11-Sep-2005 -- 38N – 106E Ningxia (宁夏), China

Visit Date: September 11, 2005

After an easier than expected hunt for 38N 107E – the first CP in Ningxia – the hunting party decided to go for the 2nd point. If successful, 50% of the CP will be completed.

We took the expressway back and before reaching airport where we started, we curved toward west, and stopped for lunch at Lin-Wu city, right before the Yellow river. We had a great meal of local specialties - boiled mutton and hand shaved noodle.

After lunch, we crossed the Yellow River and reached the nearest county capital to the confluence point - Qing-Tong-Sha, about 6 km from our objective. A short drive south on the main highway (#109), and we turn off on a small country road at 2.5 km from CP. Ten minutes and two turns later, our jeep was on top of the point. Another rather easy hunt!

Even though this CP is one degree apart from the first CP we hunted in the morning, the surrounding was totally different. Instead of sandy desert with very fragile plants, this CP is a fertile farmland. This has to do with the proximity to Yellow River and able to benefit from the irrigation. The river water made a world difference.

The ground zero point of this CP almost fell in the middle of a ditch by the road side. One side of the ditch was rice ready to harvest, and the other side was a corn field.

We visited the nearest household, about 150 meters from the CP. We had a nice chat with the grandfather, the 10 year old son, and his cousin who was visiting (photo 9).

This CP located in the Jiang-Nan village of Da-Ba township within the Qing-Tong-Sha County.

After the relaxed visit of the 2nd CP of the day, we drove south 10 km and visited a historic site known as the 108 Stupas near the bank of Yellow River. This complex was build nearly a thousand years ago and was rehabilitated recently.

We made to Yinchuan city, the capital of Ningxia by 5 pm. Thanks to our host Xiao Baoping, and driver Zhang Jiang, we had a fun day of line hunting and got a good feel for life near the Yellow River.

Rating of this hunt:

Degree of Challenge: 1 – a true drive up (1= very easy - drive to the point; to 5= a death march – glad it is over)

Scenery: 3– pleasant farming area (Scale: 1= not interesting at all; 5= take your breath away)

Culture-social factors: not applicable – 2 - rural northern central China farming areas (Scale: 1=dull; 5= most stimulating)