Qinghai tour is over.
Although I am very tired, I am really happy. After all, it is my first time to travel far this year, and I am going to the Northwest, which I have longed for for a long time, hahaha~
Let’s talk about our itinerary first. It was a total of 8 days. On the last day, in order not to delay the flight, we mainly drove to the airport, so we actually spent 7 days playing.
The following is the road map, with slight adjustments in the middle, for reference only.
In addition to online strategies, share some personal experiences:
We found a driver + chartered car on a travel app and followed the route planned in advance.
After confirming with the platform, we are not responsible for the driver's food and accommodation, so the average cost per person for 8 days (driver + chartered car) + 7 nights (hotel accommodation) is 3,300 RMB, including round-trip air tickets + meals, plus extra calculations.
Try not to land alone at night, especially girls. Even if the hotel provides airport pick-up, try not to arrive at night.
I bought China Eastern Airlines to fly in the morning and evening as I wanted. There were no flights arriving before noon on October 2nd. In the end, I decided to leave on October 1st and go a day early so that everyone could meet up at noon the next day (all arriving at about the same time).
We landed in Xining at 23:50. The driver who picked us up took us to the hotel. I have to say that the road was very empty. We chatted briefly and didn't talk much.
After a while, I found that the driver was no longer on the main road, but on a small road.
I quickly asked: Is this a dirt road?
Driver: Yes.
If you can't go on a good asphalt road, why turn to this small road?
I immediately became alert and glanced at my companion. He was also looking ahead. Neither of us spoke.
I quickly opened the map, and I have to say that the signal in the northwest is really bad (especially telecommunications. Later, at the entrance of a certain scenic spot, the staff said as soon as they came up that telecommunications was scrapped here, and mobile was still OK).
I refreshed it and the car continued to drive. When the route map was displayed, the car had returned to the main road. The next map display was correct.
The driver probably wanted to take a shortcut.
Although it was a false alarm, luckily I was accompanied by a friend. But the nervousness of that moment left a deep impression on me . I will definitely not arrive at night in the future, especially in an unfamiliar city, unless I am accompanied by a companion or someone I trust and know. Someone came to pick him up.
Later, on National Highway 315, a check-in spot for internet celebrities, someone was run over by a speeding vehicle because he was standing in the middle of the road taking photos. I don’t know what happened to him afterwards.
Be sure to pay more attention.
In addition to the normal items, you should bring the following.
down jacket:
Qinghai has started to get cold in October, especially in the morning and evening, with the lowest temperature being -2℃, so be sure to bring a down jacket or a detachable jacket with fleece, preferably both.
There is a big temperature difference between morning and evening. There are 2-3 hours at noon in summer mode so you can wear short sleeves.
Sunglasses or hat:
Pay attention to sun protection, ultraviolet rays are really strong, and so are the scenic spots. For example, Chaka Salt Lake is all white when you look at it. After looking at it for a long time, you don't want to open your eyes.
Bright clothes or decorations:
Whether it's a coat or a scarf, at least one of them is a bright color , purely for taking pictures~
Hydrating mask:
Qinghai is really dry. Every day there, I can feel my skin being dried out, and my nose is also very dry.
One friend had nosebleeds for three consecutive days, and another friend had a very obvious stinging sensation after washing his face and applying skin care.
Rhodiola rosea:
Eat in advance to prevent high fever.
We didn't take this medicine at the beginning. Although we could feel that our skin was getting drier, we were able to jump around without any problem for the past few days.
All the way to Kekexili, the altitude is 4700+m. The further north you go, the higher the I obviously felt my skin was chapped + my nose was very dry + my voice became like I had a cold + I was out of breath after running a few steps + I had a headache.
I took 2 rhodiola rosea pills at that time, but it had little effect. I must have taken them too late.
Therefore, in order to avoid the above situation, it is really recommended that people who go there for the first time eat 2-3 days in advance.
Encyclopedia says that it can quickly increase the oxygen-carrying capacity of human hemoglobin, promote the generation of blood oxygen and form an effective transport, and effectively prevent and alleviate altitude sickness. Trust it.
Thermos cup:
It’s not superfluous at all, because when you drive hundreds of kilometers every day, being able to drink a sip of hot water in the tired + dry and cold Northwest is really a joy on earth.
Drone:
Qinghai is really beautiful and wide.
However, many scenic spots cannot capture their beauty and magnificence with just a mobile phone or camera. A drone is needed. For example, Aiken Spring, Yadan Landform, Hoh Xil, Yadan on the Water, Mangya Emerald Lake, East and West Taiwan Jinair Lake...
I remember that in Aiken Springs, when we were leaving, an old man next to us said quietly: I've been fooled, I've been fooled. In fact, using a drone + vertical photography here is pretty good.
Book a hotel one month in advance:
Normally it's fine, but during peak tourist season, be sure to book in advance.
Because there are really people who have not booked a hotel, so they can only set up tents next to Mangya at night , such as a friend who is traveling with me...
Therefore, the hot search above is really no exaggeration.
After all, the infrastructure in Northwest China is really not very good. On our first night in Xining, although the landlady upgraded the B&B to a hotel for free, the windows had to be closed with a lot of effort, and the door still could not be locked from the inside.
In Golmud (the second largest city in Qinghai), we stayed in the top three hotels. The lights were relatively dim, and some rooms had no hot water or air conditioning. It was very cold at night and even extra quilts or blankets were not available. No, you have to ask the front desk specifically for a hair dryer. Top3 is such an accommodation.
If you want to think better, sincerely recommend top1 , the average per capita is 330 per night, which is not bad.
I want to say that again: the Northwest is really wide.
The distances between scenic spots are very long, and driving hundreds of kilometers a day is not something you just want to do if you want to go to the bathroom, unless you do it outdoors...
Therefore, just be satisfied with having a secluded and convenient place, no matter how simple it is, and really don’t expect too much.
"If you win the bet, I'll invite you to the bathroom." This is really a lot of fun. Several times, when we see someone watching videos on a mobile phone next to us, we will guess, is he watching Douyin or Kuaishou?
"Let's pay a dollar, I guess it's Douyin"
"It must be Kuaishou"
"I guess the video number"
Then one person comes up to say hello and confirm, and everyone laughs when he comes back. The loser should go to the bathroom. After all, in the Northwest, this is also a luxury thing.
In the last two days, a friend also taught the driver how to use Douyin to upload videos, increase fans, establish a personal IP, and receive orders to monetize... He really made no secret of his love for his own products.
"If the master can't use it, it means the product is not good enough." This is a very touching saying in the vast northwest, far away from work.
They will also ask the master carefully why he does not use a certain product? Which one is most used, Douyin or Kuaishou? Where is the best TikTok? What attracts you to Kuaishou?
Getting the real answer at the moment closest to the user is probably the leisure attribute brought by work.
The next day we discovered that the driver uploaded 8 videos to Douyin in one night. It seemed that he was enjoying it...
Hand sanitizer with 45% alcohol concentration can pass the security check at Daxing Airport and be checked in normally, but it was directly detained at Golmud;
My colleague’s mini hand sanitizer was hung on the outside of his backpack the whole time. You can carry it with you through security in Beijing, but you can only check it in Golmud;
Drones contain lithium batteries and can be shipped normally in Beijing, but are strictly not allowed in Golmud.
Although the airline has regulations, local security inspections still prevail, so this is not done intentionally by the ground staff and is determined by local conditions.
Moreover, for several scenic spots we passed, everyone was required to get out of the car and carry out facial recognition with their ID cards, which is also a public security inspection.
Generally speaking, management in the Great Northwest is indeed stricter.
After checking the information, Golmud has a population of about 300,000, almost half of which are soldiers and their families. It is called China's only "Soldier City" probably because it is close to Tibet.
Except for D1 and D6, which are shorter, the others are 5 hours of investigation , so it only takes more than an hour to get from Mangya to Aiken Spring, and we all think it is too close.
So be mentally prepared. Traveling is relaxing, but it doesn’t mean it’s not hard work. As long as you’re willing to do so, it’s ok.
Compared with us who are just visiting here, we have to admire the people who have taken root and built there. , because the conditions were really tough, especially for those pioneers.
I remembered a few small things, pure records.
In Mangya Emerald Lake, the best shooting spot is a T-shaped position. The most unique thing is a small boat that can be climbed up and integrated into the lake.
Many people queued up to take pictures. Even though there was a wet salt floor below, they were still willing to lie down. Trying to pose in the same pose . There were so many photos that were exactly the same as those in Xiaohongshu. At that moment, I felt like they were gone. How much meaning.
In Golmud, on the way to a barbecue restaurant at night, a middle-aged man stood by the window of the community on the third floor. He used a walkie-talkie to talk about historical events and important leaders. From time to time he uttered a curse word. I don’t know if he was drunk or too busy. anger.
Before setting off for Hoh Xil, Director Ou went to the police station to register. It was almost 10 o'clock, and there were more than 20 people lined up outside, but the person on duty was still sleeping.
Until Director Ou said to the inside, "If you don't handle it, I'll call the Municipal Public Security Bureau to complain ", the person on duty got up immediately...
After we really set off, we looked at the uneven road ahead and listened to the driver talking about the construction of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway. Those who sacrificed their lives are as great as those who have been recorded in history.
In Mangya, the oil workers I met on the street earned more than 10,000 yuan a month, which was worth one square meter of local housing prices.
The middle-aged lady taking her Chihuahua for a walk must be proud of her identity, otherwise she wouldn't be wearing overalls and wearing a party emblem, and would be friendly enough to tell us which restaurant has delicious food.
Along the way, there are many oil mining machines, working constantly, colorful, beautiful and cute.
In Hoh Xil, natural selection was going on. We saw Tibetan antelopes drinking water together, yaks weighing at least 1 ton, leisurely donkeys, and dried animal carcasses. We did not see wolves or bears. They probably only came out at night.
2 yuan/lamb kebab, so delicious.
Locally, a live sheep/cow takes no more than 2 hours from slaughter to serving.
I always write a little bit about the meaning of travel at the end.
But this year, I found that I don’t seem to have so many rich emotions. I just feel that I completely let go of work. The time when I don’t have to reply to any messages is always very fast and really refreshing.
Remembering when I was looking for a team, I saw on the company intranet that there was a team recruitment for Qinghai, and I immediately sent a private message to Director Ou (our trip planner) if I could still join?
As a result, he said that 6 people were already full.
Okay, then I can only continue to see which team is still short of players. Qinghai can't go, but others are OK. Anyway, I just want to go out and play.
But I will say one more thing: If you can join later, you can call me hahahahaha.
As a result, he said: So do you expect someone to quit? Hahaha.
Okay, that’s what I mean haha…
This matter just passed by, and I didn't have any hope. After all, the 6 people are already fully booked, and the air tickets and hotels have been booked. There is almost no chance that someone will suddenly withdraw and refuse to go.
Unexpectedly, a few days later, Director Ou sent a message saying that a girl withdrew because she did not want to go back to a certain scenic spot, so there was an extra seat available. She asked me if I was still willing to go?
hahahahahahahaha!
So, I followed a small team to the Northwest.
The last one to join, I didn’t buy a ticket for my connecting flight in Chengdu, so a friend specially changed the round-trip ticket and accompanied me to my connecting flight in Xi’an. It’s really not too nice, thank you~
And Director Ou was worried about the whole process, planning the overall itinerary, chatting with the driver, and going to the police station to file... It was really hard work!
Every time I listen to Yang Zi speak, I can't help laughing. He is very kind, smart, and positive. Nice+++.
Before this, except for Director Ou who knew two of the friends, none of us knew each other. Six of us came from three cities and two companies. The Internet was really interesting.
The holiday is over, and everyone returns to their original positions to continue. Life is like this, ordinary and longing for it.
The meaning of travel is not to take many beautiful photos, but to get to know yourself through the roads you travel and the people you meet, take a breath and think about some things clearly.
On the way back from Hoh Xil, all five of them fell asleep.
I had high fever and a headache, but looking out the car window at the continuous Kunlun Mountains, shining in the setting sun, and the vast withered land, Zhou Shen sang in the song, "Life is infinitely small, but equally infinitely grand. "The entanglements, disappointments, and sadness in my heart have all dissipated, and there is more and more determination and hope. I have to work harder and become better, so that I will not even feel sorry for myself.
You must be positive and change positively.
When a person can change, it's not too painful. What's painful is that he has no choice and can't do anything.
less talking, more working.