Squatter for those who need to know
Grapes growing in a field
The sun through the dust at the ruined city
The enterance to the irrigation system
Typical inside of irrigation system,
Stream through the desert, could've walked all day here
I know it has been a couple of days since we last wrote. I blame sightseeing and a 18 hour train ride, you can blame laziness and sleeping in if you want. We did end up joining a British/Japanese couple to go see a number of sites around Turpan: Flaming mountains, a old village, the irrigation channels, and a ruined city. We started the day by driving out and making a loop through the Flamming mountains to a creek above the old village. The driver stopped and said good place for photos, he said 5 minutes, 30ish minutes later we were back in the minivan (not just my fault). From where the driver stopped it was a short scamper down to the actual creek. It was quite impressive standing ankle deep in cold water while the desert rose up around me. There was vegetitation in the valley bottom right along the creek but no where else. The landscape was a clayish red color sedimentary. After climbing back into the mini van down to the village we went. The village has been where it was and lived in for over a thousand and had remained for the most part unchanged, or so they said. They grew grapes and raisins with the water from the small creek. We found the villagers (Ulger) quite unfriendly, probably since every day tourists ourselves included and tourists in large buses fill their town snapping photos. There was some mostly destroyed buddhist grottos just above the city, and I on an impluse bought a huge bag of these berries that tasted like sweet blackberries. About 20-25 berries into the couple 100 in the bag I had had my fill. The bag broke shortly after and I only felt bad for paying so much for eating so few berries. We left the village quite unimpressed. On the way to the Flaming mountains the driver stopped to get something to eat or drink or something, and there was two women picking at some sort of fiberous plant. From the car I couldn't tell if it was cotton or silk (mainly because I don't know what the silk worm's cacoon looks like). I got out to investage to find it was cotton. After pulling cotton from the buds for 10 minutes we continued on to the Flaming mountains. So here we are driving along this road in the middle of the desert, nothing to the left or right, and then we turn left into this depression, just a hole in the ground beside the road, paved, and lined with shops. On one side of the depression was a ticket window for going to the best place to take photos. The pictures also showed a milk run, the opportunity to ride a camel, and a few artifacts. No thank you, we said, got out of the van, climbed the ramp back to the road, walked 1.5 minutes to the edge of the gate and took our photos. It was really unimpressive as well. They say when it is really hot and the light is right the red mountains look like they are on fire. They didn't look that impressive. The British guy started walking towards the mountains, while we stayed and admired the road and the hills (the mountains weren't all that tall either) from the shade of a billboard sign. After a while the driver wondered where we had all gone and came and picked us up off the side of the road. The driver than tried to explain that instead of going to the irrigation channals where we would pay 40 Yuan a piece to get in he would take us somewhere else. I really wanted to see the channels, but wasn't sure what we were or weren't agreeing to.
After driving to a small village we got out by this small hole in the ground. One of the well sites for the irrigation channel, I was thinking great, here it is,but I can't get into it and see it... Then around a wall we went to where the roof had long ago fallen in and trees were growing. Down the steep bank we went, well 3 of us, Sara decided this wasn't for her and stayed up above. The three of us climbed down and started into the irrigation channel. At first it was quite wide, but after 50 meters or so the banks began to get steep and making progress in the dark was difficult. Both the British guy Sean and the Japanese girl Nain (sp?) slowly slide down the bank and into the water together. The water wasn't deep but flowed steadly. Nain had had enough and so we turned back, so I could get my headlamp. Now equiped with two headlamps Sean and myself headed back into the irrigation channel, this time Sara wasn't trying to hit us with rocks from above either which was nice. The system lay about 30 meters under the ground with wells every 50 meters approximately. Further in it became apparent that the system had use to be oval shaped with being probably 6 feet wide and 3 feet deep. However over the years erosion had made it look like an invereted tear drop. Underground was cool and even damp, a nice change. After Indiana Jones'ing our way about 500 meters up the system we were both getting tired, and not too much was changing in the view. So we turned around and after falling in a couple of times due to being tired we made it out safely.
After this we drove by the tourist section no more than 500 meters downstream of where we entered the system, and returned to our hotel. We waited dirty (mostly just me being dirty) in the hotel lobby for an hour for the guy we had given 670 Yuan to, for him to buy our train tickets for the next day to show up. We were not all that pleased with the lack of him, or his inability to be reached. The tour guide cordinator was getting sleazer by the minute. After an hour we gave up, and returned to our room for a freezing cold shower (no choice in the matter) and a quick nap before we were to leave again at 6pm. When we came down at 6 to leave the guy with our tickets had been there, shown them to the receptionist and then left with them. Again not happy. Being unable to do anything about it we left to see the ruined city. The city was built on a natural island between two halfs of a river. The ruins were extensive to say the least. The city was built through both digging into the sandstone rock and building above it. Unfortunitely after about 30 minutes of being there the wind started to pick up, until the point where it was difficult to stand. When the wind is blowing that hard in the desert the sand once more wiped around into our eyes, nose, mouth and ears. What could have been a very enjoyable evening exploring turned quickly into a take a quick look and lets keep moving affair. The sun was becoming blocked by the dust clouds removing any chance of nice sunset photos. So we decided to go down to the river valley by the exit and wait for the others. We were arrived 30 minutes before our arranged departure time and were trying to find a spot out of the wind to sit when the taxi driver called us over. Where better to wait then a air conditioned car? The driver kept trying to start driving away and we kept saying NO, wait. He got the tour guide on the phone who told us that the other people had hired a taxi there and had already left, we thought this strange, but could do nothing to varify or dispute this. So we left, finally got our train tickets and enjoyed a nice dinner. It turns out that the driver had mistaken a Spanish couple for the British and Japanese couple. They didn't look at all the same, starting with two long hair and ponytail, to short haired. Anyways I have trouble telling some Chinese apart so I can't say too much.
We got to the trainstation without too much to comment on, just the sleazy guide being sleazy. And where greeted by some train station guy who led us to the VIP lounge to wait for our train. The air conditioned oversized leather chairs would have been amazing if it wasn't for the milking that followed. We politly refused and were eventually let to board the train. The train was different from the others we've been on, instead of being 6 to a bunk this one was only 4, but the whole car was double decker style. We settled into our cart and had a nice conversation with the two Chinese men with whom we shared the bunk, through the translation book. We played some Chinese poker, very similar to Butthead or Asshole, and were served quickly and politely in the dinning car. At 10:00pm the lights went out and I slept soundly on and off until 8:30, Sara slept till 9:00am. Snoring was minimal, Sara didn't risk it and used ear plugs.
We arrived in Kashgar and was delivered to the hotel we requested by a taxi driver who 5 minutes before the hotel, stopped, and pulled out photos of himself driving a French couple to Karkol lake. We said thanks but please go to our hotel. We arrived at the same time as 4 other backpackers, a couple from Upstate New York and two (we think) British. The girl from New York spoke Chinese (a bit) and tried to get us all a good deal, the hotel never once moved on it's price. 50 Yuan per bed in a dorm (3 beds) not a bad deal, or 180 Yuan for a double room that looked the same as the dorm room. We tried and tried to get the double of 100. We ended up checking another hotel down the street which was quite a bit cheaper, but it had a strong mildew smell that Sara would have nothing of. We returned to the first hotel and ended up quite by accidence ended up with one bed in a dorm room to ourselves (so far, knock on wood) for 50 Yuan, for both of us. However in 2 days the whole hotel is booked by a huge student group and we may have to leave.
We had a not very good lunch at John's Information Cafe #3, and took a taxi to the Sunday market. Not as impressive as either of us thought. Sara described it as a large outdoor but covered Walmart, with 10-20 stalls each selling the same thing beside each other. The grid layout and large walkways didn't make it feel all that markety. We strolled for a while then took a taxi to search in vain for an hour for an internet cafe. (I am not going to pay 10 Yuan per hour at the hotel, when this one we eventually found after watching the 2007 American Highschool Cheerleading Competition on TV for 3 Yuan). If your interested to know a team from Hawaii won the small female only devisision and a team with a large G won the large varisity for the second year in a row. Also did you know that Canada has a men's field hockey team. It lost 4-2 to China in the 16th Annual Sultan cup, do not know where it is being played. Also the Chinese women at least continue to roll through the competition at the Table Tennis World Championships in Crotia.
Tomorrow we figure out which way we are getting into Kygzstan through and how to spend the week, and I need to do laundry.
Tyson and Sara
After driving to a small village we got out by this small hole in the ground. One of the well sites for the irrigation channel, I was thinking great, here it is,but I can't get into it and see it... Then around a wall we went to where the roof had long ago fallen in and trees were growing. Down the steep bank we went, well 3 of us, Sara decided this wasn't for her and stayed up above. The three of us climbed down and started into the irrigation channel. At first it was quite wide, but after 50 meters or so the banks began to get steep and making progress in the dark was difficult. Both the British guy Sean and the Japanese girl Nain (sp?) slowly slide down the bank and into the water together. The water wasn't deep but flowed steadly. Nain had had enough and so we turned back, so I could get my headlamp. Now equiped with two headlamps Sean and myself headed back into the irrigation channel, this time Sara wasn't trying to hit us with rocks from above either which was nice. The system lay about 30 meters under the ground with wells every 50 meters approximately. Further in it became apparent that the system had use to be oval shaped with being probably 6 feet wide and 3 feet deep. However over the years erosion had made it look like an invereted tear drop. Underground was cool and even damp, a nice change. After Indiana Jones'ing our way about 500 meters up the system we were both getting tired, and not too much was changing in the view. So we turned around and after falling in a couple of times due to being tired we made it out safely.
After this we drove by the tourist section no more than 500 meters downstream of where we entered the system, and returned to our hotel. We waited dirty (mostly just me being dirty) in the hotel lobby for an hour for the guy we had given 670 Yuan to, for him to buy our train tickets for the next day to show up. We were not all that pleased with the lack of him, or his inability to be reached. The tour guide cordinator was getting sleazer by the minute. After an hour we gave up, and returned to our room for a freezing cold shower (no choice in the matter) and a quick nap before we were to leave again at 6pm. When we came down at 6 to leave the guy with our tickets had been there, shown them to the receptionist and then left with them. Again not happy. Being unable to do anything about it we left to see the ruined city. The city was built on a natural island between two halfs of a river. The ruins were extensive to say the least. The city was built through both digging into the sandstone rock and building above it. Unfortunitely after about 30 minutes of being there the wind started to pick up, until the point where it was difficult to stand. When the wind is blowing that hard in the desert the sand once more wiped around into our eyes, nose, mouth and ears. What could have been a very enjoyable evening exploring turned quickly into a take a quick look and lets keep moving affair. The sun was becoming blocked by the dust clouds removing any chance of nice sunset photos. So we decided to go down to the river valley by the exit and wait for the others. We were arrived 30 minutes before our arranged departure time and were trying to find a spot out of the wind to sit when the taxi driver called us over. Where better to wait then a air conditioned car? The driver kept trying to start driving away and we kept saying NO, wait. He got the tour guide on the phone who told us that the other people had hired a taxi there and had already left, we thought this strange, but could do nothing to varify or dispute this. So we left, finally got our train tickets and enjoyed a nice dinner. It turns out that the driver had mistaken a Spanish couple for the British and Japanese couple. They didn't look at all the same, starting with two long hair and ponytail, to short haired. Anyways I have trouble telling some Chinese apart so I can't say too much.
We got to the trainstation without too much to comment on, just the sleazy guide being sleazy. And where greeted by some train station guy who led us to the VIP lounge to wait for our train. The air conditioned oversized leather chairs would have been amazing if it wasn't for the milking that followed. We politly refused and were eventually let to board the train. The train was different from the others we've been on, instead of being 6 to a bunk this one was only 4, but the whole car was double decker style. We settled into our cart and had a nice conversation with the two Chinese men with whom we shared the bunk, through the translation book. We played some Chinese poker, very similar to Butthead or Asshole, and were served quickly and politely in the dinning car. At 10:00pm the lights went out and I slept soundly on and off until 8:30, Sara slept till 9:00am. Snoring was minimal, Sara didn't risk it and used ear plugs.
We arrived in Kashgar and was delivered to the hotel we requested by a taxi driver who 5 minutes before the hotel, stopped, and pulled out photos of himself driving a French couple to Karkol lake. We said thanks but please go to our hotel. We arrived at the same time as 4 other backpackers, a couple from Upstate New York and two (we think) British. The girl from New York spoke Chinese (a bit) and tried to get us all a good deal, the hotel never once moved on it's price. 50 Yuan per bed in a dorm (3 beds) not a bad deal, or 180 Yuan for a double room that looked the same as the dorm room. We tried and tried to get the double of 100. We ended up checking another hotel down the street which was quite a bit cheaper, but it had a strong mildew smell that Sara would have nothing of. We returned to the first hotel and ended up quite by accidence ended up with one bed in a dorm room to ourselves (so far, knock on wood) for 50 Yuan, for both of us. However in 2 days the whole hotel is booked by a huge student group and we may have to leave.
We had a not very good lunch at John's Information Cafe #3, and took a taxi to the Sunday market. Not as impressive as either of us thought. Sara described it as a large outdoor but covered Walmart, with 10-20 stalls each selling the same thing beside each other. The grid layout and large walkways didn't make it feel all that markety. We strolled for a while then took a taxi to search in vain for an hour for an internet cafe. (I am not going to pay 10 Yuan per hour at the hotel, when this one we eventually found after watching the 2007 American Highschool Cheerleading Competition on TV for 3 Yuan). If your interested to know a team from Hawaii won the small female only devisision and a team with a large G won the large varisity for the second year in a row. Also did you know that Canada has a men's field hockey team. It lost 4-2 to China in the 16th Annual Sultan cup, do not know where it is being played. Also the Chinese women at least continue to roll through the competition at the Table Tennis World Championships in Crotia.
Tomorrow we figure out which way we are getting into Kygzstan through and how to spend the week, and I need to do laundry.
Tyson and Sara
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