Himalayas & China 2005: 10 - Urumqi to Xian China

Tuesday, October 4, 2005

Yesterday when we went down for breakfast our guide, Hannah, and the manager of this branch of China Golden Bridge Travel, Anna Song, were waiting in the lobby. Anna wanted to go over the itinerary in detail with us. While discussing what lay ahead, it came out that the overnight train from Turpan to Dunhuang had four bunks to a cabin, shared with whoever, that the toilets at the end of the car were not particularly pleasant. Our days of sleeping with everything we own under our pillow are over. When we found we could not buy all four bunks we said we'd pay for the train, but would not use it.

Anna was very efficient. There was a flight at 9:30 PM from Urumqi on train night, and when she found the hotel we were to stay in was full she booked another hotel for two nights. For an added cost of $387 we had plane tickets in hand, transfers and hotel reservations arranged.

As a bonus for missing our transfer from immigration in Taskhurgan, Anna had arranged a tour to Heavenly Lake, located in the mountains at 1,918 m (6,295'), about 35 km from Urumqi. It was packed - this is Golden Week, a national one-week holiday, and Chinese tourists from all over the country are travelling. We had a good outdoors lunch, which included Uyghur sesame bread baked in an open over, then lined up for an hour for the gondola lift. We met Peter & Maya who were on their way down. They are a couple from the Zurich area we have been running into since Karimabad in Pakistan. Once up we climbed further on a road through fir and spruce forest to reach the lake. It is a truly beautiful spot, surrounded by snow-covered peaks, and the weather was perfect.

We came back down by shuttle bus, where there was also a huge line-up. When the security guard permitted some large tour groups to jump the line, quite a howl went up. When tour groups were filling the third bus in a row and our line hadn't moved, someone in the crowd threw a paper cup filled with water at the security guard, narrowly missing him. A huge howl of approval went up from the crowd in the line, and everyone including the uniformed park guard laughed. The security guard wouldn't even turn around, but the next bus was for our line!

Poor Marilynn has been having a time of it with toilets. She would regularly come out of a public bathroom gagging. They are in serious competition with the Caucus and Central Asian countries for the world's filthiest, smelliest toilets. The advantage in the other countries is that they would stop at large rocks or clumps of bushes, but that is taboo here. Marilynn has returned to good health, though, evidenced by her spirited arguments with the guide (and me).

Once down the mountain we drove to the city of Turpan, population 308,000. En route we went through a huge array of over 300 electricity-generating windmills, and at another point passed two salt lakes where the salt was being harvested. The surrounding snow capped mountains reach 5,700 meters (18,700'). After winding downwards through a mountainous canyon we headed in a straight line across part of the Gobi Desert, which is flat gravel broken by high humps of rock for as far as the eye could see.

At Turpan we had a good Chinese meal at a local restaurant before checking into the Oasis Hotel, where the twin beds reached between my knees and ankles - a definite improvement. The hotel is fine, and even had usable internet, so I got the last dispatch away. The only drawback is that the toilet has no trap in it, so the bathroom frequently smells like an open sewer.

The roads are first class. Even secondary roads have good pavement, and principal roads are four lane toll expressways with a speed limit of 120 km per hour. That, coupled with the our comfortable 12-passenger van makes travel quite pleasant.

This morning after a good breakfast we left for the Ancient City of Gaochang, which was founded in the first century BC. On the way we passed a large oil field and huge fields of grapes. Each vineyard had a number of ventilated mud buildings to dry grapes for raisins. There are also wineries, which use some of the 100+ varieties of grapes grown in the region. Summers are hot - up to 50 degrees C (122F), and winters drop to 15 C below zero. Rainfall is only 2.5 mm per year.

Gaochang has had little restoration. It was the capital of an ancient kingdom and had a population of 36,000. Donkey carts take people around, but we chose to walk away from them due to the choking dust they kick up. The city is 40 meters (130') below sea level. Aydingkol Lake, near here, is the second lowest spot on earth at 154 meters (505') below sea level.

We next visited the Bezikelik Grottos, where the Thousand Buddha Caves are located, so called for the many small Buddhas painted on the roofs of the various Grottos. These were created in the 5th and 6th century, and were first defaced by the Muslims, then the frescos were cut into sections and shipped to Germany along with the Buddha statues in 1914. There is some evidence of what once was there, but the damage is very extensive.

On the way back to Turpan we stopped at a restaurant for lunch. After ordering us a bowl of soup Hannah headed for another restaurant, as she does not like Uyghur food. While waiting for the food I downed a cold quart of the excellent local beer (38 cents). I'm fluent in ordering beer in Chinese. Cold beer is pronounced "BIN PEE-jew". The food hadn't arrived in an hour and we were leaving just as Hannah returned. They were charging us for the food, but Hannah, though very tiny, is also very feisty. She soon had the restaurant people in full retreat. We paid only for the beer.

We bought some of the many types of raisins when we stopped at a vineyard open to tourists, and ate some of them instead. It was cool and shady to walk under the grape arbours, although most of the harvesting was done.

It was required that we have dinner at the hotel, but we insisted on ordering off the menu instead of having the fixed meal, and poor Hannah went over budget. Obviously they penalize anyone going off the fixed menu, even for less food. Apparently they have the only good hotel in town and won't rent rooms without dinner, so they get away with murder. The same beer I had at lunch for 3-Yuan cost 10 Yuan at the hotel.

Wednesday, October 5, 2005

This morning it was off to the ancient city of Jiaohe, which was founded in the second century BC and once had a population of 7,000. It is strategically located where two rivers join. There are 100-meter deep canyons all around the city site, which is 1,650 meter long and 300 meters wide at its widest point. The city, therefore, needed no walls. It withstood several attacks, but finally gave in after an eight year long siege. It is much better preserved than Gaochang.

Later we went to see some of the Karez water system. This is one of the three great ancient Chinese construction projects, the others being the Great Wall and the Beijing to Haugzhau canal. Originally there was an Oasis near Turpan. About 2,000 years ago it was discovered that the water came from underground streams originating in the snow and glaciers of the Heavenly Mountains. Wells were dug to reach the underground streams where channels were heightened to about 1-½ meters by digging along them. Frequent wells - eventually in the thousands - were dug to send down diggers. The deepest well was 98 meters (322'). Oxen pulling on a rope that passed over a windlass hauled up both dirt and diggers.

Eventually there were over 5,000 km (3,111 miles) of these underground tunnels that today deliver over 2 billion cubic meters of water annually. Due to this water system the grape and melon crops in this dry area are able to flourish in what would otherwise be desert.

We checked out of the hotel this morning, so left to drive back to Urumqi, a city of 2 million people that is reputed to be further from the sea than any other city in the world. We stopped at a local restaurant for an excellent lunch with the guide and driver. Having the afternoon free, on Hannah's suggestion we walked through the modern bazaar. The complex has four three story buildings with escalators. There is everything from a supermarket to cloths, tools and other items found in a department store, but bargaining is a must.

It was still only about 4:30 PM, and our flight was not scheduled until 9:35 PM. Hannah had no other ideas for something to do, so I asked about somewhere to get a view of the city. Hannah mentioned the top of a building, but I noticed a Greek style lookout on a hill near to where we were driving and suggested we go up there. The driver said we'd already passed the turnoff, and apparently turning back was not an option. Hannah got into an argument with him, as we had so much time to kill, but the driver was adamant that he was going to the airport and when the argument got heated I interrupted to say forget it, we'll go to the airport. If we were to have taken the train as planned the driver would not have been in Urumqi until after midnight, but that was apparently not a consideration - he was not programmed to go up that hill.

We sat in the waiting area of the airport and read, as it was too early to check in. We were finally able to check in at around 7 PM, then sat around the boarding area until 10:40 when the flight, which arrived late, finally left.

This flight takes us out of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, which became part of China in 60 BC and where we have been since entering China. It is a diversified region, with high mountains and deep depressions. It covers an area of 1,626,000 sq. km., or 1/6 of the area of China. It has agriculture, minerals, gas and oil. Its boundary is 5,600 km long and borders on 8 countries. The Takimakn Desert, which we flew over when coming to Urumqi, covers 337,600 sq. km. It is apparently a sand desert where nothing grows. It is crossed by what is claimed to be the longest desert highway in the world - 522 km in length.

A guide who introduced himself as Jerry, a fan of Jerry Lee Lewis, met us at Dunhuang airport. Most of the Chinese guides have an easily pronounced English name they use, although in Chinese "Jerry's" name was pronounced "Shoo Yan". He and the driver got us to the Dunhuang International Hotel in good time - we were definitely ready for bed! The hotel is fine - and for the first time in a while the bed and I were the same length.

Thursday, October 6, 2005

The hotel breakfast was pretty awful, so we didn't eat much. We started the day with a trip to the edge of town where the road ends abruptly in 600-meter high sand dunes. These dunes run for about 40 km and are up to 20 km wide. Inside are 800 of the two hump Bactrian Camels, which can be rented for 1 ½ hour rides into the dunes.

My stomach wasn't up to bouncing around on a camel, so we walked up some dunes and below us was the perfect small oasis, with a large Chinese style building set in gardens in the centre, alongside a small crescent shaped natural lake. We are only 200 km from Inner Mongolia and this is part of the Mongolian desert. The whole area of Dunhuang is an oasis with 50,000 people, and a total trading area of about 150,000.

We then drove to the Mogao Grottos, another oasis near the airport settled by Buddhists in 366 AD. There are 493 caves, some of which were for living and over 200 others that are covered with 45,000 sq. meters of murals and filled with statues. The largest upright Buddha statue is 35 meters high and 12 meters wide. A reclining Buddha is 50 meters long - all inside the cliffs in caves. Only some caves are open to the public, but it gives an idea of what the caves at the Bezikelik Grottos may have been like before they were desecrated.

These caves did not get off totally unharmed. A large earthquake damaged many statues and some caves in the 11th century, and in 1922 White Russians were living in the caves after the Communists takeover. They didn't damage the artefacts, but the smoke from their fires is still evident on the murals.

One suggestion we made to Jerry was that small groups be equipped with flashlights, as the required local guide tended to flash her light very rapidly from place to place as she gave her spiel. It made it very difficult to see things of interested. There were no small groups here - we were divided by language and had to wait until a group of 30 to 40 people were assembled before being paraded through the caves. It was like many of the popular attractions in China - a field of colourful flags attached to something like retractable car antennas, with guides attached to the other end leading their troops into battle.

In the evening we went to a hotel built in the form of a fortress, where we watched the sun set over the dunes from the roof. We had the best meal so far on the trip in their dining room. On return Marilynn wanted a foot massage, so we both indulged before turning in.

Saturday, October 8, 2005

Yesterday Marilynn gave her dad a call in Canada. Although their birthdays are a day apart, with the date line and time changes they were on this same day this year. The call from the business centre cost less than $2.

The hotel was alive with Chinese military personnel on their way to the space station about 400 km north where two astronauts will be launched for a 7 day trip on October 17.

As we drove to the airport for our 10:30 AM flight the driver presented a baby stuffed camel to Marilynn as a birthday present, and Jerry played some songs, including Happy Birthday and Auld Lang Syne on his harmonica. This reduced Marilynn to tears - it was a good send off. They were both great guys, very professional, very flexible and a lot of fun.

The flight to Xi'an was packed, and I'd been assigned a seat I couldn't get into. The stewardess signalled me to sit in the exit row, which I did until the people ticketed for those seats arrived. Without being asked a young Chinese fellow who spoke English volunteered to swap seats with me, so I was saved from a stand up flight.

Lucy, a highly programmed freelance guide hired by China Golden Bridge Travel, met us at the airport with an even more highly programmed driver. Lunch was to be at the airport, where there was no place to change money, so no lunch. Lucy had our tickets to Lhasa, Tibet via Chengdu. She had no idea how long the flight to Lhasa was, so I took the tickets upstairs to talk to Air China. I enquired about buying an upgrade so I didn't get stuck with a seat I couldn't sit in, and the price was not unreasonable, so I agreed to take it. I'd hoped for change in Yuan to buy lunch, however they do not accept either credit cards or US dollars, only Yuan in cash.

The attendant directed me to a nearby money change office, where the sign said "SUSBENDED". No upgrade, no lunch - I'd given all but some small bills to our guide and driver in Dunhuang. This is very much a cash country, and only local cash at that.

In the restaurant, where we waited for the guide to have her lunch, we once again ran into Peter and Maja, so made arrangements to get together with them for a birthday dinner for Marilynn. We understood our guides would bring us together at the Hyatt, which Lucy recommended.

From the airport it was off to the 600 year old Xi'an City Wall. Its 13.7 km length is largely intact, and at night the wall and the Chinese style buildings on it are outlined in lights. Tours of the 10-meter wide wall are possible in electric carts or by renting bicycles built for two.

Next was a walkthrough of the natural history museum. Xi'an was originally settled around 5,000 BC, and has been the capital of 13 dynasties. All silk roads started in this city, which now as a population of 7 million. It has temperatures of up to 43C in summer and minus 15 C in winter.

We arrived at the gorgeous 4 story Xi'an Garden Hotel, which is built in the traditional Chinese style with a good size pond and pagoda inside the square of buildings. After checking in, Lucy explained about our programmed fixed dinner in a group tour restaurant in another hotel. We realized she had not understood what our arrangements were for dinner. We had already discovered that although she was able to give a memorized talk in passable English, she understood very little making questions impossible.

We finally got the idea across that a tour group dinner simply wasn't on and that we were meeting our friends as arranged. I said we would pay for dinner, and asked that instead of taking us to the tour group restaurant where she and the driver would have to wait to take us back to the hotel, that they just pick us up and leave us at the Hyatt. We would make our own way back. She went off to discuss this with the driver and came back to say it was totally impossible. The driver could only go to the tour group restaurant, and nowhere else - it was not in his program. We finally went by taxi.

Peter and Maja were waiting for us in the lobby, so we headed into the fancy restaurant where an enormous buffet was laid on. There was everything from Crab and shrimps to duck and roast lamb. Table after table were laden with great food - we ate like we hadn't eaten for months! After three hours of filling ourselves the total bill, including beer and a bottle of imported wine, was less than $100.

Peter was saying that they had similar problems with their guide. This was their third time to Xi'an and they didn't want to go over the same territory again, which threw their guide totally. Peter finally told him to go sit in the car while they did what they wanted for an hour.

We said goodbye to Peter and Maja, as they fly home tomorrow on a marathon flight via Shanghai and Dubai. There was no problem taxiing back to our hotel.