Yarkand to Khotan

Trip Start Aug 14, 2008
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Trip End Ongoing


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Where I stayed
(Chengdu hotels)

Flag of China  , Xinjiang Uygur,
Friday, August 15, 2008

After eating one of those horrible Chinese breakfast made of brittle plant shoots and really doughy bread we made our way to the bus station. Purchased our bus tickets for 12:00 departure, so we had a couple of hours to lounge around at the station. We had a job getting our luggage through the security as they were taking all liquids off people including water at the entrance to the waiting hall, presumably as a precaution against some kind of bomb attack on a bus.

The bus journey proved to be a long dusty journey of over 5 hours. Much of the journey was through true sand desert with not a jot of shrubbery. Occasionly we passed a truck stop, and we imagined life must be a dusty hell for the people who live and work there. Frequently the road was obscured by dust storms with the road only visible for about 50 metres. Despite this the driver didn't reduce speed and we just powered through the dust storms at what must have been about 100kmh. It was a relief when we finally saw greenery again nearly 50km from Khotan. We booked in for the night at the local Traffic hotel adjacent to the bus station, my room being 110Y after a spot of bargaining.

We then found an excellent Hunan restaurant which was listed in the Rough Guide book called the Xiangchuan Boziwang, which is just 5 minutes west of the big Mao status in the main square. We had a magnificient spicy chicken feast washed down with plenty of Xianjiang beer.
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