Go on road trip route from Chengdu to Qinghai Lake+Raiders

Qinghai Lake is a scenic spot worth visiting. I believe many friends who love to travel will go. So this small series will tell you about the route and play strategy from Chengdu to Qinghai Lake.

When crossing the Zoige prairie, I fell asleep bored, damn interval speed measurement! At this time, the speed is less than 60 kilometers, and the wind is pouring in from the open window, which is a bit cool; The sun in the rearview mirror is about to set below the mountain, and the afterglow has plated the clouds in the distance with a dazzling golden color.

"No, let's have a rest!" Turn on the light and slow down. I parked my car in front of a row of cars on the side of the road. Several people stood by the roadside to shoot the sunset, and several tourists rode horses in the distant pasture. Zhang Erwa lit a Lanzhou as usual after getting off the bus, and I stood on the side of the road staring at two lazy Tibetan mastiffs.

Arrive in Chengdu tomorrow, and the journey will be over. After starting from Xining, we ignored all the scenic spots and didn't stop too much except for refueling and eating. After all, we have seen too many mountains, waters, clouds, grasslands, sheep and yaks in these two days, and almost the same scenery is hard to arouse our interest.

leave

10 1 that night, I obviously started this journey with expectation. Zhang Erwa said that he had a cold and could not go to the plateau. But you can accompany me all the way to Lanzhou, then take the train back to Chengdu, and I will go west to Qinghai alone.

It was a lonely journey. I have prepared 5500 yuan to deposit in three bank cards in different locations, one in my wallet, one in my backpack and one in my car toolbox in case I am robbed or lost and become illiterate. Because there are many uncertainties during the National Day, it is possible that we will sleep in the car, so I put a quilt in the car and let Zhang Erwa take a quilt. Besides toiletries, I brought a folding bike and some clothes, and nothing else.

The planned route is the route to expressway and back. I dare not drive a path at night, but prefer to drive expressway: firstly, there are few cars, and secondly, it is easy to drive. As long as you choose a car with similar speed, keep the distance between cars and follow its taillights and lanes, you can drive without worry. We set off from Chengdu at 10: 30 in the evening, and got stuck in the Beijing-Kunming Expressway for an hour. In the morning, 1, we switched to the Blue Ocean Expressway and added 100 yuan to a high-speed service area to rest. There are many cars parked in this service area for the night, and an awake driver is playing with his mobile phone through the hazy glass. I washed my face, smoked a cigarette and continued on my way; We plan to spend the night in Lanzhou on the 2nd, so we must arrive in Longnan tonight.

Longnan night

After smoking the second cigarette, I arrived in Longnan at 4 am. I didn't want to drive, so I drove to the service area for the night. Perhaps this service area is the reason for Lanzhou-Chongqing Midpoint Station. There are many cars staying overnight in this service area, which is overcrowded. There are some places in the area next to the driveway. I parked my car in front of a big truck. In case the overnight bus accidentally rushes into the service area, you can help me stop.

We only rested for four hours. Zhang Erwa made full use of these four hours of snoring, and I slept for about two hours. One is noisy, the other is light, and the third is to drive and smoke two cigarettes at night, so I can't sleep anyway.

All along, I only use cigarettes as a refreshing medicine. For example, if I stay up late and smoke a cigarette while doing things indiscriminately, it will make me feel refreshed, so I have to smoke one after burning the midnight oil. Zhang Erwa has the habit of smoking. As soon as he stopped, he habitually lit one.

I asked him if he was addicted. He replied:

"Bored just smoke one. In fact, you can stop smoking. "

"There's nothing to smoke! Don't wait for addiction, it will be difficult to quit. "

At eight o'clock in the morning, I took down the rag in the front block, and the car next door had already started. I woke up Zhang Erwa to get ready to go on the road, and then went to the public toilet to wash my face with facial cleanser. I used to think that washing in public toilets was a bit decadent, so it was unacceptable; Later, when I saw a European and American washing his face with hand sanitizer in the public toilet of Hanoi airport, I realized that my thinking was somewhat restrained. First of all, it is important to make yourself comfortable. In addition, hand sanitizer may not only wash your hands, but also facial cleanser may not only wash your face. Hands, face and head are all the same skin, why can't they be mixed together? So later, in some unavoidable occasions, such as I washed my face with hand sanitizer at KTV and the company; In the hotel in Lanzhou, I also washed my hair with my own facial cleanser.

After washing, we passed the boring Longnan and dusty Tianshui, and we went straight to Lanzhou!

Lanzhou

Every folk lover has several unique cities and places in his heart: Shijiazhuang in Wanqing and the High School Attached to Hebei Normal University, Nanjing and Rehe Road in Li Zhi, and pubs in Chengdu and Zhaolei. When I was in Dingxi, I listened to Dingxi in Li Zhi. When I arrived in Lanzhou, I thought of "Lanzhou Lanzhou" written by lofty wormwood, and those teenagers pitched with the white tower.

Lanzhou is a very long city, built by the Yellow River, with mountains on both sides. The pattern is similar to Panzhihua, as long and as boring. To the east is the urban area, and to the west is a huge petrochemical plant and industrial zone. Pengzhou Petrochemical in Chengdu is nothing compared with Lanzhou Petrochemical!

The most famous scenic spot in Lanzhou is Zhongshan Railway Bridge on the Yellow River, which was built by Germans in 1909. The bridge deck is not wide and cars are not allowed to pass. One hundred years later, it is still used as a pedestrian passage. On the bridge, some Muslim vendors braved the light rain to sell fried rice cakes and various Yiwu gadgets. I wanted to buy some fried rice cakes, but I was not very worried about the rain in Lanzhou, so I gave up the desire to try. Under the bridge is the Yellow River flowing into the sea. It's not as wide as expected, and the current is fast, so only a madman would want to jump. Crossing the iron bridge is the famous White Pagoda. I'm not interested in these artificial landscapes, and it's raining. I suggest taking a new road to find snacks.

Today, we can still remember the childhood food; Because taste is the most unforgettable thing, it can be hidden in memory and will never die. You will always inadvertently turn it out of the food store of memory and savor it. You will remember the surrounding environment and what people around you said when you were eating delicious food, and you will remember the smiling face and warmth at that time. If a city has roots, culture is its root; If a city has a soul, food is its soul. A city without food is unhappy, and a city without food cannot evoke memories of passers-by.

Every time I pass by a city, I will deliberately look for local street snacks. Biang in Xi 'an Huimin Street

Biang noodles, Chili soup, mutton bread in soup; Laoyou Powder, jiaozi and Baked saury on Zhongshan Road in Nanning; Drinking highland barley wine in Lhasa Lalu wetland; Hanoi repairs mint leaves and river powder by Sword Lake; Crossing the bridge rice noodles next to Kunming Railway Station; Steamed trotters in Guangtong Town, Chuxiong; Each of the above foods impressed me deeply, and every scene has a hundred flavors. So when you arrive in Lanzhou, you must leave its taste memory.

In Zhengning Road snack night market, there are Chinese hamburger, bamboo rice, hand-grabbed rice and blood sausage.

Mutton soup, sweet preserves make me remember nothing more than the mash of milk and eggs. Zhang Erwa and I braved the drizzle to queue up to buy two cups, and then carried them through the crowded snack street to another street to shelter from the rain, standing on the side of the road and eating by ourselves. I only took a bite, and then I blurted out, "Lie in the trough! This tastes great! Is there one in Chengdu? " After eggs, mashed potatoes and milk are mixed and heated, each flavor can spin in your mouth! Because the impression is so good! So we went into the snack street again to look for other delicious food. I tasted a pile of mutton soup and blood sausage, and drank half a cup of candied fruit, which was another unspeakable taste. So I regretted eating a big bowl of mutton noodles at night.

Later, I went back to the hotel and smoked a Lanzhou for no reason and slept soundly. I ate a bowl of beef noodles at the entrance of the hotel when I set out the next day.

Before I went to Lanzhou, my classmates said that I must eat Lanzhou Lamian Noodles. I don't want to correct it. Lamian Noodles in Lanzhou is generally opened by Hualong people in Qinghai, and the most famous in Lanzhou is beef noodles. Although both kinds of noodles are mainly Lamian Noodles, Lanzhou beef noodles and Lanzhou Lamian Noodles not only have different tastes, but also have different eating methods. When you eat Lanzhou beef noodles, you usually order a few side dishes, including dozens of side dishes such as sauerkraut and onion, cowpea with garlic and bean sprouts. Although the taste of beef noodles itself is not rich enough, when eating noodles, the taste in your mouth will change greatly with a few side dishes to chew.

Qinghai Lake is close at hand. Ask Zhang Erwa if she goes to Rong to go west or south. He decided to continue.

Kumbum Monastery

Lanzhou is more than 200 kilometers from Xining, and Xining is only 100 kilometers from Qinghai Lake. We'll leave early and skip Xining directly. We are going to live in Qinghai Lake that night.

It was noon when I passed Xining. I asked Zhang Erwa, since I have been to Potala Palace and Jokhang Temple, I have no mystery about Tibetan Buddhism and temples. And you never know, are you interested in visiting Ta 'er Temple? He said that he would stop by since he was here, so I turned a corner 200 meters away from the fork of Qinghai Lake and Ta 'er Temple, and temporarily planned to sail in the direction of Ta 'er Temple.

Over a dumb mouth, you can see the whole picture of Ta 'er Temple. We couldn't even find a parking space around Ta 'er Temple, and finally we didn't go in. We drove around the one-way street around the temple and headed straight for Qinghai Lake.

When traveling, I always don't like to make specific plans, and I don't like to look at specific strategies. After reading other people's strategies, I lost my awe of the journey and the mystery of the distant scenery. Following the footsteps of others, travel has become a journey of verification, just like doing a math problem and checking whether your answer is correct according to other people's ideas. It's boring to know what this scenic spot will look like next. Traveling from the heart, the scenery you see is taken for granted, and the scenery you can't see doesn't matter.

The road from Ta 'er Temple to Qinghai Lake passes through dumb mouth at an altitude of 3,800, and the top of the mountain is shrouded in fog. I drive carefully to avoid accidents. I think of the similar roads I have traveled in the past, such as Baima Snow Mountain in Shangri-La, the mountain from Xichang to Ningnan, and Panzhihua to Yumen Mountain. Whether you take someone else's car or drive by yourself, you just feel that life is insignificant.

Qinghai Lake

13 years, when I returned to Chengdu from Lhasa, I passed Qinghai Lake by train and took a quick look. Since then, Qinghai Lake has become a haunted place, and I vowed to visit it again, so this trip is for it.

At Qinghai Lake, the sun sets, and the road by the lake is several hundred meters away from the water. From a distance, the lake was silent and green. After seeing the lake for the first time, we drove more than 20 kilometers along the road by the lake and found a small hotel and opened a standard room one kilometer away from the shore. It's getting late at the moment, and it's dark all around. Without putting away our luggage, we couldn't wait to drive ten kilometers ahead, came to the nearest place to the lake, found a gap in the fence and got in. Qinghai Lake, I'm finally here! I was in a hurry to go to the lake, trotted all the way up, only ran a few hundred meters, and suddenly I was flustered and short of breath, only to realize that this is a plateau with an altitude of more than 3200 meters! I had to walk slowly to the lake with Zhang Erwa.

At this time, there is still a glimmer of light in the distant sky, and the nearby lake is hidden in the dark and can't see anything. It's hard to come by. Try some water! I took a sip of the lake from the undulating waves and spit it out quickly. Water is salty, but it is lighter and less bitter than sea water. It is estimated that the fish in the lake will not be sold as freshwater fish! After tasting the water, we stood for a while and then walked back; In the Xinjiang restaurant next to the hotel, I ordered a catty of local tribute mutton, a plate of fried eggs with leeks and a plate of fried beef. Zhang Erwa didn't like the taste of mutton, so she stopped eating after eating a few pieces. I couldn't finish eating a catty of mutton, so I packed it and took it to the hotel. I suggest opening a bottle of white wine and getting drunk after eating mutton. The wine is ready and the meat is laid out. I think you can't get drunk on the plateau and people with colds can't taste it. That's all. We'll deal with these mutton tomorrow.

Turn on the electric blanket to sleep. I had a dream that the people who abandoned me couldn't stay, so I woke up and heard Zhang Erwa's snoring shaking the earth, and finally I couldn't sleep at night. The next morning, I opened my eyes in a daze, opened the curtains and looked out of the window. At the moment, the sun is shining, Wan Li is clear and Wan Li is cloudless, and the lake one kilometer away is dazzling blue. We missed the sunrise and may not be able to live up to the beautiful scenery; Wake up Zhang Erwa, get up quickly and start to see the scenery!

The car was frozen outdoors all night, and the glass was covered with thin ice. After that, we hit the road, facing the "warm" sunshine-at least I thought it was warm at that time-and drove along the lake shore. The road by the lake is flat and straight, often seven or eight kilometers without bending; The grass on both sides of the road has turned yellow, and sheep and yaks are eating hay loosely on the grass.

The herdsmen around the lake surrounded all the shores of the lake, and they had to give money if they wanted to get into the water. Fortunately, it's not expensive, as long as 20 yuan can drive to the lake to run wild. We paid the money and drove to the water bank.

Qinghai Lake is vast in sea and sky, with water and sky connected. On the surface of the water, the breeze is blowing gently, the blue waves are rippling, and rows of waves are gently raised on the beach on the shore of the lake, making a pleasant sound; Clouds on the horizon, like cotton candy, cross the distant sea level and move slowly, as if deliberately slowing down time; Occasionally, a few birds fly freely across the lake from the sky and pull up their heads. Everything is beautiful and refreshing. I like the sea, I like the endless scenery, and I even want to be a lighthouse and stand in the sea forever.

No matter how good the scenery is, I can't take it away. I stayed by the lake for a while. Last night's leftover mutton with claws, I took some photos and told Zhang Erwa to leave. Between the lake and the highway is a prairie hundreds of meters wide. There is a small ditch winding in the middle of the grassland, and a Tiguan L passes through the ditch of the grassland, which is full of momentum. For a few seconds, I wanted to wade across the ditch in that way, but then I gave up the idea. I got stuck in a ditch on my bike and couldn't get out.

After crossing the simple footbridge on the ditch, I found that Tiguan L had fallen into the ditch and could not move. This is a Shandong car, and its owner is a young man in his twenties. I drove up to him and said he was so bold that a two-wheel drive car dared to drive like this! Is there a tow rope? let me give you a hand. He said he couldn't pull it. A four-wheel drive Land Rover tried, but the rope broke and the car couldn't get up. Before leaving, the young mother in their car asked to change the children in my car into wet clothes, and I agreed.

Kaka salt lake

Go west along the lakeside highway until you come to a fork in the road, with Chaka Salt Lake on the left and Bird Island on the right. I asked Zhang erwa where to go. Zhang Erwa said, since we are all here, let's go to Chaka Salt Lake. So we left expressway around Qinghai Lake and went to Chaka Salt Lake.

On the way to the tea card, the road is straight and the view is excellent. You can see the scenic spot not far from the salt lake, but after you arrive, you can drive 25 kilometers. It is true that it is a living horse doctor to look at the mountain and run away from the dead horse.

Chaka Salt Lake adult fare 70 yuan, there are cars in the parking lot, and there are many people in the scenic spot; I thought it was only salt and 100% sodium chloride saturated solution, which was not funny, but I didn't expect it. The real pleasure is to be able to take photos in the style of "Muji"; But the scenic spots are full of people, and the water is rippling on the lake. No one can take such a photo.

Salt Lake City is the last stop of this trip. I fished out a bottle of salt from the bottom of the lake and took it away.

Jingzang expressway

Originally, we came back from Chaka Salt Lake, and planned to go back to the fork in the road, cross the Heima River to Bird Island, and go around Qinghai Lake to return to Xining. Because we stayed in the salt lake for too long, it is not realistic to surround the lake. I said, "Come with your wife and children next time!" So I got on the Beijing-Tibet Expressway and returned to Xining.

The Beijing-Tibet Expressway is very similar to the American Expressway, with four lanes in both directions. Lawn with a width exceeding 10 meter is directly used as the middle isolation belt. There are cattle and sheep passages at intervals, and occasionally one or two yaks graze leisurely in the middle of the isolation belt. There is also a parallel national highway next to expressway, with two lanes in both directions. If there were no guardrails, it would be exactly the same as the four lanes in expressway. More than once, I felt willful and speeding on expressway, Texas!

Xining

Either China is too small or Sichuan is too close to Qinghai! After posting a circle of friends, several friends said that they were here: glass bottle suppliers, former colleagues of the company and high school students are all here! We just need an ex-girlfriend! I think. Suppliers even think that there is not much communication on weekdays, and they want to see me about cooperation! Fortunately, I avoided him perfectly later.

The former colleague of the company is a girl in my hometown. This time, she traveled to Qinghai Lake with her best friend. She invited us to have dinner together in Xining. I said it was too late, so I asked them to eat first and then make an appointment for dinner when they arrived. It's already nine o'clock in the evening in Xining. I have many colleagues with her, so staying in a hotel is not suitable; To avoid suspicion, I booked a hotel elsewhere.

How do night travelers build the impression of the city? There seems to be no other way but food. After a long journey, we are hungry and need a feast to meet us. I asked my colleagues to explore the soul of Xining, because she ate too much mutton and couldn't move. All right! We'll go by ourselves.

Zhang Erwa and I called a taxi on the side of the road to Mojia Street Night Market. The driver said it was too late, so I'm afraid the booth was closed. I said nothing, let's go and have a look.

When we arrive at Mojia Street, the road is deserted, and only a few restaurants are still open, which is enough to show that there is no soul at night in Xining. Walking around the bare street, I found nothing and got into the most lively "Ma Zhong Hotel" on the street. Ma Zhong Restaurant is the kind of antique decoration that can be seen all over the country. At first, it was as plain as water. I didn't know there was a hole in the sky until I went in, as if I had entered the Grand View Garden.

The soul of Xining is here! There are countless delicious foods around the small hall, just like the university cafeteria; There are four kinds of ingredients: sheep, cattle, potatoes and noodles. Although Zhang Erwa complained about eating too much pasta all the way, she bought a bowl of beef noodles in the opposite direction again and ate it. His body is honest. I don't want noodles either. When I saw a signboard saying "Gamian with Qinghai characteristics", I wanted to explore what kind of Qinghai characteristics it was. I couldn't resist buying a bowl. As soon as I sat down, I saw a plate of black fried noodles from the window of "Fried potatoes and stuffed skins". What is Seppi? I must study it deeply, put down my chopsticks and go to the queue to buy dishes at once!

Two delicious foods are in front of you, even if sumo is enough! Then let's get started. I have tasted the same thing. It's really great. This is a smell I have never tasted before. It is really delicious! Very good! When I was proud, I heard the beautiful woman at the table praise the handmade yogurt! All right! I went to buy yogurt again. It's delicious!

Those who don't want to eat are real villains, and those who eat Haitai are gentlemen! After eating noodles, Zhang Erwa was very happy to see others drinking mutton soup, and also bought a bowl, just a steamed bread, and wolfed it down.

Our eyes are big and our bellies are small. We were full before we finished eating. It is futile to try to taste Xining all night. I chanted, "I haven't eaten the special Shao Shao, Ma Zhong steamed stuffed bun, mutton kebabs, mutton soup, cold noodles! I also want to eat milk and egg puree; Zhang Erwa, you really don't want to try yogurt? "

"No, there is no better yogurt than Baotou!" Zhang Erwa said.

"good!" I imitated Yu Qian's tone and reluctantly agreed, "How many more barbecues?"

"Yes!"

The return trip is a small road, but it is generous enough. Depart from Xining, cross Haidong and Jianzha, take a provincial road, enter Gannan Prefecture, Gansu Province, get on National Highway 2 13, and reach Xiahe County. We arrived at Xiahe at noon, and our stomachs were growling. We searched for restaurants along the main road of the county. There are several small restaurants, but there are no parking spaces. We had to drive from north to south. At the end of the road, there is a big temple, which seems to be a popular tourist attraction. Zhang Erwa said that this is Labrang Temple, a national key cultural relic protection unit. Gannan Prefecture belongs to Tibetan areas, and there are many Tibetan temples and white pagodas, among which Labuleng Temple in Xiahe County is the most famous. During the period of the integration of politics and religion in Tibetan Buddhism, Labrang Temple was once the political center and the largest Buddhist college in Gannan, with a relatively large scale. No matter what the key cultural relics are, I'm not interested in Tibetan Buddhism anyway, and Zhang Erwa didn't say she would go and see them. It's more important for me to go to Zoige tonight if I pass by the scenic spots casually. I'd better find something to eat and continue walking south.

After crossing the Xiahe River, there are undulating grasslands and pastures all the way, and the road surface is still smooth, but the speed limit is 60 kilometers and the driving is very slow. Zhang Erwa was hypnotized by the boring scenery. The second time I listened to the songs and cross talk downloaded from the car, it was silent; I feel bored, and I can't help but think of some things in the past and feel depressed; Park the car on the side of the road and let Zhang Erwa get off to smoke; I closed the car door and walked to the depths of the grassland.

There is a stream winding on the grassland, and the water is very muddy. A yak stands alone in the upstream drinking water. The distant prayer flags are swaying in the wind, and they are full of scriptures. When the wind blows, it is equivalent to chanting. I want to write down my feelings on the prayer flag.

return trip

On the way back, we passed Luqu, the Yellow River with nine twists and eighteen bends, Zoige Flower Sea and langmusi, which we all ignored. There was moderate rain on a section of the road, and the sky cleared up instantly. A rainbow crossed the grassland. I came down to take some photos, and the car just stopped under the rainbow. The rainbow is covered with thick clouds, rolling in like a monster. Zoige is a small county town that cannot be described. Yak soup pot is as delicious as Chengdu soup pot. Depart on 10 the next morning, arrive in Chengdu at 8 pm, and the trip is over.

I have to admit that the best scenery along the way is on the road. Spectacular water, breathtaking mountains, deep sky and vast grassland; When the clouds are overcast, I am shocked. When I am depressed, I am like a lost dog.

Zen and the art of motorcycle maintenance say that car travel is not the best way in road trip, and wind, rain and temperature can't be felt in the closed window. I hope I can ride a motorcycle to Qinghai Lake again after many years.