Desert Children’s Journey丨Two big friends’ trip to the Tengger Desert

Pseudo literary and artistic young people who love life and travel

Picture and text / Bacon King

Sand is the most helpless thing in the world

Wandering in peace and letting the wind stop and rise

The first book San Mao read was "Sahara".

I love the freedom and freedom in her words, the love between Sanmao and Jose, above romance, the soul is free, which is both bitter and sweet, so the desert is also the place where my soul lingers, and my Hexi West seems to be scattered elsewhere in the landscape.

The first time I met Fat Hu and Yao Yao was at the seaside three years ago. The volunteer trip is still vivid in my mind. This new journey in the desert has strengthened the friendship between us, so I have to say something first.

"I haven't seen you for three years. I hope you are fine."

Different from the desert that I have always dreamed of, here there are cattle and sheep, an oasis, people, bonfires, the passionate sun, moon and stars, and a group of children who are no more than shoulder height.

We blended it in and became two small patches, patching up where needed.

Moving luggage, coaxing children, and answering their 100,000 whys "Teacher, are you Mongolian?" "Teacher, how long do we have to go?" "Teacher, can you ride a camel?" "Teacher, teacher, teacher..."

day1 Yinchuan — starting point for hiking — Big Swan Lake Campground

I got on the bus to the hiking spot early in the morning, and on the way, I finally had the opportunity to experience Fat Tiger’s professional explanation.

The Tengger Desert is one of the many deserts in northwest China. It is located in the Alxa League area of ​​Inner Mongolia, along the Great Wall of South Vietnam, reaching the Helan Mountains in the east and the Yabulai Mountains in the west.

Tengger means "sky" in Mongolian, which means the vast quicksand is like the boundless sky, hence the name.

The two main causes of the formation of the Tengger Desert are drought and wind. In addition, people cut down forest trees and destroyed grasslands, causing the land surface to lose plant coverage, and deserts were formed.

This is where the "Border Locking Plan" came from, in order to prevent the desert from continuing to expand and slow down the desertification of the land.

I hope you also know that a real desert should have flowers, plants, trees, insects, birds, and animals, and it is a stable and good ecosystem. Without human intervention, it can self-regulate and maintain balance.

During this period, we passed through the Helan Mountains, which were a battleground for military strategists in the old days. The Helan Mountains blocked the spread of the desert, softened the rolling yellow sand of the desert, and completed Ningxia's reputation as a fortress in the south of the Yangtze River.

The bus took us to the hiking point, and a simple opening ceremony was held. Each child's backpack was filled with bulging supplies, and then we set off happily.

The first day is always exciting. The curious little boy searches for the Namib desert beetle, a survival expert in the desert, in the sand. The beetles he picked up fill his entire trouser pocket.

Stop and discuss strange plants when you see them, and stop and give pointers when you see strange clouds.

The little girl who refused to admit defeat insisted on bearing the brunt and fighting for the first place, but the accompanying teacher patiently told her that we are a team and must have a cooperative spirit and wait for the slower partners.

I saw her nodding her head in understanding, and then cheered her friends behind her.

So we followed this group of strange children, studying these new and interesting gadgets, encouraging our friends who were crying and falling behind, and helping each other move forward.

I think these children who have seen the world will have more colorful lives in the future.

It was already six o'clock in the afternoon when we arrived at the camp, and the sun was still high above the sand dunes, showing no intention of setting. After unloading the equipment, pouring out the sand from the shoes, all the fatigue was relieved the moment I sat down.

This season is perfect for camping in the desert. After dinner, Fat Tiger took time to help us set up the tent after taking care of the children.

The moon appeared quietly from the sand dunes in the distance. It was the first time in my life that I saw such a beautiful moon. The moonlight of thousands of years was conveyed in the chants of literati, as if I could meet Fairy Chang'e if I rushed to the sand dunes immediately. .

I hurriedly took out my mobile phone to recreate this beautiful scenery, but my ability was limited, so we sat under the stars and imagined the future boldly.

“I want to open a youth hostel in the future”

"Then I'll design it"

“This way I have somewhere to go during the off-season.”

"It's great to meet you" "Me too" "Me too"

The desert is my bed, the stars are my quilt, there are stars on my pillow, and yellow sand in my dreams. I slept truly and sweetly that night, thinking to myself, We must never get separated.

day2 Big Swan Lake Campground – Chagan Lake Campground

When I woke up, there was no sunrise as expected. The gloomy sky and unreasonable wind and rain made my face hurt. The children got up early to pack their tents.

Shaking and getting into the logistics vehicle, I brought my raincoat supplies and hit the road with the children. The existence of the raincoat played a good psychological role. After all, "light rain is of no use, and heavy rain cannot be prevented."

The children's young bodies carry too much energy. The weather is getting darker and gloomier, and the wind and sand are unceremoniously getting into their necks, but not one of them says to give up.

I heard that Lao He was the wildest and coolest knight in the desert. He said "It rarely rains in the desert. If it rains, you are lucky. You are all lucky."

The logistics team built a resting shed, and we had to have lunch in the desert. At this moment, the weather had cleared up and the sun was shining brightly. After eating, the children regained their physical strength in one second.

Being able to build a shade place in the desert and eat two pieces of watermelon will double your happiness.

After eating and drinking, there is still time to jump on the small sand dune next to it.

In order to experience the knight's desert speed car, I decided to get into Lao He's car after lunch. When I arrived at the camp, I was laughed at by the children, "Ha! You actually went to ride the car." "I won't tell you how many desert speed cars there are." Stimulate!"

The entire desert was filled with ups and downs of screams all afternoon, and the sand dunes I climbed over left two eye-catching wheel marks. As I was going up the sand dunes, Lao He swung to the side and lifted steadily. I'm a mouthful of sand.

We climbed over the sand dunes and shuttled between several off-road vehicles. I don’t know whether we showed off our maneuverability, but Yaoyao and I were left in the back row.

Lao He sent us to the highest sand dune and took out two sandboards from the trunk. Although it looked a little scary at the height, it was so exciting when we slid down!

We stopped on the top of the sand dune, facing the wind and sand and looking at the desert smoke in the distance, and we felt something in our hearts at that moment.

The land of China is so vast, and it has its own arrangements. There are so many people of all kinds, so many unique scenery, being able to meet and enjoy them together, and being able to walk on this land together, it’s great How wonderful.

The camp that night was occupied by yurts, which were round and round and were placed next to each other in the desert. They looked inexplicably friendly.

day3 Chagan Lake Campground

Fat Hu woke up early in the morning and took the children boating and treasure hunting in the desert. When the children came back, the water stains on their bodies had dried into white patches.

I'm so envious. These children are eager for the world and full of curiosity about everything in nature. All new things are attractive, but we just think that the clothes stained by the salt lake are not easy to wash.

So Yaoyao and I stayed in the camp to tinker with Mongolian costumes. Although the shapes are complicated, they also carry the traditional culture and beliefs of a nation and have become a prominent symbol of an ethnic group. I want to wear the costumes of all 56 ethnic groups. All over.

The time in the desert passes both slowly and quickly. The slowness seems to be late at night, but the fast pace is already halfway through the journey.

If there is no signal, you can even play cards to pass the time.

When night falls, the heat of the desert fades away, a bonfire is lit in the camp, and everyone gathers in a circle to dance Guozhuang. There are not enough stars in the sky, so fireworks come in. The fireworks explode above the head, blooming with brilliant colors. It is a normal Chinese New Year celebration. can only be seen.

day4 Chagan Lake Campground — Yinchuan

The desert must be very lonely, with a mysterious power and legend all year round, but the desert allows us to strengthen our faith and not be afraid of wind and rain.

Walking in the desert, use your body to feel the power of nature. The wind blowing behind you can erase the mark of your arrival.

The last stop out of the desert is the Alxa Oirat Folk Culture Inheritance and Education Center. It is an education center based on the inheritance and development of nomadic history and culture. It is also a place to learn about Alxa’s nomadic history and original folk culture.

There are still some objects from the desert in the early days. The guide told us about the evolution of the yurt from ancient times to the present, the differences in the costumes of various tribes, and the use of the camel's jingling bells.

The children gained insights during the journey, had a dialogue with ancient civilizations, grew up through study, and walked with thousands of miles of yellow sand.

He who knows thousands of books can also travel thousands of miles.

What if some kids ask me who I am?

Then I am your thirsty glass of water, your umbrella in the rain, the subtext in the text, and the adult who stands behind you when you need it.

Before this journey, little kids who grew up in the city probably wouldn't realize that they also have unlimited potential. It seems that they are gradually walking out of the growth trajectory and stepping out of the shelter of their families. Then It's something I never experienced as a child.

Travel is also my medicine, curing my contradictory life.