Lanzhou is another big city, and our last stop before we arrive back in Beijing. The Yellow River flows past the city, and there is plenty to see and do along its banks. So we walked along crowded streets, jammed with early morning traffic, until we reached the riverside. There were people exercising, an old woman practising her sword moves, some martial arts and then we came across a group of dancers. So I joined in, really must do it more often…still a great workout!

Further along were the waterwheels, not working anymore, but still fantastic structures. Lots of things seem to be free admission in Lanzhou, which is a nice change. We were starting to get hungry and headed into a restaurant that was overflowing with people, no English, no menus and it was a bit like a Coles cafeteria…with a very long line of people waiting to be served…there were no vacant tables either, so we left, which was a pity because the food looked fabulous!

So we found a bustling hole in the wall and had noodles the same as everyone else…for the huge sum of 14 yuan…about $3. After that we caught the cable car to the top of the mountain across the river. A very relaxing way to get a birds-eye view of the city.

Walking back along the river, a number of musicians were playing, so we stopped to listen. We have not seen any other Westerners, so we are a bit of a novelty for the locals. Some of them stare as if we are an apparition! Others just whisper, one lady practised saying hello about four times as we walked past! I always smile and say hello, especially when they have stopped in their tracks to look at us!

Hoping to have a tasty meal tonight, last night it was eggplant, rice and greens…we had walked through the night market, plenty of goat’s heads and assorted meats for sale…but we found it tough to recognise anything from the limited pictures on display…oh well greens are good for you!