<A> An Adventure in Xinjiang

Urumqi

Sitting in the parking lot of Xingjiang Fangdian, I watched as the shoe polisher transformed my dusty leathers into shiny, black ebonies. I am fond of these shoes because whenever I misplace them or abuse them they just keep turning up, ready for another round. It all started in Xi'an where the weather had been dreadful. National Holiday was coming up and I wanted to go to Pingyao, but it was also raining there. I also had an annoying cold, and according to the weather forecasts, there was definitely no rain in Xinjiang. I bought the first ticket available, hopped on the plane, and headed west into the dry lands of the last frontier of China. I brought only a minimal change of clothes and my one pair of dress shoes. Upon arriving, I was greeted by the sunshine, and friendly Uighur taxi drivers offering me a 280 yuan taxi ride for a 17 kilometer trip into town, I quickly opted for the 10 yuan airport bus nearby. I had one contact in Urumqi, and he graciously welcomed me to visit him despite my unexpected notice of arrival. Hakip is a professor at Xinjiang University and when I arrived, he quickly set up breakfast for me. I felt like I was in a different country as he brought out traditional Uighur fresh fruit jams, cream, pastries, and the ubiquitous nan bread. I indulged with great satisfaction. It was quite a change from the Han style breakfast of cabbage, carrots, and mantou bread which I was used to back in Xi'an. Hakip's family was visiting him so he could not accompany me around the city. We wished each other our farewells and I was soon walking around a very modern, snazzy little city. Brand new Volkswagen Santanas taxis were buzzing around everywhere and there were very few bicycles, probably because everyone drives quite fast here. New buildings, trendy shops, and hotels are everywhere, there was even girls out on a catwalk modeling the newest fashions. I must say I was a little surprised being that I was supposed to be in China's outback country. At the hotel Xinjiang Fangdian I found a large single person room for 60 yuan per night. I liked this location and there was a handy internet cafe under the crossing tunnel of the main street in front of the hotel. I didn't know anyone else here, and I really wanted to go somewhere a little more remote, like Kashgar. Of course, there are many more remote places outside of Urumqi to visit, but I was really curious about Kashgar, because so few people know anything about it, so I headed for the train station and got in line. I found some guys from England there who told me Kashgar was 24 hours from Urumqi by train, much too long for me with my limited schedule.

SOS, No ATM, FYI

Because National Holiday airline prices are double that of non-holiday prices I ended up handing over the rest of my cash for a hour and a half flight to Kashgar thinking that I could find an ATM there somewhere. From the airport the city is only about 10 kilometers where I soon found a dormitory style hotel. When I handed the clerk my American passport she said I could not stay there. I became quite annoyed and asked her for a reason why Americans were not allowed to bed down there. Another English speaking Chinese girl also wanted to know why. The clerk told us that there is a law which states that any building which has been built by the government of for government use does not allow Americans to stay in it. I was discovering this was really old school China out here and the Han soldiers add a nice touch doing their daily marches through the streets here. Well, I moved on to any hotel I could find for the first night and the nest day I would locate a cheaper place. I local middle-aged Uighur man seemed very "nice" and helped me get a discounted price at a hotel next to the People's Square. It turns out that this guy was .... well.... let's just say, not heterosexual. I helped him out of my room and was quickly out of there very early in the morning. Kashgar was turning out to be an interesting place, and the best was yet to come. The city is small, about 200,000 people and easy to walk around. I found the Seman Hotel which has 50 yuan per night single rooms with community showers. It is best to get a room on the fourth floor because somewhere underneath the first floor there is a karaoke bar which emits different forms of wailing into the wee hours of the night. There are quite a few erudite backpacking types here and you can get a lot of information from the locals as well about various trekking activities throughout this area. I metan American and a Canadian who were planning a trip to the world's largest natural arch--Shipton's Arch. It lies about 150 kilometers west of Kashgar in the rugged Kara Tagh mountains right on the Kyrgyzstan border. We planned to leave the following morning and I needed to pay the guides my portion of the price. I went to the nearest Bank of China to use the ATM. Well, ATM's in Xinjiang don't accept foreign bankcards---so be warned, carry plenty of cash with you when you go to Xinjiang! Things were looking pretty grim and I thought a cold beer would do me well while I figured out my next move. I didn't realize that Uighur religious holiday Ramudan coincided with the Han National Holiday this year. It was difficult to find a nice restaurant that was open because no one was eating, drinking, or smoking in the whole city until sundown. I thought I would have to abandon the trip and somehow make it back on the train to Xi'an with the four hundred yuan I had left. Luckily, the Canadian in our group was going to be in Xi'an the next week, and he lent me the money I would need to get back. I don't know if all Canadians are this trusting, but I was very grateful.

Shipton's Arch

It took about two to three hours to drive to the Kara Tagh mountains and then a hike of an hour and a half to reach Shipton's Arch. The arch itself measures 1200 ft. or about 454m., making it the largest in the world. The hike there was not to rigorous but I recommend something other than leather dress shoes even though they served me well under the circumstances. The terrain is very rugged and dry and old looking and reminded me of something out of an Isaac Asimov setting. The slot canyons underneath the arch are so deep that it is not possible to see the bottom of them from this vantage point.The three of us and our guide set up a tent and camped the night out. It was quite cold, but bearable with proper gear. I don't go on treks like this very often, so it was a great experience for me, hanging out with some new friends and soaking up the powerful peace of nature.
Back in Kashgar I explored the bazaars around the Id Kah Square. There are an array of things to buy from rugs to exotic instruments, but with my limited funds I satisfied myself with pomegranate wine, fresh figs, and kiln roasted buns stuffed with meat and onions. People are quite warm here and some speak English well. I would have liked to have spent more time here but I had to get going. I was back in Urumqi the next day.
My shoes are shiny and clean now and they have served me well. From the nightclubs of Bangkok and Shanghai, the muddy streets of Shaanxi's cities, and now through the rugged hills of the Kara Taghs. I booked a flight for Xi'an the next morning with a nice girl in the Hotel Hoi-Tak travel agency. I spent the afternoon with her as she took me around the city. She told me jobs don't pay well for new graduates with little experience, about 500 yuan a month. She was thinking of becoming a sales girl for a new product called "Wrigley's" chewing gum....surprise, surprise. The most interesting thing in Urumqi along with the camels that I saw was the acrobatic high wire act performed daily in the main bazaar area downtown. I hope to return here later to explore the surrounding areas before development here completely alters this very unique part of China.