The Rhapsodic Perilous Journey
St. Joseph’s College, Li Pak Ho Parco, Fiction: Group 3
I
t was a chilly, freezing night. The pulchritudinous globe of the midnight moon hung high in
the sky, showering its silvery light on the ground. By the sand dunes, there was a stream of
lava flowing slowly, waiting for its guests to come…
After taking a connecting flight at Chinggis Khaan International Airport in Ulaanbaatar,
Hale arrived in Dalanzadgad. There he met his uncle, Dr Jazzaccentric, for the first time. What
an extraordinary eccentric man he was! He had a sombrero on his head. He wore a tailcoat made
of blue gossamer silk and a ragged pair of jeans. His left shoe was black and his right shoe was
white. Hale was stunned for a moment but soon recovered.
Anyway, Dr Jazzaccentric was a geographer and he was going to the Gobi Desert to do some
research. And Hale, as a novelist, wanted to write a short adventure story about the Gobi so he
would accompany Dr Jazzaccentric to get some ideas.
The next morning they woke up at six, hopped on a jeep and headed towards the Flaming
Cliffs. On the way they saw numerous cattle, sheep, horses and even camels taking a nap or
running, just like watching a live National Geographic Channel show. Important fossil finds have
been made in the Flaming Cliffs, including the first dinosaur eggs. Contrary to Hale’s expectation,
little of the Gobi Desert is sand. It’s mostly gravel and small stones. Still, the scenery was
spectacular and picturesque.
“Burning lasagne!” Dr Jazzaccentric let out a bizarre ecstatic cry as he got off the jeep.
He then wandered around, writing his observations on his hand. In the meantime, Hale fished
out his iPhone 5s and took a lot of photos and videos. Another few hours had passed and the sun
was setting. They were just about to leave when they saw something breathtakingly magnificent –
the colour of the sandstone cliffs became red and orange under the refraction and reflection of the
light of the setting sun, as if it was on fire. The beauty was ineffable.
On Hale’s second day in Mongolia, they visited Yolyn Am, a deep, narrow and rocky gorge
that houses a permanent, winding tongue of ice in the Gurvan Saikhan Mountains. Its deep ice
field reaches several metres thick by the end of winter, and is several metres long.
“Glittering hamburgers!” exclaimed Dr Jazzaccentric.
It was fortunate that Hale and Dr Jazzaccentric visited it in early spring, otherwise they would
not be able to see such a fabulous view.
That night, Hale almost slipped into hypothermia as a result of camping out under the stars.
However, Dr Jazzaccentric seemed to feel very comfortable – he snored deafeningly throughout
the night. Suffering from insomnia, Hale decided to read a book. He read and read until he finally
fell asleep at about two a.m.
As soon as dawn broke, they set off to the Khongoryn Els – the Singing Sand Dune. They
arrived there in the afternoon, when the sun shone brightly from its position in the sky, beaming
its intense rays down on earth. The temperature of the Gobi was indeed extreme. In the scorching
heat, the two explorers trudged up that mountain of sand. Whenever the sand was stepped on, it
emitted a loud, rumbling sound. The symphony of the sand greatly lightened their mood and at
last they reached the top. Sitting there, Hale felt that he was so tiny compared with the dune, and
admired the beauty and power of Mother Nature more.
