View allAll Photos Tagged Remote
For me, Dunhuang was the main motivation for seeing Gansu province. It’s the “western frontier” city that served as entry into China proper for centuries of Silk Road travelers. (From Dunhuang, travelers would pass through the funnel of the Hexi Corridor created by the Qilianshan Mountains on the south and the Gobi Desert on the north.)
In short, Dunhuang is where China opens up. There aren’t many people living in the west – certainly not by China’s standards (or most people’s, for that matter). The skies out here are – believe it or not – blue, and it’s recommended that you even use sunscreen. I managed to actual get a slight tan out here.
Life feels much more relaxed out in western Gansu. Things are spread out (cities, or lack thereof) and you don’t feel the same sense of congestion and in-your-face neon that you get in the major cities in eastern China. I’m not sure of Dunhuang’s population, but can say that the downtown area just felt small…ten square blocks by ten square blocks, at most. (There is an “everyday” Dunhuang where most people live – and most tourists don’t see – that you find on regional bus excursions. That part of Dunhuang felt something like the Pudong area of Shanghai, away from downtown, where people actually lived, worked, ate.)
My Dunhuang part of the Gansu trip, however, started inconspicuously. I remember waking up from my sleeper around four or five in the morning, hoping to see a desert sunrise. There was absolutely no sunrise to be found, though, which dampened my mood considerably. However, I knew I would at least see desert landscape and the sun wouldn’t affect that at all, so I could tolerate the achromatic landscape.
The train rolled into the station on time, around 6:15 a.m., and I slowly walked out of the station, avoiding being fleeced by local taxi drivers as long as possible. (Never having been to Dunhuang, I wasn’t sure, exactly, how far the station was from “downtown” – about 10-15 minutes, it turned out – and though I knew I would be fleeced as a foreigner, I tend not to be excited about being taken for a ride (literally and figuratively) by folks in these various cities.) That being said, it wasn’t terribly expensive, and I expected it, so all was well. But, as I like to travel with doing as little planning/reservations as possible, I simply had the following plan: go to Charley Johng’s Cafe (which sounded interesting, per my trusty Lonely Planet guidebook, and the name of the place reminded me of the song “Good Time Charlie's Got the Blues”).
So, I came rolling up to the door of Charley Johng’s Cafe sometime around 7:15 in the morning…only to find out that they don’t open ‘til 8:30. Fortunately, I pack light, and this was no bother. I just walked to the nearest hotel – next door – booked myself a room for that night and the next (since I had a day to spare that I “stole” from leaving Langmusi out of the southern Gansu part of the trip) and grabbed a very quick catnap.
When I returned to the world in late morning, I went straight back to Charley’s cafe and had a very Chinese breakfast of pancakes and I can’t recall what else. (These pancakes, by the way, were more like blintzes…yet still tasty. Anyway, any American reading this should NOT think of big, fluffy flapjacks.)
Over breakfast, I had a nice conversation with the proprietor about who I was, what I was doing there, foreigners living in Dunhuang – not many, I think – and most importantly for me…things to do in the area.
The two biggest immediate attractions in Dunhuang are the “Singing Sands Mountain and Crescent Moon Lake” and Mogao Caves. Since the dunes were only 6 kilometers due south of town, they were easy to get to (and, really, my only real plan for the entirety of Wednesday). That left my extra day to plan and, in casually mentioning that to Charley (maybe she wasn’t Charley, but we’ll assume otherwise for fun), she recommended 15 hours on a tour bus going almost to the Xinjiang border. Price for that…160 RMB (less than $30) with stops at 7 different places. I had to pay admission prices at any of the places, which was fine. (I think the entire day was less than $80. More to follow…)
For Wednesday, though, it was all about camels and sand dunes. When a lot of people think of the desert, they think of big, sweeping dunes that make you feel the size of an ant, and that’s exactly what these were. This is an outdoor enthusiast’s playground. You can set up with local hotels to camp overnight in the desert, you can paraglide, ride camels (which I did), sandboard (the equivalent of snowboarding), among other things. All of these cost, but none was terribly expensive. Riding a camel for an hour, for instance, cost 100 RMB (less than $20). Entrance to the park, too, was quite cheap from what I recall. I think it was $20 or less.
The “public” part (12.79 sq. km.) of these dunes is a very limited area in comparison with the overall scope of things (212.86 sq. km., with a scenic area of 76.82 sq. km.), but there’s more than enough to do. Besides riding the camel and wandering the 1-2 km along the boardwalk (meandering through the dunes to the Crescent Moon Lake), was more than enough to keep me happy.
After a few hours in the park (and not wanting to sit around the sand for 3-4 hours waiting for sundown), I hopped on a bus and made my way back to downtown Dunhuang. Maybe the visitor center had some sort of informational movie or video or something where I could have passed a few hours (though I don’t recall seeing any such thing when I breezed through) and I could have stayed around for sunset, but I didn’t feel cheated either way.
I left Chengdu to find that half the restaurants in Dunhuang…claim to be Sichuanese. I found that slightly amusing. Though I loved Charley’s, I didn’t want to eat there two to three squares a day. So…I chose one of the local restaurants across the street. One of the things on the menu: camel’s hoof. (They say it is healthy or has a lot of protein. I say: It’s a hoof.) I ate something else. After that, I spent the rest of the day relaxing around town and called it a night at the hotel. Thursday morning at 8:00 on the bus at Charley’s would come soon enough.
As usual, I hope you enjoy the pictures. Please feel free to leave any comments, questions, or suggestions.
Remote controlled Rover, I challenged myself to make a remote controlled 6x6 with all wheel drive, as small as possible, front and rear steering, suspension and as many lights as I can cram into this model as possible. This model contains 1 buggy motor, 1 pf steering servo, 1 pf v2 IR receiver, 1 pf switch, 4 sets of pf LEDs, 2 pf extension cables and 2 old school lego LED lights (for the flashing lights)
Remote controlled Rover, I challenged myself to make a remote controlled 6x6 with all wheel drive, as small as possible, front and rear steering, suspension and as many lights as I can cram into this model as possible. This model contains 1 buggy motor, 1 pf steering servo, 1 pf v2 IR receiver, 1 pf switch, 4 sets of pf LEDs, 2 pf extension cables and 2 old school lego LED lights (for the flashing lights)
in Kukup, Pontian, Johor, Malaysia
Nikon Df + AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED
nostalgic atmosphere / 昭和っぽさある
Pinnacle Windows MCE remote sitting on the cofee table. Ready for action.
Shot with Canon 5D and KMZ Industar 50/3.5
“Remote Mac Trainer” offers an alternative solution for Mac computer training and support. Our services give you the freedom to learn how to use your computer from your own home.
Unlike any training offered in The Apple Store, The Remote Mac Trainer offers a unique experience where you no longer have to spend money on gas, brave traffic, look for parking, or ever move your machine.
The Remote Mac Trainer is perfect for people who want convenient and efficient training that is catered to all skill levels by experts in their field. You choose the Trainer, you book the hour(s), as well as the topic you would like help with.
Your questions will be answered by our team of U.S based trainers and support technicians in person or in “real time” over the Internet.
Yashica D
Ilford Delta 100
Remote triggered Yongnuo 560IV set up off frame to the right as a "speed trap" while my cat chases a toy.
We offer outstanding pike fishing in our remote lakes because of the amazing vitality in our area and our careful fisheries management and care with catch and release policy in effect on many of our lakes. It seem as though the best trophy size northern pike fishing pictures seem to get bigger every year!
I’m not certain how remote it was, we seemed to be crossing well used 4wd trails every hour or two. They seemed to like putting up signs like this, but there was little sign posting of the various tracks. Fraser Island, Queensland, Australia.
Remote Site Incubator used by Montana Fish and Wildlife Conservation Office biologists to restore Arctic Grayling populations within Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, Montana. The Fisheries Division of the US Fish and Wildlife Service has been co-managing this unique population of Arctic Grayling for nearly 2 decades.
Photo: Glenn Boltz / USFWS
The Wii Remote, better known as the Wiimote, is the primary controller for Nintendo’s Wii console. In addition to conventional inputs, the Wii Remote uses accelerometers and infrared cameras to track the remote’s position and orientation in space. A multitude of motions like waving and pointing can be used with the remote to produce a variety of in-game effects: an underarm swing is used for bowling in Wii Sports, and it can be wielded like a sword in The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess.
Spotted this, in use, as I headed home the other evening. It's been bought by Ipswich Borough Council to mow banks - like the one it's on in this photo.
NELLIS AIR FORCE BASE, Nev. -- Senior Airman Kristin Ponce, an explosive ordinance disposal technician from the 99th Civil Engineer Squadron, prepares a Remotec Andros F-6 robot to investigate a suspicious package as part of an exercise here May 16, 2013. The robot allows EOD technicians in a remote location to investigate and neutralize potential threats using multiple actuators and a video camera. (U.S. Air Force photo/Staff Sgt. Gregory Brook)