Lawrencing through Uighuria

Referencing, as it seems, the only book I can't finish (300 pages after two years and counting) I bring you my account of the days spent in Taklamakan. My desert adventures preceded last two posts about Urumqi but as we are in a country where the day after tomorrow means the day before yesterday, who cares. If interested, you can find below brief notes on how I travelled from Kashgar (Kashi) to Charklik (Rouqiang) and beyond. Although Chinese renamed all the cities to their liking and these names are currently used in all official and most of unofficial transactions, for sentimental reasons I state Uighur names first. Read on!

Monday
As mentioned before, I have spent night in Kashgar's new (recently established, not newly furnished, extremely convenient) city center hostel. Early wake up call yielded lone photosession with old town, interrupted occassionaly by children on their way to school (surprisingly kids get up earlier than the majority of adult population). Advantage of wee hours wake up is the fact that there is no one to charge you for entrance of residential quarter. The old town is literally vanishing in front of your eyes as buildings are being disassambled either to be reassembled in accordance with safety standards or disappear for ever.

On my return to hostel I witnessed early deployment of police following the uproar in Urumqi. Unaware of true reasons and afraid that justice finally caught up with me, I fled shortly before noon hoping on the first bus for Karghilik (Yecheng). After 5.5 hours long bus ride (rough) which was originally scheduled to be completed in four, I taxied myself to the local mosque (open and free for everyone), walked bazaar spread around it, and left the town with suspicion that I am in forgotten part of China and worse, there is nothing else besides sand to see here.

Bus ride (rougher) to Hotan (Hietan) was again longer than scheduled (eight instead of five hours) underlining the suspicion that time here was more like a general guideline than strictly enforced rule. Of course, one can argue that sand storm we encountered on our way (courtesy of Taklamakan) had something to do with it. As an unexperienced desert rat, I was in awe when sand dust covered everyone and everything in the firmly closed bus. I guess Sir Lawrence was right. We arrived to Hotan shortly after one o'clock. With little complications (accommodation options were narrowed to "preferred" institutions) I put myself to bed in true Chinese station hotel.

Tuesday
Besides being developed, Hotan is something closest to what you can call a town on the southern rim of Taklamakan. Modern as it is and having all facilities western travellers require, it most certainly lacks the charms of Kashgar. Museum (tiny but free), "boulevards" (wide but soulless), Mao's statue (with local leader but still dominating everything), bazaar (big but same as anywhere) and supply of hotel rooms (plentifull but limired) make Hotan true capital of the Southern Xinjiang. While walking the streets (basically whole day, covering all corners of the town), visiting sights and checking time it will take army convoys to circuit streets, I shopped for accommodation for the upcoming night. I am happy to report that there are plenty of new, older and old hotels available, but restriction in place for travellers safety make me unwelcomed guest in most of them. Eventually, I ended up in the same institution as night before (the cheapest one with convenient location next to the bus station) although it is certain that new Military Sub-hotel (10kuai more expensive but located in the city center with wonderfull views of Mao and People's square) would be better alternative.

Wednesday
Taking morning sleeper bus (comfy) to Cherchen (Qiemo) turned out to be a whole day affair. Country changed for better as more water and sophistricated irrigation system put up bigger fight to neverending sand dunes and vicious sand devils (little sand tornadoes rising in the middle of nowhere on a flat lands). Camels mingled with goats and sheep herds more frequently and cows and their cowboys on motorbikes made occasional appereance. My life was enriched by the first encounter with sleeper bus a'la China. It is certainly comfortable (for those of Chinese size) way of travel on long distances during hot days.

Thursday
In Qiemo I quickly concluded that there is not much to see and after yet another night in a run down station hotel I hoped on first morning bus (less comfy) to continue my journey. The towns beyond Hotan are small even for European standards, making them miniscule by Chinese standards. They consist of few streets and main roads making one to question official population figures (what is missing here is most certainly found in megacities on the east coast).

Charklik (Rouqiang) turned out to be the same since in three hours spent there I have walked all over it and someplaces three times. Tired of sand flavored dishes and with boredom creeping into my mind, I decided to abandon my original plan to continue to Golmuf and rather return to Urumqi. One more sunset, night and sunrise in prenatal position of Chinese sleeper bus bunk and windfarms of "green city" unfolded in front of us.

After two days spent in Urumqi, I returned to Shanghai in time to pick up my friend and get back on road again. We will travel around Hubei (middle of the middle), Yangzi river (Chang Jiang) and three gorges area, Chengdu and back. If interested come back for more.