Arranged through CITS we went on an overnight desert trip. Insisting on not having a guide with us they seemed to involve two more locals for safety reason so all in all we were a caravan of five people and seven camels.

Close to the area where we met up with the camel driver was the famous Rawak Stupa, an ancient Buddhist temple in the middle of the desert. Before only accessible by 4WD car + camel, today by newly made tarmac all the way as a side track of the new cross desert highway. We were informed by the travel agency a permit to visit was needed to the cost of RMB 500 per person. Considering it at first we then skipped it as to expensive. Upon reaching the camel caravan, one guy talked to our driver and translation went something like: if we want to visit the temple the guy can arrange a permit for RMB 200 per person. This as some bosses are away and you can avoid some costly bureaucracy. Wanting to visit it we gave it a try. We rode the camels for about an hour to the backside of the temple. There a sanddune had moved so it covered the fence surrounding the area…..all in all, although it was fascinating with the fact of an old Buddhist structure in the desert, it was not much more than a pile of mud resembling some kind of building. So it was a disappointment and not worthy that much money, especially not RMB 500. But of course it us of historical value.

The ride continued for another half hour to some larger sand dunes where we camped for the night. It was a few minutes of painful walk after spreading your legs over a camel back one and a half hour. Enjoying some water and naan bread on a blanket we spent the night enjoying the silence and looking at the clear sky and all its shiny stars. Surprisingly there was some small rain in the morning.

Location of our camp:
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=loc:37.36393,80.16222(I+am+here+-+37+21.835+N+80+9.733+E)

Tags: Buddhist, camel, caravan, desert, hotan, rawak, taklamakan, temple