Desert? on foot? Did you make a mistake? Do you really want to go? The road ahead is full of unknowns and confusion. Even though my friends have been there, I still feel uneasy! After all, this time I am with my son!
Look, the promise I once made is coming true.
I remember that in 2018, I was in the Sahara Desert. At that time, I sat on a camel to watch the sunset, caroused with African drums, drank coffee and milk tea and admired the moon. I got up early in the morning to fill in the sand, watch the sunrise, and take a bath. There is nothing challenging about riding an off-road vehicle, just endless views and surprises.
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The above is the review link of the Sahara Desert
This time, there are also endless beautiful scenery and surprises, and the second surprise is very He was pleasantly surprised. We have added many, many more firsts in our lives:
The first time we lived in a tent outdoors for two consecutive nights; the first time we measured the length of a sand dune with our feet; the first time we saw wild animals in the wild. Lizard...
This time, we had many small blessings, one after another:
Sunny and cloudy days, rain and strong wind, hot and cold, Starry sky and bright moon, bonfires and fireworks...all kinds of "strange things" were encountered by us at once. This is how a worthwhile trip is interpreted, right?
Come on, hiking in the desert is an instant growth experience that you should have in your life.
Preparation before departure: (essential preparation, be sure to keep it in your collection)
Sun protection - sunscreen, goggles, magic headscarf (it is best to prepare a few more, At least two per person), fisherman hat (preferably with a piece of cloth with a rope and a neck protector)
Wearing - skin clothes and jackets (for day and night), quick-drying pants and jackets (used in the morning and evening), hiking socks (the good stuff I benefited from this time is sold by Decathlon), hiking shoes (must have thick soles), and half-finger gloves.
Daily necessities - thermos cup (a cup of warm water is what life needs), binoculars, headlamps, hiking poles (you don’t need to buy them if they need to be locked outside, parent-child cats provide them), comfortable ones of about 20 liters Backpack.
I brought the above with me. The child's small backpack and sandproof shoe covers are provided by "Parent-Child Cat". The tent can sleep two people. The sleeping bag is new and can be taken home directly after use.
There is a suitcase in the camp, and there is a supply truck following not far away during the hike. You can get water at any time, so you don’t have to worry about running out of water. This is beyond my expectation. This arrangement makes me happy. Very down-to-earth and heart-warming.
The meeting point is usually Yinchuan Railway Station, which is very convenient for planes and trains. There is only one train station in Yinchuan, and both high-speed rail and express trains are together. The drive from the airport to the train station takes about 40 minutes, and Ctrip's special car takes about 100 Many pieces.
Budget:
The price is the same for both sizes, plus round-trip air tickets, etc., we estimate the cost to be around 12,000, for four days and three nights.
When everything is ready, let’s set off with a grateful heart, and always believe that everything we encounter is the most beautiful.
The desert we are about to hike is the fourth largest desert in China - the Tengger Desert. It is located in the southwest of Alxa Left Banner in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and the central border of Gansu Province, with the Great Wall of South Vietnam and the Helan Mountains in the east. To the west is Yabulai Mountain. There are sand dunes, lakes, and grassy beaches here. It is not the vast desert that we think of, but a holy place full of vitality and has been given the title of "god".
The sand here is as fine and soft as a baby's skin. Touching it makes you want to let go. So a group of children would always take a break, digging in the sand and never getting tired of it.
What kind of experience can sand digging bring? The first step in studying water fetching in the desert is to dig a sand pit. The children learned it naturally. They followed the teacher to make water fetching equipment and learned a simple and effective wild survival skill. The vivid and interesting natural education was perfectly performed. There is no rigid preaching, only operations and demonstrations with the children. The children said they enjoyed learning like this so much that they wanted to fly.
There are many places worth exploring in the desert. It is said that the vegetation in the desert are all good friends. They hold hands and are connected heart to heart deep underground. Whoever is thirsty or hungry, they all help and support each other, and together we can gain a foothold in the vast desert. Were you particularly moved when you heard this story? What did you think of? Come tell me in the comments section.
In the desert in the afternoon, the sun was as bright as the mood. I was walking on the soft sand dunes, and suddenly I caught a glimpse of a running lizard, whizzing through the vegetation. The screams started, the children were excited, and of course the parents were too. As a result, the entire team was disrupted, and they were all busy trying to catch the lizards. Everyone used their various martial arts skills, and it was said that they all achieved results. This is one of our scientific research projects. Put the lizard in the observation box, look at its color, texture and structure, find its name and habits, chat with it, and feed it some food.
Food? What does it eat? Is it a bug? Let's trap some for them, shall we? What do the insects eat? Cucumbers, tomatoes, or steamed buns? So, we staged another "Bug Food Competition".
The next morning, I actually caught several desert beetles. It seems that the bugs are still easy to take the bait, so let's use these bugs to feed the lizards. The lizard we saw is the sand lizard, which has a series of living habits suitable for desert, semi-desert and grassland life. It does not need to drink water and obtains the water required for its physiological needs directly from predatory beetles. There are stripes on its tail, and my son said it looks like a zebra crossing. After observing it for a while, we put it back into the desert. Look at its retreating figure and say goodbye to it, because they belong here.
We are passers-by here, here to challenge ourselves and explore nature, and also to experience the joy of sand sliding and sand rolling. A sandboard slides out track after track, and a group of adults guard the happy moments of a group of children. Along the way, they rediscover the teenagers they once were. When they play, they compete with each other in craziness, and they all hold back their energy and let themselves go. Woolen cloth.
When we got carried away playing, Garfield called us together and said in a loud voice: "We are going to climb the big sand dunes after a break. We will challenge at least five today."
It's time to come. It will always come, aren’t we just here for hiking? Pat the sand, press your legs, stretch your hands, bend down. Preliminary stretching is very important, and both adults and children need it.
Get ready and move towards the goal. Under the leadership of Garfield, the front of the team is basically full of children. They don’t fall behind, don’t cry tired, and don’t give up. Their endurance and physical strength are simply unimaginable. Many parents are surprised to find that their children have such a powerful side and have no say in the life they have never experienced. What I saw this time was with my own eyes, not just what others said. This made parents even more convinced that our children are all potential stocks. During the speeches at the end of the camp, parents rushed to speak, all wanting to express their understanding to their children. We grow up with our children. Because I see it, I understand it. Because I understand, I cherish it.
Speaking of cherishing, we want to talk about food. During the trip, there are two breakfasts and dinners. One lunch is eaten in the camp canteen, and the other meals are road meals, one for each person, and eaten while hiking.
Garfield has always emphasized that our meals are buffet style, and you can take as much as you want, or take as many times as you like, so that no discs are wasted. The herdsmen entertained us with prairie sheep and the fruits and vegetables they had finally brought in. They only expected us not to waste a grain of rice or a mouthful of vegetables. Otherwise, they would be really distressed.
Similarly, we have been calling for CD-ROM action. Have we really implemented it in our lives? Through this time's words and deeds and the influence of their eyes and ears, the children saw their parents leading by example, eating clean food, and only taking what they could finish each time. They once again learned this transmission, cherish food and water sources, and cherish food and water. Everything we have.
Yes, although there are some lakes in the desert, they are not fresh water. Water shortage and drought are still the norm here. It is not possible to take a shower during this trip. Going to the toilet is basically outdoors. I can barely brush my teeth once in the morning. Washing my face is also a luxury. To be honest, you can barely accept and tolerate it for two or three days, but if it lasts for a long time, it will definitely collapse.
Suffering is certain, and discomfort is certain, but finding happiness in suffering is something we can do. Aren't there bonfires and fireworks? Remember I said, let’s go, I believe everything we meet is wonderful - yes, we met other teams coming to the camp, they brought beef and fireworks, and one gentleman insisted on putting his thick coat on me A thick coat. In the moonlight, I saw the word "Police" written on the coat.
The son asked: "Mom, why did he give you a coat?" I said: "He saw that I was cold and was afraid that I would freeze. He is such a good person." The son said: "Mom, When I grow up, I will be such a good person. "I said: "Son, you are also a good person now, you are very warm and considerate, thank you."
A fragment, a scene, a conversation. Let my mind keep flashing: Your world is your walking range. Your life is a lifeline composed of the people and things you meet.
Perhaps, this is my original intention to devote all my time and energy to walking with my son? It doesn’t require too many words, just a little bit of experience. Because of constant experiences and encounters, I gradually acquired the ability to distinguish right from wrong, the ability to take action to solve problems, and the affinity for unity and cooperation.
Yes, we need to build the tent where we sleep at night, and everything needs to be completed with the division of labor. We study and practice together, taking care of every detail, the fit and assembly of the inner tent and the outer tent, the hooking of nails and ropes, we complete every step correctly, and a warm and strong tent is completed, which can withstand The storm let us sleep peacefully in the desert.
Is there still rain in the desert? Yes, we have encountered it. Before going to bed, the wind was blowing, which was particularly scary. In the tent, we used reading to dispel the fear. It was our first time camping in the wild, and the temperature was extremely low, so the inexplicable nervousness arose spontaneously. Just when I was thinking about asking the teachers if I could sleep outdoors in such weather, the sound of dripping rain came in, getting louder and louder. Oh my god, it's raining in the desert.
Because of the rain and wind, the clouds above our heads drifted away. Teacher Mao Mao said that the next night was cloudless, which was the best weather for stargazing, and we could definitely see the Milky Way clearly.
It turns out that there are always some beautiful things that have nothing to do with time, and there are always some memories that are unforgettable. Observing stars in the wild is the easiest way to get intoxicated. If you don’t believe me, try it.
You may not know how much we gained from stargazing this time. Let’s not talk about the knowledge level. Even the Milky Way belt that we have been dreaming about is enough to keep us dreaming for a long time. Let me tell you quietly, we also observed the International Space Station orbiting the earth, which is the star that has been moving. At first, we thought it was an airplane, but it did not flash; we thought it was a meteor, but it did not burn and disappear, but went parallel. Moving at a constant speed, our eyes followed it until it turned into the night sky.
Jupiter, Mars, the Big Dipper, Polaris, Andromeda, Cancer, Ursa Major and Scorpio are densely packed and shining. Let you see it all at once, and lie on the sand dune without giving up despite the attack of the wind, sand and cold, with your eyes following Teacher Mao's explanation all the time, and thinking about various constellations.
At this moment, the moon quietly appeared at the end of the sand dune, rising slowly like the sunrise, and it was bright, bright, and cold. We held our breath and waited for it to jump out, but found that it was like a shy girl, standing by the sand dune and refusing to leave. We kept waiting and waiting, and finally waited for it to leave without knowing it. What a magical "moon rising in the desert", it gave me a surprise, I had expectations, but I lost it inadvertently, which made me very sad. Then I understood that it is just right, neither early nor late, and meeting it during my lifetime is just the right gift.
When we got home, we looked through the existing books about stars at home again, found the stars that were imprinted in our minds, and matched them one by one. My son and I enjoyed this process and enjoyed it. The moment is just right.
The temperature difference between day and night in the desert is extremely large, and it was already below zero the second night. We agreed to watch the sunrise at 4 a.m. on the third day, but none of our group of more than 30 people came out to challenge. To be honest, it's better not to come out, it's too cold. We are not afraid of missing out, because missing out will give us a little bit of regret, and regretting will give us a reason to come back.
I heard from the teachers that our desert control work in China is particularly effective. A few years ago, there were patches of sand dunes here, but now the edge areas have been planted by everyone who comes. Of course we must protect a small sapling together and plant a plant with our own name. Let us grow up together.
On the way, we walked in the desert for three days and two nights, covering a total of 15 kilometers. It doesn't sound like much. I do my best every day and stay within the "study circle". I am tired but able to persevere, and the hardship is within an acceptable range. I am especially grateful for the reasonable arrangement of the parent-child cat, as They advocate safety, love and helpfulness. It is precisely because of their professionalism that I can safely entrust myself and my children to them and help us complete challenges that I cannot complete myself. It was just right to meet the parent-child cat at this impartial node.
Tips to share:
Bring some disposable underwear and socks, disposable face towels, facial masks, and wet wipes when you go out.