Sneaking around Xinjiang

ADVENTURES IN THE NORTH WESTERN PROVINCE OF CHINA

3 nights on a train and several million miles later i'm back in Beijing.  Xinjiang province, on the very northwest of China, was absolutely amazing.  Arabic script and Chinese characters side by side, Middle Eastern food, a wild mixture of ethnicities.  Could see anything from Tibetan, Kazakh, Russian, Mongolian (and Chinese!) peoples, whose only shared characteristic was they'd all gawk at us two white boys strolling the streets of Urumqi with our fat hiking packs.  Ate some lamb kebabs, yummmmmiest sesame round breads, learnt how to say hi thanks goodbye in Uygur tongue and then booked it to the northern tip of China, this sweet lake we heard about (Hanasi).

The overnight bus ride was smoky stinky and crammed, stopping every two hours at traveller junctions along the desert.  Flat and dry.  Then rolling hills and a river sparkling green shrubs far away.  Up mountains into grassland plateaus, Mongolian yurts in plush valleys (yurts are round houses made of what looks like wood, carpet and animal hides).  Finally to the most turquoise bright blue river i've ever seen, dredging deep into the valley.  The actually lake is in an certified 'tourist area' so they charge an exorbitant $12 to get in, approximately 2 and a half days worth of food around here.  Obviously the ticket price is way above our meager budget, plus we are inherently adventure seekers, so we bush bash and trek through the forest to get around the entrance.  Arrive at the 'village' on the lakeside, but it is actually a high class retreat for rich Chinese seeking a bit of nature; fortunately the lake extends several miles north so we strap on our packs, buy a bunch of 2 minute noodles and head off in the bush.

The lake is bordered on all sides by very steep dense pine forests, presenting not a glimmer of possibility for camping with access to water.  Exhausted, cut up by the bushwacking, we start losing hope of finding a cool campsite. Around midafternoon we spot a flat area in the distance, which seems impossibly far to me, but my companion Reid fortunately motivates us - we thrown on our sandals and charge along the water's edge, avoiding fallen trees and vines, picking our way through precarious rocks and freezing snowmelt water.  How beautiful it is though, in complete wonder the whole time, the blue hue of the water is both light and deep, backdropped by big peaks with whispers of snow left even now in summer. 

Finally arrive at our campsite, where we stay until our food ends, 2 nights later.  We are 30 feet up from the water's edge in a small meadow flanked by white barked trees, and nestled between steep hills.  Besides the occasional zooming of a tourist speed boat, it is perfect, warm sun stoking us for skinny dips in the snowmelt lakewater, freezing nights kept abay by a pumping fire.  good times.

Head back to Urumqi, load up with crazy amounts of nuts, raisins, spices, bloat ourselves silly with delicious bread, then go to the winemaking desert oasis of Turpan. Stay in a very nondescript Uygur lodging, woken up every dawn with prayers to Mecca.  Rent bikes and cruise down the endless vineyards,eat more grapes than our digestive systems are designed to handle.  At night in the wide open Chinese style parks eat spicy noodles and lamb kebabs, watermelon until we pass out.  Our impending departure and anxiety that we won't get this sort of food in Beijing ensures that we both just about get sick from overeating.  it's worth it though.