Don and I spent out last day with the tour in Dunhuang in Gansu province.
After the camel rides, we spent the afternoon visiting the Mogas Grottos. It was a
magnificent site. Mogao Grotto lies on a small oasis in the Gobi Desert and was established
by a Buddhist monk in the Tang Dynasty, and that means well over 1500 years ago.
There are more that 500 grottos or caves carved from the sandstone mountain. It has been called
"the largest Buddhist artistic treasury in the world" and is a UN World Heritage site. We saw
100 feet tall statues and murals that displayed majesty and adoration. The workmanship left us in awe.
I would visit this site again. Our visit was marred because of the crowds. Since the Mid-Autumn festival week
is a major week for travel, the crowds were crushing and we actually couldn't stay and look because we had to hurry
along. It was obvious that this place is revered for cultural and spiritual reasons.
Also, as a Christian visitor I could only marvel at the workmanship. The symbols, mythic figures and stories passed me by.
I didn't understand what I was seeing. For example, if visiting Israel, I would be able to understand and take interest in almost everything that I saw. I would instinctively understand the symbols in the Christian and the Jewish sites as well. Even a pile of stones in the desert would remind me of Lot's wife. We would know the symbolism. Next time I will prepare to know what I am looking at.
We had a good hotel in Dunhuang.
Nothing was arranged for the evening and so Don and I went downtown, with some of the others, and enjoyed the crowded, holiday night
market and street food. The fried bread was very good. We shared a taxi back to the hotel with the Despain's and were charged
triple because we hadn't arranged the price ahead. The driver hadn't turned on her meter. That served us right.
We questioned her and then realized that we were arguing over $1.00.
Good bye for today,
MOM/Grandma/ Kathy/Kathleen
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