Ramada Urumqi

My last day in Xinjiang was spent mooching about Changji with LX and Ma Jun. It was exactly the kind of day of doing nothing much in particular that I needed in order to wind down from too many days of seeing and doing way too much! First we went off for a big lunch at another Hui restaurant. Then as we dawdled towards a video arcade, Ma Jun saved me from having to buy a new back pack by getting the old one repaired (the one where the zipper busted just as I ...

... Chinese people show their affection through food. She was pretty keen on me and wouldn't take no for an answer. After I got back, LX and his friend Ma Jun (who is Hui) took me to a Hui market area selling traditional foods. The food was good but we got harassed continuously by two wasps that were pretty keen on sharing our meal with us. Plus I got stared at a lot again. After being mistaken for being Kazak or Russian (?!) for the past few days, I was not particularly phased, but I ...

... to go via Urumqi again and then catch a local bus back. I was busy chatting to LX about plans to go to Kanas lake the next day, so I didn't notice the police officer who got on the bus to check ID until he was right next to me, at which point I gave him a perplexed glance for interrupting me. I must look intimidating when I am annoyed because he ran off the bus without asking for my passport, while I looked at his retreating figure feeling slightly sheepish. Mum told me last time she saw ...

... us went off to play pool. I was plagued by dizziness the whole day. I had had this once before in Jinan, but never so serious. Dizziness, blurred vision and a blocked ear. LX was worried it was because I had knocked my head and nose on the bars in the taxi the night before, but I thought otherwise. I've had lowish blood pressure for the past five years or so. I've fainted a few times and get dizzy if I stand up too quick. Since I ...

... or soldiers. Indeed, I wasn't. In Taiwan I got more than used to seeing soldiers about the place. In Israel and Egypt (in near the border), I got used to road block, searches, police and military all over the place. To tell the truth, it doesn't bother me. Funnily enough, I found it comforting, even when a torch flashed through the windows and I was asked to step out of the car and present my passport to police at one of the road blocks. His main concern was that I was not a ...

... people in expensive designer outfits or jeans and T shirts. Interestingly, we saw very few fully veiled women in Urumqi.

In central Urumqi, Buiks, Mercedes and a huge array of large four wheel drive cars revealed a prosperity enjoyed by the wealthier inhabitants of Urumqi. In fact it was staggering to see the number of extremely expensive cars and the number of designer wear shops and huge cosmetic and perfume sectors of the Urumqi department stores ...

Huckleberry and Finn ;) Stories of China Finally our own travel blog! The weather is getting less cold every day, we're however still mostly retreated in our warm colorfull appartment, away from the noise, greyness and dirt in this grey corner of the world ...

... came on swords with giant pieces of meat. it was great. also served was a bowl of fresh yogurt (to wash down the lamb?), a spicy liang cai, and a cool briyani kind of rice dish with, of course, more lamb inside. What's the downside? no beer served inside! we got bottles to go on our rush back to the airport, which involved, among other things, driving on the sidewalk to get me back to the airport in time.

... 2000 Profesional, which we thought might be good enough to accept the card reader, but no luck. Back at the desk, asked the girl if they had Windows XP on any of the machines, and was met with a blank look. She called one of the computer whizzes, but he didn't know either - so much for brand recognition. However, MP spots the Logo on the machine he was using, points it out, and he gave up the machine so DP could bring her card across ...

... I had and walking around the beautiful lake and up to the hills to view the lake from 500 metres above and the snow capped mountains in the backdrop. I particularly liked not being on a bus or a train. I met some great travellers here: Israeli Tomer, English International School teacher Jules, Matt & Marie from Dunhuang showed up again & Brit Ed. We had baking hot weather, even ...