Day Two in the Desert ..... Another 10 hr /500km day ahead. Today it was classic desert - hot and dry. The actual desert itself was not very pretty at this point - stoney and grey. We saw some good whirly-whirlies and wild camels but that was about all that we saw (other than the little blue houses every three kms where someone is stationed to make sure
that the roadside irrigation system works OK). Just before lunch we came across the start of the classic sand dunes. We stopped to take photos but managed to kill the next half hour throwing themselves off the dunes and then running back up to do it again ... lots of fun! Long Long day of driving. Pretty much cabin fever by the time that we pulled off the road to set up camp (around 8pm). Learnt tonight that we needed to spend another night in the desert (due to our permit to enter Kashgar being put off a day) also that it was likely that we would be going to Iran instead of Georgia and Azerbaijan due to the fighting in Georgia.
Day Three in the Desert .... early start. My group was on cooking so we were up before the sun. (yes we are a long way west) Got underway. Stopped in a very cute twon called Mingfeng so that some of the other cooking groups could visit the market. We wandered around searching for our 'coffee in a can' (not big on coffee here so Nescafe in a can is the best we can do! There
is beautiful bread out this way. The normal Chinese bread is full of sugar and doesn't take much to chew it.The Uighur bread is very chewy, baked in a hot over and so yummm.. So paid our 1 yuan for some of that as we wandered around ($1 = 6 yuan!). Back on the truck for an afternoon of hot driving. We were close to Hotan so went on a tour of a carpet factory (I've seen a couple of those before) .... wasn't tempted to buy one. Stopped by a lake for camp this evening which was nice.
Day 4 in the Desert ... really needing a shower now ... feeling very grotty (didn't swim in the Lake ... not sure about the water in it) We popped back into Hotan to visit a Silk Factory. I usually like Silk stuff but the Hotan style seems to be the way that you used to tie-dye T-shirts in primary school ... complete with the garrish blues, yellows and reds ... yep wasn't tempted to buy any! Popped back into Hotan for a couple of hours for the cokk groups to visit the Market. The market was crazy
- people and animals everywhere. Got back on the truck for another long afternoon of desert driving (and trying to amuse ourselves ... my ipod battery had gone at this point ... lots of random photos out the window). Made camp at around 8pm. Starting to get very excited about that shower tomorrow!
Day 5 in the Desert ... sand everywhere ... and really ready for some shampoo and a big long soak ... not sure why my arm is silver! Not so far to travel today. A visit to a knife factory (this region is know for its ornamental knives ... no not tempted to buy one ... but spent the next half hour looking for the world's largest knife as promised by the sign! Stopped for lunch in a small town. We went for Uighur Shish Kebabs but seemed to be surrounded by wasps that were attracted to the legs of lamb hanging just behind me. At one stage during lunch the local police came to talk to our drivers. There were some Australian Journalists that were somewhere in the region that they were wanting to talk to. They took the Australian passports - there
are two retired Melbourne people and me ... Alas, my descriptions of Kangaroos in the desert didn't seem an issue. (though I am being careful). Driving into the afternoon we finally came to the end of the Taklamakan (and a step closer to our shower). A large beautiful lake symbolised the end of the desert and the start of the adventures in Kashgar.
Yay End of the Taklamakan Desert
Not much difference but later in the day!
ome parts of China’s tourist industry are starting to get their act together. One of the best things I did this holiday was to take a camel ride in the Taklamakan desert. During the train ride to Urumuchi, I couldn’t say that we went through the Gobi desert, but we could certainly see the Gobi desert though both windows of the train for a long time, and we certainly felt that the train was going through the desert, however, as part of our trip out we also went to the Taklamakan desert, which we went to while staying in Kashgar.
A little desert resort had been built with a small restaurant specializing in roasted fish, a Muslim-style, resting place and a group of people offering camel rides and rides on those specially designed oversized-beach vehicles. For us, there was no choice to be had it was a camel ride all the way or nothing.
The camel ride turned out to be good value for money, because for the 60 Yuan it wasn’t just a ten minute thrill and back to base, the ride took well over an hour and we went far enough into the desert to believe that
My wife's sister taking her first camel ride.
we were actually in the desert - it was very convincing. The guide was a good sport and sung some Xinjiang desert songs on the way, which certainly sounded very authentic.
When we went far enough out the guide let us dismount our camels and run around the desert like mad people for a while - he even joined in at one point. The sand and sand dunes were for real and at one point we found a real desert lizard. The heat burned down on us mercilessly, although, the lizard seemed to be very comfortable. When you looked out there was nothing to be seen except sand and a very distant horizon and yet more sand - it was awesome to witness.
Camels move slowly offering a fairly comfortable ride. I could certainly see myself riding one across the desert for a few days. The only tricky bit is while you first sit on them and then they attempt to stand up - or sit down so you can get off. The process throws you forwards, then backwards and then forwards again. You have to hang on tight or you would be thrown off.
Videos from "60 Yuan, a Desert and a Camel":
My wife looking the part.
...and we're off......
My wife's sister and a Chinese guy traveling with us.
My wife and camel now good friends.
Sand jumping!
A real desert lizard.
As I was starting to say last entry ... we are in Turpan for four days and have the chance to have a good look around. Security is a lot tighter in this region - petrol stations have guards on them and we are stopped at a lot more police checkpoints. There is also a greater army presence in the streets. We had to visit the long distance bus station before checking into the hotel in order to scan our bags. We were hot and dirty and just hanging out for a shower.
Turpan itself seems a world away from the rest of China. There are the Han Chinese people there but the Uighur people have their own language (so 'Shair Shair' had to be replaced with 'Rakmed', and 'Nihao' with 'Asalum Alekum' ... apologies on the spelling!) China is one time zone and official business is on Beijing time ... the rest of the region works on Uighur time - two hours behind. The people look more Russian and Central Asian in build ... a lot of head scarves and panty hose on women (as well as sequinned bling in the dresses!) even though it is the hottest part
of China. The first day we were there it was early 40'C but the rest of the time was cool 30's (I am sure that the Melbourne people are dreaming of those type of temperatures right now!)
Back to what we did in Turpan .... The first day we headed out to the Jiaohe Ruins and the Irrigation Channels of Karez. ' During the Han Dynasty, Jiaohe was established by the Chinese as a garrison town. It had around 6,500 residents' It was a peninsula so they didn't need to build a wall (yes I have pinched a Lonely Planet book to put in a bit of detail here). We was-lked around the ruins which were over a 1000 years old. Not much left to them - but it was interesting to wander around with not many other people out there.
Karez was the system of irrigation channels that they set up in the region 2000 years ago. It is desert all around so they set up a system of head wells and unerground irrigation channels that sent the water from the snow capped Tian Shian Mountains down into the villages. There are a lot of grape
vines in the region (nice grapes but only a little supply of wine). Very tacky display village that basically had sculptures of people digging wells - pictures on the walls and then you go underground to see the water flowing ... but then lots of shops selling rabbit fur stoles - and matching hats- Jade sculptures and other stuff with Uighur girls in traditional costume offering to be photographed for a price ... funnily enough I don't think I took a single photo there! It was interesting but my short attention span didn't keep me captivated very long.
The afternoon was stinking hot. We spent the afternoon in John's cafe - under the grape vines - eating banana pancakes and drinking pijou (beer) ... a tough day at the office!
One of the most impressive places we visited was a 2300 year old city a coach ride away from the centre of Urumuchi. Through a travel company we visited a range of places on a single day and this was on the list I am pleased to say. We couldn’t spend too much time there, partly because we had other places to visit and partly because the temperature was hitting around the 42 to 43 C - which means it was about 55 to 60 C directly in the sun. In fact, while we were waking around the heel of a guy’s shoe literally fell off due to the glue melting. Our guide for the day advised us to drink plenty of water, but to drink small amounts often, though I opted for a Coca Cola - several in fact. I also noticed the travel guide was not to be seen around the city, but he seemed like an old hand at this kind of thing! - he obviously had more sense…….
However, despite the heat my wife and I were determined to walk around as much of what is left of the city as was possible. I was truly
Keeping cool in the shade for a while.
thrilled to be there, as I found it quite an inspiring experience. You could see where most of the streets used to be and if you were prepared to walk some distance you could see what was left of a pagoda and a temple, which were quite spectacular. I’m sorry to say though that parts of the city were strewn with graffiti, with people writing the ubiquitous “I was here”, which saddened me, though I am sure I have read that in Roman times, such graffiti was also to be found. The city, situated in the middle of a hot desert, reminded me of all the pictures I saw as a boy of a city often describe in the Bible.
This was my first time to take a Chinese package tour, though it only lasted for a whole day - and what a day it was. I thoroughly enjoyed the day, but this was partly due to the fact on the coach, which was brand new, all of the other travelers opted to sit at the front of the coach leaving the whole of the back of the coach, including surrounding seats, for only my wife, here sister and
Trying to look cool while burning up in 43 C. Sadly, you can see the graffiti to the right of my head. There was more to be seen.
myself - for China this was luxury traveling. We could spread out and rest easily between each stops. I found Chinese tastes for a package tour to be fairly simple consisting of a variety of interesting things to see, but not for too long, in fact, just long enough to capture an interest and for an array of photographs to be taken. Any museums we visited were rushed through, though many photographs were taken. One museum in particular we visited was very well presented indeed, with life-life models of how people lived and worked.
A mini bus picked us up at our hotel in the morning and took us straight to a waiting coach. At the end of the day the coach dropped us off at a convenient place. We actually took all of our bags, as we were in the process of changing hotels. Again, the coach driver was more than happy to accommodate our request. During the day, as part of the package tour, we stopped at a variety of shops and factory shops. I didn’t mind this actually, because the goods on sale were great and at a fair price and we simply wouldn’t have found
My wife in front of what is left of a street. There were many streets to be seen, but you had to keep to a path for the most part to protect the site. There weren't many guards for obvious reasons, ... [more]
these places left to our own devices. My only regret was that we didn’t have enough money to buy some of the most beautiful things they were selling such as exotic carpets and silk wear.
I would have liked to have spent a little more time at the ancient city and had a greater look. The place seems to have been undisturbed for a long time, only to be invaded recently as a tourist attraction by a more prosperous Chinese traveler.
I only hope it lasts for another 2300 years.
My wife and I with the temple in the backgroud. We had to rush to get to this spot and then rush to get back to the coach on time, but it was worth it.
A view of most of the city. Most of the people on the coach didn't get any further than this, but it was hot. My wife and I had to try our best to protect ourselves from an unforgiving sun with a sm... [more]
This was the pagoda.
The path taking you around the city was was well constructed. In fact, I noticed that many of the tourists sites were very well presented.
I have to wing it at the moment in an Internet cafe on the hoof, so here goes. The journey to Urumuchi by train was good, but a long journey, lasting approx’ 31 hours. My wife, her sister, and myself had a good spot on the train. We managed to exchange our bunks so we had a bottom, middle and top bunk together in one carriage and our neighbors were all woman and two little girls, which means there was almost no smoking, as women rarely smoke in China. The train attendants were really good at their job and were very efficient - so much so my wife’s sister wrote her admiration in the suggestion book provided. All of the train attendants worked very hard to ensure a well run, enjoyable train ride. The toilets were cleaned frequently and there was food and snacks and meals, which could be bought on the train.
After sitting and lying for such a long time in a fairly cramped space my muscles ached and I found it hard to sleep. However, I discovered that when the train pulled into a station it was better to go out onto the platform, if only for
My wife arrriving at Kashgar airport.
The guard in the background soon hurried my wife along and into the terminal.
a few minutes, and run up and down and then do some stretching exercises. The Chinese looked at me amusingly and I’m sure they were thinking I was just another mad foreigner, but it was certainly good for stressed limbs and muscles. I returned to the train refreshed and the fresh air is perked me up as well.
The two little girls on the train had a great time tormenting the foreigner once they got used to me. There were so friendly after a while and showed me all kinds of kids’ games, which they wanted me to play. They certainly made the journey more enjoyable and the time passed quickly.
We arrived at Urumuchi just as the sun was setting and no sooner had we stepped out of the train station; we were beset upon by a young American couple needing help. My sister-in-law thought this was very funny. They actually wanted to go to the same hotel as us, which was lucky for them, although, they wanted to take a taxi and we took the bus - I really don’t know why they didn’t’ follow us. We never saw them again to be honest - maybe they changed their minds or maybe they’re still in the taxi circling Urumuchi?
We only stayed one night in Urumuchi before we caught the plane to Kashgar, so we only had time to have a meal and buy some scarves. The meal was just great. We had yogurt and lamb and it was thoroughly delicious, although, my wife didn’t like it. Before long, my wife was complaining that she missed the food in Jiangxi - what a bumpkin. For me, the food in this part of the world was just great and I thoroughly enjoy eating it. The scarves my wife and her sister bought were woolen Pashmina scarves, which are a specialty this part of the world. I must admit they were beautiful and well worth the money. We also noticed that the man and woman who worked in the shop (they were probably the owners) were so jolly and friendly and very good at their business, but there was no way we were leaving the shop without buying something.
The plane ride to Kashgar was short and sweet and they view entering Kashgar from the plane offered a spectacular view of an impressive mountain range. However, the bad news was the very moment we arrived in Kashgar we learned that a bomb had gone off only hours before our arrival. 16, now risen to 23, soldiers had been killed and more injured. The Se Man hotel where we stayed was only about 100 yards from the blast area and so we have passed the site many times - if we had arrived a day earlier we would have heard the blast and maybe caught a bit of shrapnel. The mood in Kashgar presently is somber to say the least and security is tight. We now have problems getting special permission to go to the border and visit the local attractions near the border with Pakistan - though there are many other things to do. I don’t think this is going to happen this month. We went to the police station, which is just near the bomb blast, but a very nervous policeman only shouted for us to ”Go Away” with his head stuck out from the window - he didn’t' even leave the building, he just stuck his head out and back in again. He was also very angry when we didn’t move quickly enough for him, but he was very nervous. I think we will have to re-schedule our plans, but it shouldn’t be too bad.
I’m sure though our sympathies go out to the families of the soldiers killed and wounded in the attack. They were out doing their daily running when the attack happened. I have since learned that two bombs went off followed by a knife attack, and there were 9 other bombs that weren't detonated. Two men were responsible and about 70 soldiers were running at the time as part of their daily exercises.
My wife and her sister are currently re-organizing our itinery for our holiday. We should be able to go to some good local attractions, but maybe not all of them. The temperature in Kashgar is hot, hot, hot at the moment and sunglasses are a must - the sand comes in from the local desert as well. We had a walk in the local park last night and saw a huge statue of Chairman Mao. I have noticed that the further you get from Beijing the bigger the statues of Mao become. Anyway, it’s time now to find my wife and see what’s happening today. I think we’re changing hotel as we have found a slightly cheaper one.
Since the bomb attack things are still not settled, but our stay in Kashgar has been very enjoyable.
My wife, her sister and I are traveling to Kashgar, in the far-flung west of China presently. We hope to stand on the border soon between China and Pakistan. We arrived at Xi’an this afternoon after a 22 hour train journey, and tomorrow we take a 35 hour train journey to Urumuchi and then fly to Kashgar. We want to stop off at Urumuchi first to have a look and a visit, as we’re sure it has something different to offer than Nanchang, Jiangxi - though we’ll look at Urumuchi more when we return.
We were met at Xi’an rail station by my wife’s sister who had brought a car from her workplace and took us back to her dwelling. My wife’s sister lives and works in one of the new housing complexes currently being built in Xi’an. I’m not sure a fan of Xi’an partly due to visiting there some years ago with some rather unpleasant people. However, this time my wife’s sister has promised to show me a good time in Xi’an and change my opinion.
We arrived just before 5.00pm, so my wife’s sister’s boss organized a meal for us all. My wife, her sister, myself,
After a while, the other passenges found ways to entertain themselves - usually involves tormenting the "foreigner"!
my wife’s sister’s colleagues and boss had a meal, but my wife’s sister’s boss was overexcited at finally meeting me, as I didn’t go to Xi’an last year. We had a splendid meal, with a variety of cooked meats including some very nice chicken and beef, vegetables and an endless supply of beer; and in the Chinese tradition we toasted often until most of the beer was drunk. As is the custom in China, the host, which is my wife’s sister’s boss, went out of his way to ensure firstly that I had a good meal and would be full at the end of it, and secondly, make me feel very welcome and treat me as one of the family. On both accounts he succeeded admirably - though my wife complained that I drank a little too much beer; but what the Hell, I'm on holiday for a week or two.
The train journey from Nanchang to Xi’an offered no surprises. For a journey over 12 hours it’s best to buy a sleeper ticket and the cheapest is known as a hard sleeper. This is traveling Second Class, but it is very pleasant way to travel. You have a
I found that running up and down the platform when the train stopped for a brief period helped ease aching muscles.
bed, which will either by a bottom, middle or top bunk. My wife and I had two adjoining top bunks, which were fine. The only down side to traveling on a Chinese train is that most Chinese men smoke; and although there is no smoking inside a carriage, this rule can often be ignored. I am forever asking (sometimes insisting / shouting) at Chinese men to stop smoking in the carriage. The space at the end of a carriage is reserved for people who like to smoke - though again the smell of smoke can often drift into the carriage. You have to imagine, I, all 5’, 6” (and three-quarters) asking some Chinese guys who tower over me to stop smoking or move. Overall, most Chinese men obliged, which is really a reflection of the mild mannered-ness of Chinese people and their desire not to offend ‘foreigners’. One guy, whom I’d asked the night before to stop smoking by shouting from my top bunk, offered me one of his eggs for breakfast in the morning.
It was a 22 hour train journey from Nanchang to Xi’an, but there are toilets and a washroom and an almost endless supply of
Playing games with the passenges.
hot water. The beds are comfortable and a pillow and quilt are provided. The only problem with the top bunk, should you be unlucky enough to have one, is that you are either flattened out with a fan pointed directly at you, or you have an air-conditioning vent blasting over you or all the accumulated smoke builds up. The only problem with the bottom bunk is that during the day it’s a place for people to sit, and you have to fight to get to the table provided. Overall, the best bunk, I think, is the middle bunk. And for the uninitiated, it’s light out a 10.00pm sharp and the train attendant tells everybody to get into bed and go to sleep. And no matter how early you get up in the morning, I guarantee that they'll be a Chinese person sat there already ploughing their way though a Pot Noodle.
We’ve just been shopping at the local Metro and so it’s early to bed again and tomorrow we set off for Urumuchi - we’ve bought biscuits and some drinks, though food and drinks are available on Chinese trains, the cost can be a little expensive.
On Chinese trains there is an endless supply of hot water.