last day. breakfast at caravan café (www.caravancafe.com). had checked out the menu before and happily ordered a latte (18) and a banana nut cake (10). liked the art pieces decorating the place and asked the price: 500 and 1200. seemed expensive compared to panjiayuan prices. also bought 10 cloth bookmarks (80). also coasters, key chains etc made by women for women, an NGO.
decided to hunt for oil paintings at 东巴扎 to no avail. store owner from whom A purchased lots offered to take us to another place which sold paintings. his brother would man the store in his absence. he paid for the cab fare (it’s a 5rmb radius within kashgar city). deserted shopping centre indeed with oil paintings available but not what we were looking for.
had also contacted abdul (who ran the tour agency) who said that there was a painter at seman and that he was a very good friend. so it was back to seman, which had surprisingly huge grounds and where the 3-star hotel block was tucked away. first impression had been that seman was in very bad shape.
the painter was not there but the wife turned up with a portable IV drip in tow. alas, the prices she quoted were ridiculous: 1500 for a small painting and 5000 for a larger one depicting the old city’s walkways.
made our way back to caravan café, where ron (from canada) got hold of the artist for us. this bearded man with wild hair and a fierce glint in his eye came over and we followed him to his small shop but didn’t find anything else we liked there. eventually bought the 2 pieces i had seen in the café that morning.
lunch was vegetarian pizza, tuna and cheese sandwich and iced blossom tea. tasted better than it looked.
rushed to the airport only to find that the time on our tickets was wrong. the flight was at 17:15, not 15:40. so ctrip did give us the right tickets in the first place!
it’s been a good trip with really only one low point, tianchi. otherwise, we’d met interesting and friendly people and the weather pretty much held, raining at night and on our last day in kashgar (had originally planned to go to the desert today.)
touched down at Beijing after midnight. thronged by touts upon clearing the baggage area. let the hassling and hustling begin.
Sunday, August 07, 2005
coffee in the hotel lobby. wondering why cappuccino (5) was cheaper than coffee (8). turned out to be of the instant variety, as opposed to crystals for the coffee. charged separately for a glass of milk (5)
market day! set off at 10 am (8 local time), which was a luxury for us. went to 东巴扎 (east bazaar) first, where the laconic arken quipped 除了爸爸妈妈，什么都卖! (with the exception of fathers and mothers, everything is sold here!) umir, the trainee guide from the first day, accompanied us as well. he’s 24 and had just graduated with a physics degree and waiting to be assigned a job. in his youthful folly (12), he tattooed himself on his forearms his birthday and the word for ‘happiness.’
bought lots: a carpet (red) for 170, a patterned cap (20) and 无花果 (30 for 1kg). when we returned to a stall to pick patterns for A’s tablecloth/sofa throwovers, saw a blue carpet of same design at the carpet stall. asked to switch carpets but the seller refused. said that in a batch of 30, only 1 was blue. asked for 70 extra and finally relented at 60 after arken came over and pumped his hand. seller’s face was not particularly pleasant or welcoming but had not seen many small carpets for sale.
as we were about to leave the market, saw these lumps of what frankly looked like dried manure. turned out to be a resin(?) for hair treatment. told A to buy some since she had actually washed her hair at wucaiwan. from there, it went to saffron, which smelled heavenly, then to cordyceps (‘nicest, most complete ones i’d seen’ said A) and she even picked up a small piece of jade and some sea coral.
meanwhile, the neighbouring dried fruits seller made his move, offering us pistachios, wuhuaguo, apricots. the fresh pistachios were going for 120/kg and wuhuaguo 30/kg.
at the bird market, there were ducks, chickens, chicks, pigeons, budgerigars in cages, in sacks, in hands, being bought, sold, haggled over. the scene was repeated at the goat/cow market except that the animals were being led around the food stores selling, i wager, the freshest kebabs, tripe soup etc. had slices of melon at 5 jiao a slice but nothing particularly sweet. then headed out to the dawakul section of the desert. had lunch just before reaching there. cheapest one yet at 15 for 5 bowls of noodles (4 legmen, 1 somen).
transport to talimankan desert arranged for 500. kinda pricey and disappointing. the desert (30 per head for entry) was really a beach resort with families swimming and bellies on display. it came complete with boat rides, buggies, beach volleyball etc. picked camel ride for 40 an hour (exceeded time, paid 50 a head).
on the way back, stopped at wopu district, which is supposedly famous for its melons. arken bought 4 and gave us one (2.5 per melon, think of the profit on melon slices!). also ate one on the spot which turned out to be disappointing.
arken subsequently stopped by a plot of farmland, determined to seek out sweeter melons. the farmer popped up and we walked through his melon patch while they looked for a ripe one, rapping speculatively on a few. finally satisfied with one, which was cut off the vine. we ate in the field, spraying the seeds onto the ground. this, at last, was fruity bliss. arken bought a few for his family.
on reaching the hotel, arken deigned to show us his handphone which read 我爱老婆乖乖! (i love my wife, obedient boy) arken was just full of surprises once he got more comfortable with us. he was definitely more traditional, carrying a knife on his belt and saying essalamu eleikum when he answered the phone. ali and the others simply went 唯. but not all was sweetness and light among the uighurs, umir told a halting and half-understood tale of a dreaded few who enslaved other uighurs and made them work for no pay or food(!?).
tipped umir (who got off at id-kah mosque to buy shoes) and arken 50 each. arken said that he would come by the next day to send us to the airport if he could.
went to check out the night market at id kah mosque (7-9 local time). the fountains were on and kids were happily playing in the water.
nothing to buy so headed off to dinner at enjoy tea house: skewers, 大杂烩 (internal organs), 汤饭 (rice in a minty soup with meatballs) and more of that lovely tea. 110 total. unfortunately, the yoghurt ice-cream had run out by the time we finished dinner. complimented the boss on his tea, who proceeded to show us the ingredients for it (earl grey, saffron, cardamom, and lots of rock sugar).
market day! set off at 10 am (8 local time), which was a luxury for us. went to 东巴扎 (east bazaar) first, where the laconic arken quipped 除了爸爸妈妈，什么都卖! (with the exception of fathers and mothers, everything is sold here!) umir, the trainee guide from the first day, accompanied us as well. he’s 24 and had just graduated with a physics degree and waiting to be assigned a job. in his youthful folly (12), he tattooed himself on his forearms his birthday and the word for ‘happiness.’
bought lots: a carpet (red) for 170, a patterned cap (20) and 无花果 (30 for 1kg). when we returned to a stall to pick patterns for A’s tablecloth/sofa throwovers, saw a blue carpet of same design at the carpet stall. asked to switch carpets but the seller refused. said that in a batch of 30, only 1 was blue. asked for 70 extra and finally relented at 60 after arken came over and pumped his hand. seller’s face was not particularly pleasant or welcoming but had not seen many small carpets for sale.
as we were about to leave the market, saw these lumps of what frankly looked like dried manure. turned out to be a resin(?) for hair treatment. told A to buy some since she had actually washed her hair at wucaiwan. from there, it went to saffron, which smelled heavenly, then to cordyceps (‘nicest, most complete ones i’d seen’ said A) and she even picked up a small piece of jade and some sea coral.
meanwhile, the neighbouring dried fruits seller made his move, offering us pistachios, wuhuaguo, apricots. the fresh pistachios were going for 120/kg and wuhuaguo 30/kg.
at the bird market, there were ducks, chickens, chicks, pigeons, budgerigars in cages, in sacks, in hands, being bought, sold, haggled over. the scene was repeated at the goat/cow market except that the animals were being led around the food stores selling, i wager, the freshest kebabs, tripe soup etc. had slices of melon at 5 jiao a slice but nothing particularly sweet. then headed out to the dawakul section of the desert. had lunch just before reaching there. cheapest one yet at 15 for 5 bowls of noodles (4 legmen, 1 somen).
transport to talimankan desert arranged for 500. kinda pricey and disappointing. the desert (30 per head for entry) was really a beach resort with families swimming and bellies on display. it came complete with boat rides, buggies, beach volleyball etc. picked camel ride for 40 an hour (exceeded time, paid 50 a head).
on the way back, stopped at wopu district, which is supposedly famous for its melons. arken bought 4 and gave us one (2.5 per melon, think of the profit on melon slices!). also ate one on the spot which turned out to be disappointing.
arken subsequently stopped by a plot of farmland, determined to seek out sweeter melons. the farmer popped up and we walked through his melon patch while they looked for a ripe one, rapping speculatively on a few. finally satisfied with one, which was cut off the vine. we ate in the field, spraying the seeds onto the ground. this, at last, was fruity bliss. arken bought a few for his family.
on reaching the hotel, arken deigned to show us his handphone which read 我爱老婆乖乖! (i love my wife, obedient boy) arken was just full of surprises once he got more comfortable with us. he was definitely more traditional, carrying a knife on his belt and saying essalamu eleikum when he answered the phone. ali and the others simply went 唯. but not all was sweetness and light among the uighurs, umir told a halting and half-understood tale of a dreaded few who enslaved other uighurs and made them work for no pay or food(!?).
tipped umir (who got off at id-kah mosque to buy shoes) and arken 50 each. arken said that he would come by the next day to send us to the airport if he could.
went to check out the night market at id kah mosque (7-9 local time). the fountains were on and kids were happily playing in the water.
nothing to buy so headed off to dinner at enjoy tea house: skewers, 大杂烩 (internal organs), 汤饭 (rice in a minty soup with meatballs) and more of that lovely tea. 110 total. unfortunately, the yoghurt ice-cream had run out by the time we finished dinner. complimented the boss on his tea, who proceeded to show us the ingredients for it (earl grey, saffron, cardamom, and lots of rock sugar).
Saturday, August 06, 2005
visited a tajik home and had the privilege of spending a couple of hours(!) there. fed a steady stream of food: yoghurt (very sour), naan with warm cheese (delicious), warm milk, chai, then vegetarian手抓饭and more freshly baked naan. the family reared goats and even offered to slaughter a rabbit for us, which we politely declined. we were offered spoons but they ate with their hands.
[A had a bad reaction to the yoghurt. personally had no adverse reactions to any food during the trip. no matter how cheap it was, noodles were always freshly prepared. it was a world away from one in which baby milk and eggs were faked and mushrooms bleached for profit.]
the house was built in 1965, with an opening over the central living/sleeping space. the inside walls were decorated with colourful carpets and served to act as insulation. there was also a large stack of blankets for the 8 people in the house (plus guests). there was the head of the household (sabir mehmet?), whom arken had known for 7-8 years, his wife, his son’s family (wife, daughter donna and 4-month old baby) and an 18-year old daughter. the baby was in a hammock which was swung vigorously by grandma. donna was absolutely adorable, though very shy at first, running to her uncle(?) at every opportunity. like the uighurs, the tajiks married early, around 20-21 for the men and 18-19 for the women. the village we were in had a population of over 30,000 and marriages took place across villages as well.
living off the land meant that they age quickly and the difference between the 21-year old uncle and the weathered 25-year old son was striking. they refused to believe that A was over 40 (‘older than the house!’) and claimed her passport to be fake.
we’d been really lucky in meeting people and it seemed that the tajiks were a warm, friendly and welcoming people with strong ties to the land and their fellow uighur brethren. the women folk dressed in bright colours and vibrant patterns, though red seemed to be a favourite.
before leaving, A gave the family her sarong and a recently purchased pashmina scarf. i gave the old man the Tylenol i had on me. he told us he had been having gastric pain but did not have medicine for it. donna we fed (bribed) with a muesli bar and a packet of raisins from the flight. the family refused to take any payment from us.
on the way back, arken stopped to say goodbye to the kirghiz woman. he told us that he makes this trip five to six times a month.
our final stop before reaching kashgar was the tomb of mahmud al-kashgari (12 each), an 11th century linguist and uighur patriot. inclusive of the ticket price was a brief explanation at the casket of the poet. the dome-shaped motif was the cradle, from which we were born and to which we returned. babies slept on top of it and the dead were buried beneath it. prayers were offered while we were there. a mellifluous calm descended. supposed that it was free for uighurs since it seemed to be a picnic spot with entire families with 5, 6 children in tow on the grounds.
after using the ‘toilet,’ (worst one on the trip, temporary sheeting while a permanent structure was being built), found our way back to the entrance by another track, which emerged right beside the gated entrance.
dinner back at intizar where we got the 小老板 to get us seats. he asked this Chinese man with a little girl to sit at a larger table with other customers. the man later walked off. we felt kinda bad but小老板waved it off. dinner came to 40 for 5 skewers, 家常面and大盘鸡.
another day caked with dust. arken’s car (taxi actually, in bright green) had sand and dust in every cranny, it got noticeably more difficult to wind the windows.
[A had a bad reaction to the yoghurt. personally had no adverse reactions to any food during the trip. no matter how cheap it was, noodles were always freshly prepared. it was a world away from one in which baby milk and eggs were faked and mushrooms bleached for profit.]
the house was built in 1965, with an opening over the central living/sleeping space. the inside walls were decorated with colourful carpets and served to act as insulation. there was also a large stack of blankets for the 8 people in the house (plus guests). there was the head of the household (sabir mehmet?), whom arken had known for 7-8 years, his wife, his son’s family (wife, daughter donna and 4-month old baby) and an 18-year old daughter. the baby was in a hammock which was swung vigorously by grandma. donna was absolutely adorable, though very shy at first, running to her uncle(?) at every opportunity. like the uighurs, the tajiks married early, around 20-21 for the men and 18-19 for the women. the village we were in had a population of over 30,000 and marriages took place across villages as well.
living off the land meant that they age quickly and the difference between the 21-year old uncle and the weathered 25-year old son was striking. they refused to believe that A was over 40 (‘older than the house!’) and claimed her passport to be fake.
we’d been really lucky in meeting people and it seemed that the tajiks were a warm, friendly and welcoming people with strong ties to the land and their fellow uighur brethren. the women folk dressed in bright colours and vibrant patterns, though red seemed to be a favourite.
before leaving, A gave the family her sarong and a recently purchased pashmina scarf. i gave the old man the Tylenol i had on me. he told us he had been having gastric pain but did not have medicine for it. donna we fed (bribed) with a muesli bar and a packet of raisins from the flight. the family refused to take any payment from us.
on the way back, arken stopped to say goodbye to the kirghiz woman. he told us that he makes this trip five to six times a month.
our final stop before reaching kashgar was the tomb of mahmud al-kashgari (12 each), an 11th century linguist and uighur patriot. inclusive of the ticket price was a brief explanation at the casket of the poet. the dome-shaped motif was the cradle, from which we were born and to which we returned. babies slept on top of it and the dead were buried beneath it. prayers were offered while we were there. a mellifluous calm descended. supposed that it was free for uighurs since it seemed to be a picnic spot with entire families with 5, 6 children in tow on the grounds.
after using the ‘toilet,’ (worst one on the trip, temporary sheeting while a permanent structure was being built), found our way back to the entrance by another track, which emerged right beside the gated entrance.
dinner back at intizar where we got the 小老板 to get us seats. he asked this Chinese man with a little girl to sit at a larger table with other customers. the man later walked off. we felt kinda bad but小老板waved it off. dinner came to 40 for 5 skewers, 家常面and大盘鸡.
another day caked with dust. arken’s car (taxi actually, in bright green) had sand and dust in every cranny, it got noticeably more difficult to wind the windows.
Friday, August 05, 2005
karakoram highway: karakuri lake, tashkurgan.
upal was about an hour away from the city and the last-chance stop for food and supplies. breakfast for 4 came to 22 for 3 bowls of rice/noodles.
came upon a checkpoint where our particulars were taken down by a man in uniform. at karakuri lake, we avoided the official collection point (50 a head). took in the snow-capped peaks, water of shades of blue and green, goats grazing on the grass at a leisurely pace. this beat tianchi hands down. best of all, the tourists were all at the designated area. also happy that it was cold enough to use the jacket i had lugged along.
invited into kirghiz woman’s yurt and served chai and naan. the chai was supposed to help alleviate altitude sickness but i never got used to the taste. the woman’s 6 year old boy was with her and it was a sight to watch him ride a full-sized bicycle. the yurt was temporary accommodation and they moved 3-4 times a year. L bought a pillow case (red stitch-work on black cloth) for 50 from her. arken gave her some of the melons and food that he had brought from the city.
not long after, arken stopped to help a fellow uighur driver having car trouble. turned out to be a 2 hour wait.
reached tashkurgan and arken brought us to traffic hotel, which was next to the bus station. doubles with attached bathroom for 120 or bed in dingy-looking 4-person room for 10. the choice was clear.
stone city site (with archaeological remains dating back to the Tang dynasty) was near to the hotel. provided dramatic views of the surrounding grass plains and mountains. the gorgeous play of light and shadows on the landscape was transfixing. L and i stayed for a while in the evening sun as the cold and desolate wind lashed around us.
dinner was huimen and meat skewers, came to 25 for 4.
at last, a hot shower with adequate water. most excellent. slight headache from the altitude (3200 feet) but slept well.
upal was about an hour away from the city and the last-chance stop for food and supplies. breakfast for 4 came to 22 for 3 bowls of rice/noodles.
came upon a checkpoint where our particulars were taken down by a man in uniform. at karakuri lake, we avoided the official collection point (50 a head). took in the snow-capped peaks, water of shades of blue and green, goats grazing on the grass at a leisurely pace. this beat tianchi hands down. best of all, the tourists were all at the designated area. also happy that it was cold enough to use the jacket i had lugged along.
invited into kirghiz woman’s yurt and served chai and naan. the chai was supposed to help alleviate altitude sickness but i never got used to the taste. the woman’s 6 year old boy was with her and it was a sight to watch him ride a full-sized bicycle. the yurt was temporary accommodation and they moved 3-4 times a year. L bought a pillow case (red stitch-work on black cloth) for 50 from her. arken gave her some of the melons and food that he had brought from the city.
not long after, arken stopped to help a fellow uighur driver having car trouble. turned out to be a 2 hour wait.
reached tashkurgan and arken brought us to traffic hotel, which was next to the bus station. doubles with attached bathroom for 120 or bed in dingy-looking 4-person room for 10. the choice was clear.
stone city site (with archaeological remains dating back to the Tang dynasty) was near to the hotel. provided dramatic views of the surrounding grass plains and mountains. the gorgeous play of light and shadows on the landscape was transfixing. L and i stayed for a while in the evening sun as the cold and desolate wind lashed around us.
dinner was huimen and meat skewers, came to 25 for 4.
at last, a hot shower with adequate water. most excellent. slight headache from the altitude (3200 feet) but slept well.
Thursday, August 04, 2005
served手抓饭(!) on the morning flight. took the shuttle from the airport to chini bagh hotel (triple for 180) at 5 a head. upon reaching, the driver kindly informed us that a taxi ride to the airport from the hotel should cost no more than 10. hmm, was a little disappointed that kashgar seemed to be more like a chinese city than was expected.
first order of business was to get to the travel agent at seman hotel. first place we tried was uighur but the 12 year old boy (later found out he was 16) had limited English and didn’t seem too sure about the money figures either. not too reassuring. skipped the chinese-run agency to check out the other uighur agency. the guy in charge was ali, who spoke excellent English, was knowledgeable about routes and costs and affable and humourous to boot. (uighur tour and travel centre, abdultour@yahoo.com, UTTC_ks@yahoo.com) offered 1200 for the trip to tashkurgan, 1 600km round trip. (other place offered 1200, not inclusive of gas.) having settled on tashkurgan, also took the day trip option split over the 4th and 7th. car (200) and guide for 450 total.
lunched at intizar (total 50). tried the yoghurt, 囊炒肉, noodles.
first stop was apa hoja tomb, gorgeous building with a colourful tiled exterior. explanation of funeral rites by ali. id kah mosque was next, then off to the side streets, filled with craftsmen plying their trade – in caps, in musical instruments, in golden boxes, in cradles. then the kashgar museum, which had an air of neglect about it.
old city followed. there was an outfit collecting 30 a person but this didn’t go back to the community. ali took us there bypassing the collectors (‘run if you see them’). we went into the house of a family who made hats for sale and later ended up at a wedding – ali’s friend’s son. (the friend was arken, a driver for the agency, but not the same arken who was to be our driver.) there were musicians, there was dancing, there was food and fruits, there were children, clamouring to have their photos taken, laughing and squealing with delight at seeing their own images on the lcd screens.
dinner at enjoy tea restaurant (90), another of ali’s recommendation. the cornucopia of fake fruits and dim multicoloured lighting did not bode well but the food and tea were surprisingly good. and it’s true, the further out west, the more tender the meat skewers. also had 大盘鸡, 日本豆腐, pastries.
back at chini bagh, more bathroom misadventures with cold water running out at one point. night lessons in tajik culture from ali at their chini bagh office – the headgear of the women is called the crown; how they greeted each other, danced; that the eagle was their symbol.
first order of business was to get to the travel agent at seman hotel. first place we tried was uighur but the 12 year old boy (later found out he was 16) had limited English and didn’t seem too sure about the money figures either. not too reassuring. skipped the chinese-run agency to check out the other uighur agency. the guy in charge was ali, who spoke excellent English, was knowledgeable about routes and costs and affable and humourous to boot. (uighur tour and travel centre, abdultour@yahoo.com, UTTC_ks@yahoo.com) offered 1200 for the trip to tashkurgan, 1 600km round trip. (other place offered 1200, not inclusive of gas.) having settled on tashkurgan, also took the day trip option split over the 4th and 7th. car (200) and guide for 450 total.
lunched at intizar (total 50). tried the yoghurt, 囊炒肉, noodles.
first stop was apa hoja tomb, gorgeous building with a colourful tiled exterior. explanation of funeral rites by ali. id kah mosque was next, then off to the side streets, filled with craftsmen plying their trade – in caps, in musical instruments, in golden boxes, in cradles. then the kashgar museum, which had an air of neglect about it.
old city followed. there was an outfit collecting 30 a person but this didn’t go back to the community. ali took us there bypassing the collectors (‘run if you see them’). we went into the house of a family who made hats for sale and later ended up at a wedding – ali’s friend’s son. (the friend was arken, a driver for the agency, but not the same arken who was to be our driver.) there were musicians, there was dancing, there was food and fruits, there were children, clamouring to have their photos taken, laughing and squealing with delight at seeing their own images on the lcd screens.
dinner at enjoy tea restaurant (90), another of ali’s recommendation. the cornucopia of fake fruits and dim multicoloured lighting did not bode well but the food and tea were surprisingly good. and it’s true, the further out west, the more tender the meat skewers. also had 大盘鸡, 日本豆腐, pastries.
back at chini bagh, more bathroom misadventures with cold water running out at one point. night lessons in tajik culture from ali at their chini bagh office – the headgear of the women is called the crown; how they greeted each other, danced; that the eagle was their symbol.
Wednesday, August 03, 2005
tian shifu led us on an agate hunting trip. but everything, or nothing, looked like agate in its au naturel state, whatever that was. went on the oil field roads on the way back. paved roads are such a blessing. lunched at restaurant (though nothing about the place would have suggested such a word) catering to nearby workers. 手抓饭 at 8 a plate. return route via fukang, which was a decidedly less bumpy journey than the previous day’s. reached urumqi after 6pm. checked out the largest night market 五一星光夜市 but didn’t eat or buy anything.
Tuesday, August 02, 2005
tianchi, wucaiwan
jeep for 800+450 (gas).
scamville or tianchi
tianchi scam – ticket required for driver, and vehicles not allowed in unless arrangements are made to eat at a restaurant in the tianchi lake area. zuo shifu was sussing the guy out: just lunch? no other charges? ‘no, no, just lunch.’ in retrospect, maybe the fact that we were in a jeep broadcasted ‘fleece me! fleece me!’ the guy and his body odour hopped on and got us past the first parking lot. stopped at 2nd parking lot (where cable car stops, and you have to take the trolley to venture further up.) all the bloody ‘guards’ are in on this, communicating license plate numbers on their walkie-talkies. guessing level 2 guard not happy with his cut. this required someone higher up the hierarchy to make a personal appearance: a petite lady in white oversized sunglasses. having finally made it through, decided to have lunch first and finish with our obligation. ‘come this way, dining room, yurt, it’s all the same, yurt’s cooler,’ said the spider to the fly. severely inflated prices, with many dishes clearing 100. ordered手抓肉 (80), 2手抓饭 (30), vegetables (35). bill came to 455. charged 30 for chai, 80 for the snacks on the table (‘how much are the snacks? ‘dunno.’) and a whopping 200 for the yurt. we refused to pay for the last 2 items, counted out 175, and told the woman who took our order to take it or leave it. we left the money on the table and went out. protracted session in the lot between slimy sleazeball and our driver, who was not happy with the hidden charges either. A finally gave the guy another 50 and then we left.
soured by the bad experience, the sight of hordes of tourists around tianchi did nothing to improve our mood.
after half an hour of half-hearted photo-taking, sleazeball popped up again. now claiming that there was no money in the yurt and threatened to call the police. so we told him to go ahead, he subsequently turned up with a bunch of公安 (security guards), who were in on the scam in the first place! luckily for us, someone in charge from the tianchi management turned up to arbitrate. (hard to tell at first since he was in plain clothes.) we didn’t want to return to the scene of the scam but he promised us the matter would be settled in 10 minutes. once there, there was a parade of the 2 servers who claimed to have seen no money. upshot was guy-in-charge said ok, we’ll halve the amount and then consider the matter settled. we forked out 90 and finally left the place at about 3 pm.
the plan had been to meet up with another jeep carrying a couple to五彩湾as well. bought a家食瓜 (10) and ate half the melon while waiting for the other jeep. a miscommunication over the rendezvous point meant another half an hour was wasted. eventually met up at dahuangshan, and thus began the long and bumpy journey to reach五彩湾before sunset. the road leading there was currently under construction so much of the journey was off-road, on dirt/gravel tracks, with bouts of dust-eating. after a while, our vehicle started throwing tantrums and the engine kept dying on us. good thing there was the other jeep so we squeezed in with the couple. for the second time in 2 days, A was reckoned to be mom to L and me. 同母异父we joked!
tian shifu was a more experienced driver and he would be the couple’s driver for the next 10 days. the couple was from shanghai; she a secondary school astronomy teacher and he a serious photography buff. they’d been planning this for a while and were doing both the northern (北疆) and southern (南疆) routes in 20 days. most amazingly, she was doing it even though she gets carsick!?
made it in time for sunset, only to find two mini-buses of tourists from hong kong. they endured the journey in those?? also surprised to find 2 chaps staying out here just to collect the 20 rmb entry per person (16 if no receipt needed).
in the event, we were the only ones camping there, though from the amount of broken beer bottle glass around, many have certainly done so.
wucaiwan was a gorgeous geological site with stripes of various hues running across the hills. and the best part given that it was a tourist attraction in china? the absolute silence whenever the wind dropped.
it was hotter than expected, even at night. it was unbearably stifling in the tent and i decided to sleep with my head sticking out. until i saw a raccoon-sized animal streak across the groundsheet. back into the stifling tent it was. didn’t get much sleep that night.
jeep for 800+450 (gas).
scamville or tianchi
tianchi scam – ticket required for driver, and vehicles not allowed in unless arrangements are made to eat at a restaurant in the tianchi lake area. zuo shifu was sussing the guy out: just lunch? no other charges? ‘no, no, just lunch.’ in retrospect, maybe the fact that we were in a jeep broadcasted ‘fleece me! fleece me!’ the guy and his body odour hopped on and got us past the first parking lot. stopped at 2nd parking lot (where cable car stops, and you have to take the trolley to venture further up.) all the bloody ‘guards’ are in on this, communicating license plate numbers on their walkie-talkies. guessing level 2 guard not happy with his cut. this required someone higher up the hierarchy to make a personal appearance: a petite lady in white oversized sunglasses. having finally made it through, decided to have lunch first and finish with our obligation. ‘come this way, dining room, yurt, it’s all the same, yurt’s cooler,’ said the spider to the fly. severely inflated prices, with many dishes clearing 100. ordered手抓肉 (80), 2手抓饭 (30), vegetables (35). bill came to 455. charged 30 for chai, 80 for the snacks on the table (‘how much are the snacks? ‘dunno.’) and a whopping 200 for the yurt. we refused to pay for the last 2 items, counted out 175, and told the woman who took our order to take it or leave it. we left the money on the table and went out. protracted session in the lot between slimy sleazeball and our driver, who was not happy with the hidden charges either. A finally gave the guy another 50 and then we left.
soured by the bad experience, the sight of hordes of tourists around tianchi did nothing to improve our mood.
after half an hour of half-hearted photo-taking, sleazeball popped up again. now claiming that there was no money in the yurt and threatened to call the police. so we told him to go ahead, he subsequently turned up with a bunch of公安 (security guards), who were in on the scam in the first place! luckily for us, someone in charge from the tianchi management turned up to arbitrate. (hard to tell at first since he was in plain clothes.) we didn’t want to return to the scene of the scam but he promised us the matter would be settled in 10 minutes. once there, there was a parade of the 2 servers who claimed to have seen no money. upshot was guy-in-charge said ok, we’ll halve the amount and then consider the matter settled. we forked out 90 and finally left the place at about 3 pm.
the plan had been to meet up with another jeep carrying a couple to五彩湾as well. bought a家食瓜 (10) and ate half the melon while waiting for the other jeep. a miscommunication over the rendezvous point meant another half an hour was wasted. eventually met up at dahuangshan, and thus began the long and bumpy journey to reach五彩湾before sunset. the road leading there was currently under construction so much of the journey was off-road, on dirt/gravel tracks, with bouts of dust-eating. after a while, our vehicle started throwing tantrums and the engine kept dying on us. good thing there was the other jeep so we squeezed in with the couple. for the second time in 2 days, A was reckoned to be mom to L and me. 同母异父we joked!
tian shifu was a more experienced driver and he would be the couple’s driver for the next 10 days. the couple was from shanghai; she a secondary school astronomy teacher and he a serious photography buff. they’d been planning this for a while and were doing both the northern (北疆) and southern (南疆) routes in 20 days. most amazingly, she was doing it even though she gets carsick!?
made it in time for sunset, only to find two mini-buses of tourists from hong kong. they endured the journey in those?? also surprised to find 2 chaps staying out here just to collect the 20 rmb entry per person (16 if no receipt needed).
in the event, we were the only ones camping there, though from the amount of broken beer bottle glass around, many have certainly done so.
wucaiwan was a gorgeous geological site with stripes of various hues running across the hills. and the best part given that it was a tourist attraction in china? the absolute silence whenever the wind dropped.
it was hotter than expected, even at night. it was unbearably stifling in the tent and i decided to sleep with my head sticking out. until i saw a raccoon-sized animal streak across the groundsheet. back into the stifling tent it was. didn’t get much sleep that night.
Monday, August 01, 2005
huoyanshan, tuyugo, gaochang ancient city, putougao
rented car for the day: 200+90 (toll fees)+142 (gas)+50 (tips). arranged thru xiaoshen; driver was gao shifu.
set off at 9, finally something at a decent hour. 1st stop was火焰山, aka friggin flaming mountain, (entry 20), notable chiefly for the heat and the world’s largest thermometer.
next stop was tuyugo, which our driver admitted he had not been. love the doors with the colourful motifs and the gorgeous tiled mosques. spotted a watermelon seller and bought one for 2.40. a little girl cut up the rinds to feed to the goats. she didn’t understand Chinese, not all the uighurs do. urumqi is still predominantly han Chinese.
chief attraction in tuyugo was the old uighur residential quarters, mosque (mecca of the east), graves and thousand buddha cave (older than the mogao caves, but very badly preserved). place was mercifully peaceful and quiet, then again, it was the hottest part of the day. photo exhibition of chappie who lived there for 2 years and recorded the sights and customs of the place, including bride-roasting (she’s wrapped in a rug and then tossed over a fire). bliss was ice cold drinks at the end of the walkabout.
stopped at roadside stall for烤包子 (baked buns stuffed with fatty mutton and onions at 0.5 each) and naan (1).
to prove that it was possible, 高昌was even hotter. a fierce heat that stings the skin and stuns the senses. sat on donkey drawn cart while feet blazed away. 1500 years of history, crusades, Buddhist temple, whatnot, everything lost in the haze of the heat.
some shopping after in the adjoining lot for the women.
last stop was葡萄沟since we had to do some grape-related activity. the entire area in吐鲁番turfan is now monopolized by a corporation. access to the village is controlled and separate theme parks have been built.
bought some off-the-vine grapes for 10. no chemicals promised the farmer.
moved on to the putaogou amusement park. friendly uighur chap gave us a quick tour of the grape museum and sold us fresh grape juice at 10 a cup. he’d graduated from environmental studies and this was his first job. groused about pollution of the area and china’s inefficient use of resources. worked from 10am to 8pm (or 8 to 6 Xinjiang time) for a 600rmb salary. told us our grapes were sprayed with chemicals.
decided not to buy the raisins which were at any rate, last year’s stock.
gao shifu had been affable and patient the entire day, even suggesting squeezing in another attraction. but the brochure for the well looked tacky.
according to gao, urumqi has really taken off over the past 10 years. feels like a prosperous city with a certain 气派 and vibrancy. got back to hostel at 10 plus just when it’s getting dark.ate at restaurant next to hostel. 爆炒山鸡, 2 veggies and 10 skewers of mutton from the restaurant further down. now this was tender.
rented car for the day: 200+90 (toll fees)+142 (gas)+50 (tips). arranged thru xiaoshen; driver was gao shifu.
set off at 9, finally something at a decent hour. 1st stop was火焰山, aka friggin flaming mountain, (entry 20), notable chiefly for the heat and the world’s largest thermometer.
next stop was tuyugo, which our driver admitted he had not been. love the doors with the colourful motifs and the gorgeous tiled mosques. spotted a watermelon seller and bought one for 2.40. a little girl cut up the rinds to feed to the goats. she didn’t understand Chinese, not all the uighurs do. urumqi is still predominantly han Chinese.
chief attraction in tuyugo was the old uighur residential quarters, mosque (mecca of the east), graves and thousand buddha cave (older than the mogao caves, but very badly preserved). place was mercifully peaceful and quiet, then again, it was the hottest part of the day. photo exhibition of chappie who lived there for 2 years and recorded the sights and customs of the place, including bride-roasting (she’s wrapped in a rug and then tossed over a fire). bliss was ice cold drinks at the end of the walkabout.
stopped at roadside stall for烤包子 (baked buns stuffed with fatty mutton and onions at 0.5 each) and naan (1).
to prove that it was possible, 高昌was even hotter. a fierce heat that stings the skin and stuns the senses. sat on donkey drawn cart while feet blazed away. 1500 years of history, crusades, Buddhist temple, whatnot, everything lost in the haze of the heat.
some shopping after in the adjoining lot for the women.
last stop was葡萄沟since we had to do some grape-related activity. the entire area in吐鲁番turfan is now monopolized by a corporation. access to the village is controlled and separate theme parks have been built.
bought some off-the-vine grapes for 10. no chemicals promised the farmer.
moved on to the putaogou amusement park. friendly uighur chap gave us a quick tour of the grape museum and sold us fresh grape juice at 10 a cup. he’d graduated from environmental studies and this was his first job. groused about pollution of the area and china’s inefficient use of resources. worked from 10am to 8pm (or 8 to 6 Xinjiang time) for a 600rmb salary. told us our grapes were sprayed with chemicals.
decided not to buy the raisins which were at any rate, last year’s stock.
gao shifu had been affable and patient the entire day, even suggesting squeezing in another attraction. but the brochure for the well looked tacky.
according to gao, urumqi has really taken off over the past 10 years. feels like a prosperous city with a certain 气派 and vibrancy. got back to hostel at 10 plus just when it’s getting dark.ate at restaurant next to hostel. 爆炒山鸡, 2 veggies and 10 skewers of mutton from the restaurant further down. now this was tender.
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