Getting Out of Urumqi

A hot shower, BBQd chicken on the street, a/c, and beds hard as rocks (really) were followed by a breakfast of rice, seaweed, and coffee-we stayed at a Chinese business hotel. 

Leaving town was no easy task with construction blocking most of the GPS suggested routes. Once again, as has become a daily realization, our local guide is anything but, being absolutely clueless about location and directions. It took two full hours to find our hotel last night.  It's frustrating because the lost time means missing out on things one could have done within our tight schedule. Ok, enough bitching...maybe. 

Urumqi is the capitol of Xianjing province, the largest in China, and home to three major ethnic groups-Uyghur, Kazakh, and Chinese. The Uyghur being the largest accounting for the numerous mosques and the signs still in both Arabic and Chinese. 

Urumqi's 2.5 million people live in a city undergoing huge changes in infrastructure and development.  A new high speed rail system will soon link it with the east. Major freeways will and already weave through old and new skyscrapers. Huge wind farms with hundreds of generators (possibly more) supply new energy to feed the growing need. And theres the nuclear power plant in the centet of the city!  Yikes!  All bing said, it was a pretty city with lots of green space and beautiful people-a blend of eastern and western Asia ethnicities. 

The air was surprisingly clear. The traffic jams were amazing. It took us more than two hours to get out of the city-mostly because we were constantly lost. Frustrating!  Dave and Frenchy have amazing patience!

 

 
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More Desert...Sorta

We slept like rocks and woke up like them too!  80^ at 5:30am!  Stumbling around in the dark we broke camp, stowed our gear and hit the highway. Blazing through the sands we made great time and had put away almost 250km by daylight at 8:30am. It was windy causing a dusty haze. The mountains were mere shadows in the distance and the sun cast eerie rays of light through the din.

Breakfast was in another gravel pit along side the road and next to a drip irrigated orchard. 450km to go. A real bed and shower waiting for us at the other end.

Another 100k and there was cultivated fields as far as you could see in all directions. And, it started to rain. The temperature fell. Wow, a lot of desert land reclaimed for farmland. Good for a hungry nation.

Weaving in and out of desert and farmland we covered another 250 km before lunch.  At a police checkpoint past Korla we saw a Buddhist shrine-several trident shaped poles surrounded and wrapped with hundreds of prayer flags on string. Being a checkpoint, I couldn't take any photos. 

Heading north toward the Mongolia border we crossed a 9,000 ft range and down into the Turpan Basin.  Labeled "the hottest place on Earth," it earned its rep today. Nothing but sand and rock to the horizon. Yet to the east would be the city of Turpan in a couple of days. And it was 104^ on the temperature thingy.

We had noodles at a truck stop along with a self tour of the kitchen. Cute staff!  Good food. Ah-em, not so cute toilets!  Seems to be the norm. Restaurants (and their litchens) are close to clean and the personal facilities aren't. So strange.

Two more hours and another 150km and we arrived in Urumqi. Nice hotel, comfy bed, shower. Ah, now this is overlanding!  Tomorrow-Heavenly Valley!

Sent from Leopard's iPhone. Read my blog at www.leopard2013.blogspot.com

Into The Desert...Again

Today we left Kashgar and began our two-day journey across the Taklamakan Desert, known as the hottest place on earth. It is over 1700 km to the Turpan Basin and oasis. With full water tanks and two new, Chinese approved, propane tanks, we covered almost have of that today. Whew!

Leaving at 6am it was dark for another two hours. Dawn found us traveling along a huge ridge line of the Tian Shan mountains to the north and vast open desert to the south. It seemed almost endless with amazing earthen colors of red, yellow, tan and gray. Alkaline deposits glistened in the morning sun.

China is a building country and just as in Kashgar with skyscrapers and industrial sites under construction, so it was in the desert. We followed a massive highway project for well over 400 miles. Why a four lane super highway is needed to connect a city of 400,000 with the northern unpopulated Chinese desert was a mystery to our guide and intriguing to us.

After 450 km we reached the city of Aksu and its 150,000 people and huge industrial complexes of factories, cement and brick mills, and nuclear power plants.  We had lunch on the outskirts of town at a local cafe and then hit the road for another 300 km. the desert turned from scrub to sand and alkaline flats-the Tian Shan ridge ever present to our right. An oasis would appear occassionally surrounded by acres of irrigated farmland. The temp reached 95^ by 6pm with the sun straight up on the sky. Can't imagine July and August!

The saving factor was a beautifully finished super highway that allowed for fast sailing and a smooth ride!  The rest stops were huge and modern but mostly empty and the shops unoccupied. Obviously something huge is planned for this region.

The further east we went the bigger the factories and surrounding housing got. Where's the water for all if this?  There are no rivers on the map!  And poplar forests sprung from the sand and rock, along with small mud brick towns-no doubt full of laborers.  And then there was still the desert. The heat. Wow!

We drove off the road a few hunted meters to a gravel flat and set up camp. A quick dinner and bed by 10pm ended our day.

Sent from Leopard's iPhone. Read my blog at www.leopard2013.blogspot.com

Tom's Presents

Hi Everyone, Bobbie here.

Since Tom has handed off the duties of posting his posts I thought I might take a moment to to tell you of a little treat Tom has arranged for me.  Every week I get a little present, gift certs at our favorite restaurants, a swimming suit to replace the one which was falling off of me (the hot tub wrecks them), tools (cordless drill--just what a girl needed to work on her boat), dishes and a cook set for the boat, and just now a Costco size jar of cashews.  He purchased all these things, wrapped them and strategically left them with our friend and neighbors, the Stewarts for delivery to me.

How about that guy.....

Karakum Highway

We traveled south from Kashgar on the famous Karakum Highway. This is the ancient route to the Silk Road from Pakistan and India and today is the main trade route from Pakistan and Afghanistan into China.  

We paralleled the Tajikistan border winding through red rock, sandstone, and granite canyons. We were just a few miles from both the Pakistan and Afghanistan borders. We actually passed a China/Pakistan checkpoint and our passports were verified. We looked to the mountains for Taliban strongholds. Yikes!  

The dust storm was intense and made visibility poor.  We could barely see the snowcapped Himalayas peeking through in the distance.  At a reststop we saw a huge collection of jade and agate for sale. Through one canyon the road was narrow and the rock walls were within inches of the truck. 

We continued to climb. At 11,000 ft we came across a large dam project and reservoir. We stopped for pictures long enough to realize we should not have left our long pants at the laundry in Kashgar...smile!  It's cold in the mountains!

We reached Lake Karakol around 6pm and found herds of yak grazing. The landscape was breathtaking!  There were a couple of possible bush camps. That is until the dust storm engulfed us and then the rain started. 

Suddenly we were surrounded by vendors on motorbikes representing the yurt complex nearby...and the negotiations began.  After an hour of price fluctations snd dealing with the Chinese "mafia," we just didn't feel right about their behavior and our safety so we opted to head back  along the highway and find a bush camp.

About 30km down the road we found a small village with an area overlooking a lake.  Perfect!  That was until the local townsfolk descended on us along with their constable. It was apparent that we were going to have to jump through some hoops. They wanted all but the two cooks to go to the police station with our passports.  This plus one of the family having some altitude problems caused us to finish cooking, eat in the truck, and then head back to Kashgar.

We reached the border checkpoint midnight and were tucked safe and sound in our comfy beds by 2:30am. Quite an adventurous day!

Kashgar Sunday Markets

We left the hotel early and visited the market/bazaar. There we did some shopping for our next three meals. This market was different than any other so far. There was a lesser selection of fresh vegetables mixed with lots of cooked food vendors. Someone is getting this pretty purple scarf...i wonder who?  The one most interesting thing about this bazaar was that everything we saw was made in the local country - China-ha-ha!  An interesting paradigm for a change. ALL OF MY CLOTHES and accessories felt at home, having returned to their place of birth. 
 

Next was the world famous Sunday Animal Market. We arrived just as animals were arriving.  Hundreds of tuktuk and wagon, one after another, each loaded with critters, all bound for barter and trade. The sounds, smells, and activity was overwhelming. It was fun to watch the men, and women, bartering angrily, only to smile and shake hands when the deal was made!  We ate at a local noodle bar and watched them make the noodles on the spot. Very cool. 

Then it was down the Karakoram highway toward Pakistan with our destination today at Lake Karakol.

National Children's Day

It seems we have a knack for being in the right place at the right time!  Today is a national holiday honoring children and all over town families were outside in the parks, squares, amusement parks, and on the streets. Thousands of children dressed in their best party clothes were enjoying cupcakes, ice cream, and every other thing with sugar imaginable. 

John and I spent our free day walking all over town. We estimated easily covering eight to ten kilometers over the course of close to five hours. Our day included entering and browsing stores, markets, print and computer stores, and phone stores. I got a haircut.  Don't worry, I still look like a sheared Hulk Hogan.

We rode a giant Ferris wheel and discovered the ancient mud brick Uyghur Village our guide couldn't find yesterday. There we stumbled on to an artist in his studio making pottery. He offered us lunch and we purchased two of his beautiful bowls (of course). Someone is getting a nice present in a couple of months!  

Next we wandered street after street meeting craftsmen-blacksmiths, wood carvers, brick layers, and many shop keepers. All were happy to chat and practice their four or five English words. The entire day with everything listed here cost the two of us 100 Yuan (roughly $17). Gotta just love China.  Sorry, got so engrossed in taking a few hundred pics with my other camera that I forgot to click a few with the iPhone. Google "Kashgar china" and enjoy!

We got together at the Red Bull Happy Bar for a beer.

 

Tonight we met our new and final family member, Vitor Luu, from Australia. He will travel with us to Xian-a tired fellow in his 50's, grateful to finally be here. He joined us for dinner and quickly became comfortable with our crazy group.  We are now complete for this leg and head off to the Karakum desert tomorrow. 

He likes tone called "Ton" and he bought a round of beers. He's now our new best friend!

For dinner we went to a local restaurant that was a Uyghur palace. A real treat.

Kashgar

The two hour jump in time and a required driving test for the lads allowed us to sleep in today. Although I must say that waking up surrounded by glittered walls and ceiling, all painted in baby blue and pink was sort of like waking up in Barbie's bedroom...without Barbie!

  

 Next we wandered the city market and some streets in the old city.  Scooters are everywhere.

 We met Tao and headed out for a city tour. The main mosque was once again unique on both design and function. The gardens were really cool. 

We ended our tour by choosing a restaurant off of an alley with no tourists. The whole meal was $10 for the four of us!

Back at the hotel we had a beer and a nap. It was now easily over 85 outside. Later in the evening we went out for dinner on the street. Noodles and chicken, a pot of tea and a beer-$2.75.  The local people are so welcoming!

Torugart Pass

A very cold 6am wake up was followed by a quick breakfast and departure to the border. The mountain range surrounding the first checkpoint was impressive. The photo shows the vast plains of Kyrgyzstan (12,000ft) and the northern edge of the Himalayas in the distance. This is the Chinese border in the distance. 

The Silk Route had many different physical barriers to overcome, none more difficult that the vast Tian Shan mountains, the northern extension of the Himalayas, that separate the kingdoms of the Kyrgs, now Kyrgyzstan, and the land of the Turkic speaking Uyghurs, Chinese Turkestan. The main route through these mountains was and still is through the 13.000 ft. Torugart Pass. This journey is not for the faint- hearted as roads are poor but passable. The route is through stunning mountains and is one of the most exciting overland routes in the area. 

The first checkpoint was painless. A pleasant Krygyi office took a quick look inside the truck and our passports were verified. We were then released to go on to the next point. 

Three hours of dirt road with deep ruts and potholes, slow-going at best, got us to the next checkpoint where we went through customs and immigration. The Chinese border,as identified by a double six ft high barbed wire fence, was to outright for the last twenty miles. 

The process was simple and quick. They did a short compulsory inspection of the truck and we were allowed to pass through to the summit of the pass five  miles further down the road.  There was another checkpoint before the summit. 

It was still really cold, warmer in the bright, cloudless sunshine. We'd been traveling at 12-13,000 ft for quite some time already so crossing over wasn't as dramatic as we had been imagining.

At the official Chinese border we said goodbye to our guides, Anton and Makbarat. They boarded  their private transport back to Bishkek. The border had an impressive iron gate and a welcome sign. Sorry, no photos at the border other thus one taken a few hundred yards past the gate.  There was no Ted tape. We simply drove through. Hmmmm?

It was noticeably drier on the China side and there were more magnificent mountains in the distance.  The road was now marginally paved...amen!

The first checkpoint was three miles past the border.  There we met our Chinese border agent (Ahmed and not "Chinese") to help us through the process. We and the truck were thoroughly searched, our passports reviewed, and we were passed through to the next checkpoint 35 miles further down the road. We made a rolling lunch of sandwiches and fruit and prepared ourselves for immigration. 

The road condition improved significantlyand  the drive through the Kasgar highway gorge was spectacular with high rocky peaks on both sides of the river. Felt yurts were replaced by those made of mud and there was little livestock to be seen on the barren slopes.  Motorcycles and scooters were plentiful. There was a light haze that smacked of smog but there were no industrial plants in sight. Our guide said it was simply a high dust storm from the desert around Kashgar. 

Being in the Uyghur district we thought we would not change our clocks to China time. However that was not yhe case it will be intetesting havong the sun risr two hours later than it did 100 miles to the west...smile.

We reached the final checkpoint at 4:00 pm. Nine hours into the crossing, this is where our passports and visas were processed. We met our official guide here as well. His name is Tao, which means "wave" in Chinese. Dave and Frenchy's new passports have one blank white page which has created all kinds of questions and delays. Today was no different.  Then there was the truck paperwork. We departed the immigration station at 7:30 pm. Nihao China!

Our drive on to Kashgar was under two hours. With the time change we were checked in to our hotel, fed, and asleep by midnight.  Just another typical border crossing. 

PS:  Check out our pretty glittered hotel room!

 

Hello Bobbie again, I've decided to leave the image place holders in place, again I will repost if I can get the imagery--B

Tash Rabat

We did our shopping for the next two days and set off toward the towering mountains we have been watching grow for the last two days.  They ate so high and still so far away cameras just can't capture their grandeur.

We entered Tash Rabat canyon and checked into our yurt camp. 

Then we rented horses and went fir a two hour ride. 

We are camped at the foot of an ancient caravanserai built in the 900's. very cool. 

Chech out the natural rock fortress above the ancient one!

We had dinner in the yurt and went to sleep early. 

China tomorrow and we need to get to the border by 9am and then the pass. 

Hello Readers

Bobbie here, I am posting for Tom as his access is blocked by China.  There were pictures for each of the above captions, but they failed to transmit--I will repost if I can get them.  ---B

And then there were five

Today marked the beginning of my third month of travel. Gosh, have I really already been gone nine weeks!  This now marks the longest vacation I have ever been on and I'm not quite halfway finished!

With the departures of our other traveling companions there are five of us left in the family and going on to China-John, my British roommate; Enid, our gal from Yorkshire county, UK; Joe, our last remaining Aussie; and Sheena, from BC, Canada. 

Erkin, our wonderful guide had a family emergency and was replaced by Anton, a nice Russian lad, and a trainee Makbarrat, a really lovely gal-both in their early twenties and a bit shy-funny, they being tour guides and all!

We stopped at an ATM for one last injection of cash, our final opportunity in Kyrgyzstan, and then headed east out of Bishkek with the massive Tian Shan mountain range to the south. It was a beautiful sunny day full of excitement to be starting the next leg of our adventure. 

We traveled back through the Chong Kemin river valley to the western tip of Lske Ysyk-kol and then south toward Naryn, our destination today. 

Once in the valley we were surrounded by lush grassy mountains changing to high desert sage and scrub after the summit.  Along the way we stopped for a glass of that wonderful fermented mare's milk.  The taste is smokey and lemony with a tart tang that lasts a while in your mouth...interesting and unforgetable!

Our guides didn't know the road well and we side-stepped our lunch stop in Kochkor. I was following the whole thing on my GPS but got mystified by the landscape and forgot to say something. The next "town" was a few more miles down the highway-under full construction (dirt, gravel and slow going). A couple of hours later we found a two horse town and a cute restaurant full of travelers. Noodles and fried fresh trout filled our tummies and prepared us for the next three hours of "massage" highway. It was only 45 miles and took that long. 

Naryn is a river town nestled in a deep gorge below staggering snow covered peaks. Our guest house was in an old Russian style apartment building. Quite nice actually with a great included dinner and breakfast. No wifi now for at least two days.