During the afternoon I spotted a tiny hamlet beside the railway line. Without a moment’s hesitation, I raced over, drawn by the prospect of water and human contact. People immediately gathered round me. I had become sick of the crowds that surrounded me in China, but was thankful for the attention now. Apart from the shepherd I had met earlier, the only other encounter I had had since setting out today was with camels and bones. (Needless to say there had been no cars.) (from "Against the Wind" - Poolbeg Press)