21. June 2026, on the way to Dunhuang

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Today will be another 5 hour highway trip through the desert to Dunhuang. The weather this morning came with a comfortable temperature. Let’s see how it warms up over the day as I will descend further to lower altitudes into the flat Gobi desert.

Here is a quick brief from my driving assistant:

🌅 MORNING UPDATE — C1-19 | Sunday, 21 June 2026

📍 TODAY: Jiayuguan → Dunhuang (395 km)
⛰ Max altitude: ~1,500m

☀️ WEATHER NOW
Jiayuguan: 22°C (Current), High 34°C. Sunny, no rain expected.
Dunhuang: High 35°C. Extreme UV. Very dry (15% humidity).
⚠️ ALERT: High heat (35°C+). Intense glare across the Gobi. Suggest early departure.

🚧 ROAD CONDITIONS
G312 & G215: Route clear. Long, straight desert sections.
✅ Route clear.

Depart: 04:25 drive. 🏍️ Go get it.

Made it to Dunhuang in 4 1/2 hours. It was a wonderful morning start in cool 28°C and crystal clear air, so clear, that I could see the snow capped mountains to the south, all the way for the next hour or so. On the highway, I set the cruise CV control to 118 km/h and cruised all along to Dunhuang, only interrupted by two service station stops, one to fill the tank and to fill me with coffee and juice and one to get get rid of the coffee and juice. I started at 1,900 m elevation and ended on 1,400 m elevation but sure, it got hotter and hotter and at the end it was 35° C but it is a dry heat and feels different to what we are used to in Thailand. One remarkable observation was witnessing the sudden bigger oasis along the road with all kind of agriculture and vegetables, flowers and trees, for 20 or more km, and then suddenly only desert, yellowish gravel sand, sometimes with huge sink holes or wide dry river beds and nothing, absolutely nothing is growing there. Then came the fork where it goes straight to Hami and West to Dunhuang. Shortly after the fork I observed gravestones on the left side sprinkled across the narrow plain between the highway and the mountain range. I would not have mentioned it, when these gravestones had been sprinkled over the distance of at least 20 if not 30 km. There was absolutely nothing else, and almost not a single house or settlement visible on the other side of the highway. Based on the ancient structures, which pooped up in the batten landscape here and there, inclusive one bigger restored fortress like construction, it looked like the highway was in fact built on or nearby of the ancient road that connected those oases since over 2000 years. I made the trip in 4 1/2 hours sitting comfortable on a motorcycle, I wonder how long it took centuries ago to wander or ride from one oasis town to the next to reach Dunhuang.

Dunhuang is a big city, nicely planned with wide boulevards, River Promenades, and generous public parks and gardens. I’m not sure, there is something like old town or down town, but that’s what I will try to find out tomorrow when I have another rest day, before I’m off to Hami what will be a 5 + hours drive through the desert, only it will get hotter. Will see how my special cooling t-shirt will work and if it makes any difference. The other two in our group, who took another route and are two days ahead of me, told me it is getting really hot and there is no petrol station for 330 km. I will make sure I fill up the tank here and top up on the way when possible. I can make approximately 550 km with one filling, so it will not be a problem.