Who are the masters of the Taklimakan
January 24, 2004, one of 11 elderly Japanese and one Chinese old composition, the average age of 63 years entered the Taklamakan desert expedition, they want 39 degrees north latitude line (the Taklimakan longest axis nearly 1000 km straight-line ), from Kashgar to Ruoqiang Maigaiti across the Taklimakan, which can not help but talk about the expedition in the history of the Taklimakan several big blow.
Since the end of last century has been, or are a variety of cross section, or carried out along the edge of the desert, the largest was in 1993, the British expedition spent 60 days in 2001, the United States expedition took 53 days time across the Taklimakan, but they are taking the line are close to the southern edge of the desert oasis. The expedition of choice across the board from the 39-degree line of about 250 km around the oasis, in the event of danger, well water can not quench thirst.
In particular, the history of the desert adventure to the Hotan River Maigaiti 260 km road, but had refined. Hao scheduled trip to the failure of even been regarded as a "desert line between life," so far no one to succeed. In April 1895, the Swedish explorer Sven ? Hao set with eight camels, and two dogs, three sheep, 11 chickens, three or four months of food and enough drinking water for 25 days from the Markit out hair, his adventure is just the straight line from Markit to the Hotan River 260 km, and are confident that you can arrive within 15 days, did not expect that, due to high temperatures, sand hills, huge excessive water consumption, water crisis started from the first 10 days, and a result, he spent 26 days to lose all the camel, two camel sacrifice workers to give up most of its supplies and gear, struggling with rescued in the Hotan River, a Jishuitan, this failure is the 19th-century China a prelude to the history of the western expedition, "desert line between life" has become a classic chapter of the history of the Western Regions expedition. A hundred years after the explorers reproduced very similar to that scene. In 1999 a trio of German expedition hired three workers with a six camel camel starting from Markit, and three 20-year-old young people count on to have a good physique, modern satellite navigation, the latest high-energy food, plan a speed of 30 km per day, 10 days arrived in Hotan River, 10 days after the exhaustion of water, camels were dead, fled to escape. After a projected number of days, camel family workers feel uneasy and will report the matter to the Government, the Government has spent large sums of money to hire workers to pack along the Hotan River to the west to find 39-degree line. Expedition last night in the first 16 days saw the help of the fire, only a few kilometers away from the river 40 places have been dying to find Zhezhi expedition. This story in Kashi, Hotan area known young and old, near and far-workers once the name of the pack, are all pale. Perhaps it was all locked in the eyes of these old explorers.
The history of these expeditions has nothing to do with China, but this is different from the team, there are a 57-year-old Chinese man, so I went to witness!
39-degree line - the reintegration in the dream because there is not enough camels Maigaiti the expedition had to rent from Hotan, January 23, 2004, the expedition also result in Hotan final preparations completed, a Pakistani car with all the players, 11 of 47 camel Dongfeng car and nearly eight tons of materials, light water is installed 40 liter 50 barrels a day, mighty fleet sailed out of Hotan, Moyu, along with lines in the Hotan River in the West Bank The new desert highway, climbed over a mountain to reach the oil mazartag base stations, plan to use as a starting point to reach 39 degrees northwest first line, then east 260 kilometers to reach Hotan River, this is the first range trip, plan 13 days. Plans go plan, we have again and again to change the line, northwest, north, east, eliminating most of distance, but also spent nine days to reach Hotan River, travel is only 67 ? 8 km, Sven Hedin's "desert of life and death line "again leapt to the summit of history!
January 24 is the beginning of the day expedition. 12:00 start loading camel, went so far as to use a full seven hours. We buckets, feed sacks of corn on a set of rolling up, the instant noodles, fine dried noodles, rice, flour, pickled vegetables, pots stove Youyanjiangcu sub-bag packaging, packaging materials to individuals, then that is a long wait, 10 pack fiddle with eight tons of materials to work quickly also can not fast, but half of the Health and camels and difficult to press down down. To noon, and pulled out and got a bite to eat biscuits, and then so on, watching the sun was setting quickly, it is not on the Tuoduizhuangwan unloaded it? 7:10 finally Zhuang Wan, and Japan's captain decided to proceed Narita, Japan, the oldest member, was elected as captain Bando waving hands to the sand hills, starting to send a short order, a grand adventure of the Kai-step! Although the consumption of a day, your heart is inevitably some fibrillation appears to be true? !
Markit extends from the middle mazartag Hotan River Mountains, is 200 million years ago to tapir lake sediments, deposited salt, Glauber's salt, Himalayan orogeny during the push into the red and white two mountain mazartag Hill the northwest wind resistance, together with the sand in the mountains north of Sand Hill height difference of 300 m, bottom of the pot-shaped honeycomb shawo a linked one, boundless. We are a start, plunging to the Sand Hills Sand Sea, the camel too heavily, and some are mounted to 150 kilograms, the tall sand hills, a little too hard camel, camel-workers dissatisfaction with boss to say, camel industry leader only in front of wood heat in accordance with Pathfinder, from time to time stepping down from the sand around the mountain to the lower reaches farther, 8:40 completely black days down, and then can not choose the road ahead, and we had to camp. Camel unloading spent an hour, everyone found a self-Mo Zhuohei food and drink items with a simple making tea after eating Nang, into a sandbag in the camp quiet. Across the tent came a harmonica sound, the Japanese players Kido blown quite good, the right side of camel tent on the radio industry is also ringing Uygur folk songs, we really have hit the road, though only just gone to the northwest 2 ? 7 Gong Li , there is excitement and more worried about the future, we sink into this disturbing Chuaizhe minus 25 degrees in early evening. (In order to more accurately, a few kilometers is the GPS gives a straight line distance, in the Great Sand Hills, the actual distance should be more than doubled.)
At night, the tent next door coughing and constant sound of the night, next morning, Kido move one's lips to tell Narita Well, last night night cough, as well as diarrhea, insomnia, forced to give up! Before departure, Kido misty tears in their eyes one by one with the other players to bid farewell to console each other, hugging, and then captain Narita, Japan and the Chinese captain Wang Xing accompanied Kido camel to return the oil base. Under a 60-year-old made the vision actually so easily have been deprived of that's so cruel thing, watching Kido step in a back, we all know burst of sorrow and grief, could not bear watched. I hope he is not the first person fallen ---- there is still an escape route!
Until 5:00 p.m. team finally set off again, the day trip 3 ? 5 km! So people Jiaoxin speed, the next day, not yet dawn, the National Palace Museum, the old cases and Zhao take the initiative to get up early to work on camel-workers making tea, counting on them to early loaded camel. Loaded camel, we counted a moment 80 liters of drinking water, food 20 kilograms, 200 kilograms of feed consumption of camel day, water 150 liters, 450 kilograms of the team.
At noon, the camel-workers found a camel ran away, and sent a man to recover to the east along the Indian camel. 3:00 team's departure for those peaks that look for camels and camels, we were forced to change eastbound poles apart. 21:30 Camel workers back, did not recover and that "deserters." On this day regarded as a normal road, the results of a straight line only 7 kilometers, so the calculation, the original 13 days to prepare the material is clearly not enough, we must adjust the line and road speed, to discuss the results of tomorrow 39 degrees north, straight line, from 10 two camels loaded with personal equipment and materials required to prepare the day ahead with the expedition, and other baggage Across, lost camel with it fend for themselves. Into the desert seventh day 12:30 GPS displays, we have finally arrived at 39-degree line, the Japanese players excited shouted - the victory of another! 7 days tour 44 ? 5 km, our "desert line between life," only this trip east to Hotan River, the last 23 km.
The ninth day starting February 1 for an hour after seeing a growing number of dead plants, then further on, finally found the first one live Tamarix and Populus euphratica, everyone motivated and excited mood. Gradually the desert to life again, Populus euphratica, Tamarix, Apocynum, licorice, and then further increasing the footprints of rabbits gerbils intensive, the desert is no longer silent, camels are restless. Lunch break when the GPS showed there are 176 meters away from the Hotan River, everyone excited, the team quickly sprint to the Hotan River, climb up a sand hill drilled forests, forest inter-pore revealing bright silver white, sitting on a camel who first called up to the to the! - One full of ice Hotan River! Enough water to wash your hair wash your face in! Drying of the sleeping bag can rest! The supply to the! There is flesh! Agitation on a river bank, no one could react, the rare floods also supply convoy stopped at mazartag Shannan, more than 60 kilometers away from us! Our food support for a few days, excitement is too late to put away! Want to come to the calculation, only the rapid southward. February 3, we are forced to leave the 39-degree line, a four-day emergency line of 63 ? 5 Gongli back mazartag Hill.
Or this "desert line between life" Let us have come a real big circle approximately 230 kilometers then returned to the starting point, I seem to hear it had not been successful through the "desert line between life," re-issue proud laughing, Japan Well out laughing in the team collapsed in the.
Desert minus 20 - 25 degrees cold, cold bore the not protect the site, just a few days, some people ears, face, nose, fingers suffered different degrees of frostbite, the team members one by one cold, all the people are pulled out too late to wipe the nose, to the night, coughing sound come and go, do not have time nor the conditions of the liquid infusion, but to eat medicine Ying Kang. In mazartag rest days, the rich doctor per day Yaoda 78 bit by bit, the only stand under the string hanging bottles, around the circle for the elderly, long enough to extract them with a dropper , like a garlic. Japanese film crew out of the old director of the wells are no longer insist on the fourth day on foot, his eyes are dead, walk, playing Akira, but always keep the team to stop. Mazartag finally arrived, he loose the spirit of a man suddenly collapsed, and did not wait for us put up tents on the collapsed to the ground, his lungs had severe infections, breathing difficulties, the night was rushed to the hospital be saved his Wada a life. Can not imagine a 60-year-old how to get through that period of the pain away. Whenever I think of, no matter how much I do not like the Japanese, I have admiration for this group of elderly Japanese.
Mazartag the ages of karakax he originated in the Kunlun Mountains and the Yulong Kashgar River parallel north, the depth of 80 kilometers in the desert orchid stem convergence of Hotan River, then flows to the north of the Aksu oasis in the desert, is a north-south channel of communication . Mazartag the red sandstone mountains in the desert seems to bare out a blood, a height of not more than two hundred meters west Yanshen out. It is said that the tenth century AD, the late 11 century, the faith of Islam and the Karahan Kingdom Buddhism Big Treasure Yutian Guo protracted religious wars between, (the history books say that Forty-seven years), a man named Ma Jiang Tian Buddhist Khan secretly transmitted to the Islamic Army intelligence, was later found Buddhists, will Matthew Jiang Khan executed here. When the Karahan Kingdom after the fall of Khotan, built for her here, this mazar, for people to pay tribute. Is also said that the market here is the main battleground of religious war, many people have sacrificed and was buried there. The mountain its name, mazar (cemetery) dhak (Hill).
Mazartag about 250 km south to Hotan, Aksu Awat County north are also hundreds of kilometers, mountains, winding river Li to Hotan abruptly put on hold, Alice ran upright, bypassing the Hongshan Duanbi, lower some of the 1 White Dragon and Red Hill in parallel separated by less than one kilometer, also did not Hotan River chopped, the two mountains is very distinctive red and white. Red hill climb is a castle, from Stein's excavations of view, castle peak in the Tang Dynasty, near beacon towers, caves. Beacon in the garrison at Fort West, 60 meters east to west, north and south a short bottom edge, top of spire height of about 6 meters higher than the castle. Garrison fort from the bedroom, kitchen, post and wall composition of an area of about 1000 square meters. The bottom is mud-brick buildings, the upper half is a layer of red mud sandwiching a layer of Populus euphratica tree Lei Cheng. Rong fort northeast of about forty to fifty meters of low-Office has a mazar. Under the castle there is a cliff into a mountain cave joints, 20 cm wide 60 cm high, sideways into the body barely able to fear, which they can accommodate 10 people, where Stein had found some artifacts, and our camels climbed work Soon it turns into finding a black and yellow have been written on the old Uighur language paper, we also can not help but crawl inside the hot and harder and harder, and so the eyes adapt to darkness, the surprise I find that men are on a dry hard in the death of mice, hurry to escape. Learn how to make ancient castles Liao Wang, Hotan River two kilometers wide, flat bed and spread of desert-phase, line of sight very wide, it should be a castle look, and Feng Sui Liao Remote signal of the high points.
Castle right now people waiting, and Hotan River Road, but this thoroughfare are still prevailing. There are five cattle traders to catch a herd of cattle through our camp, they come from the Kuqa via Aksu, has gone 13 days, and plans to have three days to reach Wada. Now we Tuoling Sheng accompanied by the sound of dust spacious day, all disheveled, rickety, ancient modern people to distinguish between human outsiders walk this aisle, as into the ancient times. Know, Camel is Tuodui hanging in front of, behind, or in between?
Less total water battle into a real sand desert, the desert, we had the vision of the disease, sandstorms, water scarcity, often alone never thought of the storm was actually brief account of the flood of our. Hotan River flood accident us mercilessly from the 39-degree line back to the starting point, and nearly lost the case through the ages together. We arrived at mazartag from the West Bank, the weather hot day like one day, seeing the river of ice melting, and we quickly moved to camps east of the river, on this day the Chinese captain Zhang Fang-yun away team the day after tomorrow is already dark, and he a man Dianzhe shovel to probing the way forward to cross the river back to the camp, at the foot of the ice Ga chirp sounds, and he fell into the ice, the good news is that moment he was lying on a shovel to rip on the ice along a Bazhuo exploration, depth chest, at the foot of instability, two kilometers outside the camp is still, no one to turn for help. He shovel to move a little more solid ice, carefully, and finally climbed the ranks. When he returned to camp soaked to the skin, Duoduosuosuo, ice ballast draw a rotten nose and mouth are still bleeding, and we thought he went to the Wada lorry it! Thank God that did not leave one without missing the fans.
To leave the Hotan River, the weather poly natural warming, the water suddenly increased a lot, there are three days away from the daheyan when the remaining 200 liters, and the team suddenly Mao, and discuss again and again, the team leader who decided that a strict Control of water is not more than 70 liters per day; two-day stay to be 20 km (actually 35 km or so) to ensure the timely arrival; 3, releasing stored water, a tent, but also someone to look after! After three days of thirst in the mad rush, we once again trapped in the storm.
Daheyan is a rural location, called Daliyabo according to a result in the Kriya named River, 230 km away from the Yutian oasis, which is the Taklimakan Desert, one of the most in-depth towns scattered along the river more than 300 herdsmen households. Criado river is seasonal river, when section should be without water, every household drinking water wells. We are 2 km away from the village where her experience a 20-meter-wide ice, glaciers have been civilized by the shore with a stick in some places continue to explore the full 2 meters deep, players on the ice to find their own Tuolekuzai way to cross the river, but also one after another fell into the water, Narita captain backs female members in order to cross the river, his legs were classified rotten ice, blood, and the ice water flowing glacier, on a strong residual vision. Tuodui worse, camel-workers all under the water would not help the camel, a camel suddenly fall into the trap through the ice, stuck in the ice stuck around the camel-workers it is not even playing with a stretch, camel finally earned out, A few days later, the camel died in daheyan because of internal injuries, but then I cut down the villagers with the help of three poplar frame in the ice between the shore, covered with sandbags, has finally crossed the river Tuodui.
Daheyan the water war is far from over. The next morning, some villagers came to report that our replenishment truck stuck in the flood You Ji 5 km outside the village areas. We rushed to the river, a 10-meter-wide river, water ice, carrying a large roof quickly drift off, a camel working on camels into the water test road, water or over the hump. Panic at the lack of water has not cleared the occasion of captain in the sand and the foot of the mountain looking at supply side of the Narita captain shouting across the river, always felt unreal, it really is the Taklimakan Desert! ?
We use tires made rafts, pull the rope on both sides of the river boat to the surface Dangqi are shipped with, there cried - running water啦! A few people carrying shovels rush, it is our escape route leading to the camp, if you do not block the overflow, not only a difficult return, all supplies will be soaked in water. A moment here and shouting - there is ice! No time to respond, empty rafts hang suddenly turned ice, and then have to turn it over. It was so frustrating to the dark, and only then the two vehicles transporting materials back to the camp. To listen to the villagers say that a product under the ice of winter, and the two sides Controlled flooding in the main river, called "to break." With just a week or so will be penetrated into the sand where the water disappeared, the villagers were drinking their well water as usual, to break was again caught up with us. Water, the city never let those of us who so deeply love-hate relationship.
Daheyan the villagers do not recognize that they are Uygur people, they say they are Criado people - the earliest and most authentic of indigenous people, it is for their own pride in the purity of descent. Look at their physical appearance, a long face aquiline noses, black hair, turned out with the Loulan unearthed ancient species resemble Europa, the Housing Court straw clay wall, paste, and even the layout of the rooms are exactly the same as the ancient site of Niya is simply the year of reproduction. Daheyan If this is the year that the last oasis with a pivot, relying Criado River, holed up at least a thousand years.
Originally thought that such a village deep in the desert will be very atresia, and the people will be very simple, the result is very unexpected, with talking to the villagers know, where the villagers are located in Criado, within 50 kilometers along the river, in addition to sheep, where is also rich in big-yun, is said to be a very spiritual impotence medicine, herders grazing the side while digging large-yun, and everyone is half-Kang Liang Zhao, "sweet potato", a week would come in the acquisition vehicle trip, 15 yuan 1 kg, 30 yuan sold to Hebei and other places, the considerable proceeds. Vendors have long been the introduction of the philistine here, so we must fight a bucket of well water, you pay for. In recent years a number of groups came with the expedition, they are also not familiar with the expedition had been accustomed to you ask for anything, the camp was surrounded by adults and children, we have shoes and socks are all crammed into tents.
"God's a kind of a desert"
Xu is the archaeological expedition into Tibet eight years of his career, Xu is with the ancient ruins in the wilderness of dialogue, a pleasant change in the blood quality of Peking Man. China Buddhist Culture Research Institute of the photographers, were invited researcher with Chang that the Jedi Adventure programs can no longer contain himself, think of himself as a 57-year-old "young" ginseng team, but also is the only Chinese players, He secretly vowed to use his legs way along the road, but he did not expect the desert to pay him what kind of price, but also did not expect the desert gave him what kind of rebirth.
In order to achieve synchronization and camel camp, were proceeding with the chang every day in advance may also not be too far away, otherwise the risk would be lost, be careful million in 1000 he lost his once carefully. In the rush to mazartag day, because there is a reference Hotan River, the old cases from the river straight lone forward, by and large force of the encounter time, but the total can not see the shadow of the brigade. More than 10 days down to his joint swelling and pain unbearable, which days, in the ice and fell a foot, leg pain could keel over, finally how to go so many passed on, unwilling to go back, can be found if large forces, he However, with only a valuable camera, this how hunger and cold of the desert winter night too! Set teeth, he dragged his legs cross-section, second hour, a voice constantly in the ears Xu Tao: It may have been encamped, and return to the bar! He refused, and finally found a Tuodui footprint, but also the Red River to find a cigarette, taste very strong, as well as fresh camel dung, I really wait for them on a pro, this radical environmentalists who want to modify their own environmental rules -- Occasionally, one is not environmentally friendly is also necessary! After daheyan, his legs were grass turtle bite of a package, not a few days the black hair on the swollen lymph nodes are swelling up, what medicine is not effective, and seems to have camels, and wondering if that was to abandon it? He was reconciled to this, simply use to wipe camel Zhishang of livestock medicines only control the inflammation in the wound, after which he had been leaning on a stick before dragging a leg Yibubuxiang.
He also thought of giving up countless times, what kind of world that could get support from his painful physical, to accomplish can be said that the unheralded 1500 kilometers of the journey on foot then? I remember when the first entered the desert, we are right to challenge the Japanese for the elderly to play acting by 39-degree line where you do not believe and agree with, and if the money will wait until you come to destabilize? Look at that 78-year-old recruit made Bando, left a military collapse kettle, right collapse of a telescope, and then tie on a military belt, is simply a devil village, to say that the age of the war against China that would really stick Probably point edge, hate, can not allow them to be tantamount to territory in trying to flaunt it? Covert rivalry with the Japanese, leapt up from that moment.
I and the old cases were required to make an appointment on foot in the end, but, to extend the scheme, cost increases, I can not afford, was forced to withdraw from the daheyan. Prior to departure, I would like to bring him the old case of the sole representative of that side of the banner of the Chinese people to fight together, make it for me way along the road. Old case came back and told me that his heavy sentence. I do not regret making such a heavy burden to him, but every talk about that, I was choked silent.
Ye Hao said the narrow-minded, self-righteous Ye Hao said that the old cases came a step by step, and the soft back of a never-ending into the two with no reference to the color of the people desperate Sand Hills Sand Sea, on a dry day , pickled vegetables, and noodles, Nang, the old were also somehow a person walking. Sometimes I really tired, he would sit down to a rest, watching the disappearing Tuodui think: Look, I am as much a 50 peak camel Tuodui, Sven Hedin also without my trappings, my pack-workers this moment is being prepared in front of camp, burning tea waiting for me then! Go! Tea to go! Again summon the strength to catch up with him Tuodui.
73 days! Weight reduced by 15 kilograms, close to the finish line when walking has been staggering, awareness has also been abstracted, he was the only walk a whole person! Prior to that he had asked myself: When you reach the finish line when you will be excited? He felt that he would not, an old Buddhist has no results. But when the last day came, when there is 5 km away from the Ruoqiang County, appeared to meet the silhouette of the distant, he was the face of salty water into the mouth, constantly flowing. Recalled that moment, he said, not happy or excited, as if new-born babies to see the first ray of sunshine like crying, no reason!
He did not expect that mother gave him encouragement after the last time quietly away. Ruoqiang they arrived the night before, his first satellite phone and as far away as Beijing's mother talked, the mother encouraged him to persist in the end. Mother did not return until he suddenly passed away on the next day, until a week later he returned to Beijing was aware of the news. Mother kneeling in front of the desert scenes but clear up, to borrow the words of their ancestors, if the days will be down major role in the mission entrusted by heaven, one must first hardship and allowed Liu, workers of their bones and muscles, what about Tibet for eight years, mental and physical grind of the refining only to this time as the Chinese people on foot across, and even lost the opportunity for the mother good-bye! Everything is God, there are pack heat under wood workers feeling as evidence: "God, a kind of desert!"
Author: xj_yuanye
