakfast buffet at the North West Hotel. There are mostly steamed buns, porridge, and pickles, which are not very friendly to my southern stomach who is used to soy milk and fried dough sticks. On the contrary, the Hu spicy soup and raw fried buns that I ate in Dachaidan later made me reminisce to this day. Delingha is a very important transit station in the Northwest Ring Road, and it is also a small city that will make your eyes shine. It is very clean and beautiful. The blue Bayin River runs through the whole city, with the Ferris wheel in front of the snow mountain, magical And amazing.
This city is remembered by more people because of Haizi's poems.
Sister, tonight I am in Delingha—Haizi
In fact, the elder sister in the poem is the girl Haizi has unrequited love for. A one-sided love made a poem and became popular in a whole city. If you have time, remember to visit the Haizi Poetry Memorial Hall in the center of Delingha. Look at the origin of Haizi and Delingha, and look at Haizi's short but extraordinary life.

Leaving Delingha, we went to the U-shaped highway. In fact, the real name of the so-called U-shaped road is G315. Because of its large slope and large ups and downs, it can make the road feel like "Going to the sky", and it has become an Internet celebrity road in recent years. In fact, the entire G315 has many road sections with such undulating slopes, so there is no need to pursue the No. 780 road monument. After all, there are really a lot of vehicles on this road. For safety, you can choose a more suitable angle to appreciate its beauty. Don't pursue Internet celebrity positions, for your own safety and for the safety of others.

Along the C315 all the way to Dongtai Jinel Lake, there is almost no signal along the way, let alone people, not even a village. Because this is already the Qaidam Basin, it is very unsuitable for life on earth. The surrounding area is surrounded by Yadan landforms, one by one protruding small bags, stretching continuously, carved into various shapes by the wind, with a myriad of appearances.

All the way to the west, I rested at the gas station, watched other self-driving people, soaked noodles in the gas station, and quickly slipped back into the car. Today’s lunch is boiled Nongshim ramen + sausage + egg + vegetables, and then served with a small stove. Have a stewed egg, and some melon as an after-dinner fruit. At this time, I am particularly impressed by the benefits of self-driving RVs. In addition, most of the toilets in the northwest are dry toilets, and the sanitation environment is worrying. Whenever this happens, I also want to feel the convenience of self-driving RVs. I finally arrived at Jinel Lake in Dongtai, which I was thinking about. It is said that it will be closed for renovation after May 1st, and fees will be charged. Fortunately, I saw the most original Dongtai before it closed.

The Chinese version of Maldives is simply beautiful. Looking at this, I can't help but sigh, this trip to the Northwest is worth it! Fortunately, I gave up Qilian Mountain and chose this route, even if I was tired all the way, it was worth it! Today's wind is finally a little bit lower, and we finally took out the drone. If you come to the northwest, please be sure to bring a drone, because the big scene looks good in any way you shoot from the perspective of "God".
From Dongtai, the normal route should continue to the west to the Shuishang Yadan Scenic Area. But we thought about it and decided to give up Yadan on the water and go directly to Dachaidan Town. First of all, the ticket for Yadan on the water is 120 yuan. Friends feel that they are not so interested in the landform of Yadan, even if it is in the water, even if it is very special. Again, we wanted to spend time at night to have a homemade barbecue, so we gave up Yadan on the water.

In the evening, I rushed to Dachaidan Town, settled in the hotel, filled the RV with water and electricity, and went to a nearby barbecue shop to buy 2kg of mutton (60 yuan/kg), 2kg of beef (50 yuan/kg), and some vegetables. I have to say that along the way, the locals we met in Northwest China, Cainiao Station, the front desk of the hotel, and the courier guys, were all simple and kind, and would take the initiative to help us. The 4 girls didn't finish eating in two meals. After assigning tasks, the 4 people were busy with their own affairs, but after a busy meal, it was almost 11 o'clock in the evening. The awnings are erected, the decorative lights are hung, the tables and chairs are unfolded, and the barbecue is counted. In this way, we are in the northwest at night, late at night near 11 o'clock, in the parking lot of the hotel (we have greeted the hotel). Our BBQ dinner. Maybe it’s because the atmosphere is in place, maybe the beef and mutton in the Northwest is particularly delicious, maybe it’s because the wine is not intoxicating and everyone gets drunk. We ate and drank, listened to the sound of bubbling oil, chatted and laughed, this barbecue will become A special memory engraved in our minds. At one o'clock in the morning, after packing up the equipment and sorting out the garbage, I went back to the hotel to sleep.

D4: Dachaidan Emerald Lake - Xiaochaidan Lake - Alien Site - Keluke Lake - Lanzhou
Today, I have been on the road almost all day long. From Dachaidan to Lanzhou, the distance is 920 kilometers, and we have to go to some small scenic spots in the middle. We drove for 14 hours. Our two drivers really worked hard. Drive my little five to fill milk (this driver doesn’t like Red Bull, he doesn’t like coffee, he likes to drink milk, there is a saying, the milk in Qinghai is really delicious), I can only sit in the passenger seat as an assistant. They "singed to add to the fun", it doesn't matter whether the song sounds good or not, it cheers them up anyway.
In the morning, I ate the best breakfast in the past few days near the hotel. The hot and spicy soup was accompanied by the beef noodles packed next door. It is said that for the beef noodles in the northwest, you have to get up early and drink the soup, that is the essence. After so many days, I finally drank it once. After breakfast, take a last look at Qaidam Town. The morning in this town is clean and cool, looking forward to the next encounter.

After breakfast, proceed to Emerald Lake. In fact, there are two Emerald Lakes on the Northwest Ring Road, Dachaidan Emerald Lake and Mangya Emerald Lake. People who have been to both said Mangya Emerald Lake is more beautiful. But I have only been to one Dachaidan Emerald Lake, which has already impressed me with its beauty. This is also the filming location of the movie "Send You A Little Red Flower", and you can punch in the same style as Qianxi's younger brother. The weather is beautiful today. After arriving at the Emerald Lake, the weather is very good. The snow-capped mountains in the distance are reflected in the water, and there are many mountains. When the drone uses God's perspective, it shows us various blue, green, yellow salt lakes, like the color palette knocked down by God, which is extremely beautiful.

It is said that if you walk in the Emerald Lake, it will be more beautiful and stunning, but we are in a hurry, take a quick look, and set off again. The Xiaochaidan Lake passing by is actually very beautiful. These are not the scenic spots in the plan, but when passing by, I will always be attracted by it, and I can’t help but want to get closer. Maybe this is the charm of self-driving tour. In fact, our originally planned destination today was Xining, but after careful consideration, we decided to rush back to Lanzhou overnight. After the itinerary was adjusted, we missed Kumbum Monastery. I have always been looking forward to it, wanting to see butter flowers and murals, but I didn't go, it's a pity. I will make up for it next time I take the big ring road.
On the way back to Delingha, there is an alien site, which actually refers to a cave with several metal pipes running through it up and down. Among the metal elements, there are mysterious metals that do not exist in the periodic table, so they are considered to be aliens. remains left by people. But this section of the road is now flooded, making it impossible to pass. We didn't believe in evil, and we drove there without listening to the dissuasion of the workers in the scenic spot. We trapped ourselves on the steep and difficult mountain, and we had no choice but to return. When I came back, I ran into that employee again. He looked at us with a simple and unpretentious smile, smiling like a fool. In fact, the entire scenic area is very large nearby, and what is worth seeing is not the so-called alien ruins, but the Keluke Lake and Tuosu Lake inside, also known as "Lover Lake". Keluke Lake is fresh water The lake is rich in water and grass and inhabited by water birds. The Tuosu Lake connected to it is a saltwater lake, which is very magical. Stop and go all the way, finally arrived at Lanzhou West Railway Station in the middle of the night at nearly 11 o'clock.

D5: Lanzhou one-day tour
On the last day of the trip, we returned the RV and mailed inconvenient supplies. We just had time to have another bowl of authentic Lanzhou beef noodles and a trip to the Gansu Museum. In fact, I also want to check in Zhongshan Bridge. This bridge across the Yellow River was built in the Guangxu period of the Qing Dynasty. It has a history of more than 100 years. It is the most famous bridge in Lanzhou. Unfortunately, there is no time to pass, but it is not Unfortunately, because my next stop is to take the Gannan Line, and the starting point of the Gannan Line is still Lanzhou, so I should come to Lanzhou again in the near future.
The Gansu Museum is the place I was looking forward to before, because there is a national treasure in it: Ma Ta Feiyan, which is also a Chinese tourism symbol. Ma Ta Feiyan was indeed as rumored, handsome and strong from the side, but a simple-minded person from the front. The pottery art of the Yangshao culture period in the museum is also very worth seeing. And the cultural and creative store on the first floor gave me a big surprise. The chic fairy bookmarks and the creative Northwest map silk scarves inside really require art with art, connotation with connotation, design with design, and culture with culture. Very worthwhile. It's a pity that the silk scarves in Dunhuang were sold out, so I finally chose the silk scarves in Zhangye. When I checked out, the little brother who received the money kept emphasizing: I like Zhangye's scarves the most. The color is the prettiest. A hero who sees the same way makes me feel that it is particularly worth the money.


The entire trip to the Northwest was full of regrets, surprises, tiredness and fulfillment. Those places I didn’t go to, and those photos I didn’t fear, I will save them for the next trip to realize them one by one. There are regrets in a trip, which is the most memorable place.

A travelogue is a record. . . . . . .
Regret is life. . . . . . . .