07
Turpan + Ürümqi
4 days
When we arrive in the train station of Turpan, we are surprised by the Arabic script on signs and buildings. Young soldiers are welcomed home by their families and friends with flowers and tears. One of them told us he just served five years. Apart from a couple of questions we do not notice much of the increased security.
The people in Turpan look very different and the language reminds us of Turkish. This is the hottest place in China with a desert climate. Everyday, we eat somsas from the street vendor for breakfast. Our first introduction to Central Asian cuisine.
We find a friendly driver to take us to Tuyoq village. We buy the best raisins from a market stall and walk to the real entrance of the town. This time we do not make the mistake of paying for a golf cart. As we walk along real houses an electric tricycle stops and the driver forces us to hop on. We end the day at the Kumtaq desert where an ugly fake castle and small army tanks disturb the natural beauty.
In Ürümqi we write postcards to friends and family and go to the free museum. The museum houses one of the best preserved mummies “The princess of Xiaohe”. Ürümqi was only 45 minutes from Turpan but the climate could not be more different. The city is snowed in. We leave our windlowless hotel room to eat roasted chestnuts and freshly baked somsas.