50 hrs bus ride through the desert...

Kashgar was what we expected Central Asia to look like... an old city with an arabic flair, old markets with local people eating on the street and the smoke permeating the streets !!! It was really nice to get the Silk road feeling we missed in Central Asia and also get into China again. The country is really moving forward... 5yrs ago it would have been a mission impossible to get anyone speaking English in 4star hotels.. this time we were given directions in the street..

we then decided to go for the desert experience and decided on 50 hrs bus ride to Urumqi stopping in Hoitan on the way, which will probably remain in our memory for the place where we actually saw the only silk factory... the trip from Hoitan to Urumqi was quite relaxing and we were lucky enough to get there during a storm and one of the 8days during the year when it rains !!! anyway the only glampses we got were really fascinating and getting off the bus to repair a broken light with sand getting in our mouth was somehow adventorous. From Urumqi we headed directly to Turpan where we embarked on a nice trip across the flaming mountaints and cool viniards. Interesting enough the grapes tasted delicious but no wine wine production.. We will also remember the trip for the people sleeping on the street. Everyone was just bringing the couch outside next to the road and sleep there.. not sure if this was related to security or other but it was rather odd to drive early in the morning through people just stretching as the sun started to rise...