day 187: [in the air] = 0km

The news about the earthquake disaster had overshadowed our last hours together – Juli’s home is within less than 100km from the epicenter…

Lots and lots of phone calls and text-messages somehow magically confirmed that all friends and family had remained safe though.

Still, a shock.

…

So there I was, a bit later:

^[1]

…in the air, on the way back to the last point on the trail.

Seismologists were expecting another series of heavy aftershocks later that night, and I couldn’t help but think that I was probably in the safest spot possible, floating gently atop all tectonic turmoil:

^[2]

I sneaked a peek at some of the area that I would probably be crossing through during the next days and weeks:

^[3]

And it felt a bit intimidating.

When I arrived in 兰州, it was already starting to get dark, and a whole day had somehow disappeared between time-zones:

^[4]

Not many smiling faces.

I walked over to the airport shuttle bus and started the long ride to my hotel.

Soundtrack: Opeth – “Benighted”

—total: 2275,5km