Turf an 25th May

We spent yesterday viewing ancient ruins and going underground to see tombs. We also visited the Caves of a Thousand Buddhas. Most of the frescos were chiselled off in the early 19th century and shipped to European museums. The majority went to Berlin where they were bombed in the 1940s. But a few caves are left untouched. In particular the ceilings of the caves are painted still with row upon row of Buddhas.

In the afternoon went to see the Turfan museum, very new and very well done. Lots of scraps of ancient patterned silk. They did not photograph well and I settled for buying a first rate book instead. Then another ancient ruin. To be honest the remains of one ancient city with mud walls looks much the same as any other after 2000 years.

So I will show a lone musician at the ruins whose plaintive singing made one realise this place would once be bustling with people.

This is Grape Valley. Everywhere there are vines growing. A lot are dried and below is a photo of a grape drying shed. Apparently putting them in the sunshine results a nasty colour. I can vouch for the fact that the dried grapes are delicious.