13-Jul-2008 -- Story continues from 37°N 116°E.

When we get back to Jǐnán, we don't even leave the bus station, but get straight onto another bus going north to the relatively nearby town of Èrtàipíng (二太平镇). The bus departs just before 2 p.m.

Upon arrival in Èrtàipíng (also known simply as Tàipíng), with the confluence 4.9 km NE, we walk over a kilometre further north up the road, in the blistering sun, to where I expect, from looking at Google Earth, that there is going to be a turnoff east to Hābāgōu Village (哈叭沟村). Only there isn't. We have to turn around and walk back to Èrtàipíng. Ah Feng is not amused.

Back in Èrtàipíng, this time we do the sensible thing, and engage a minivan to take us to Hābāgōu Village. We drive east from Èrtàipíng, then turn north at 36°58'29.4"N 116°59'50.6"E onto a good, sealed road, which takes us all the way to Hābāgōu. The minivan parks 290 m south of the confluence, at the northern end of Hābāgōu, from where it's a simple matter of following a dirt road into the fields, past some rudimentary scarecrows, to the point, located 24 m west of the road in a wheat-cum-corn field.

We take the regulation photos - GPS, followed by views to the north, south, east and west - and then our work here is done. It's been a good day, with two successful confluence visits. Back in Èrtàipíng for the third time, we end up catching the same bus back to Jǐnán, and later in the evening, celebrate our achievements with dinner at KFC.

Story continues at 36°N 117°E.