Drokpa Journal

Dates Traveled: June-July 2009

Beijing

While in the Beijing airport Rhona and I both commented that we weren’t looking forward to running the gauntlet of taxi drivers. In the past, dodgy characters would approach you and steer you to a ‘taxi’, and then charge an exorbitant rate. When you stated you were taking the bus, they’d say it wasn’t running, or that it costs as much as the taxi – anything to get you into their cab. Amazingly enough, that hassle had been cleaned up for the Olympics, and we had a stress-free walk to the bus we knew we needed.

It had been 2 ½ years, and one Olympics, since either of us had been in Beijing, so we encountered many changes. On our first full day a friend told us to take subway line 10 to get to his place. “Uh….there are only two subway lines.” Not anymore. And while getting to line 10 we turned a corner and saw a long escalator in front of us – and everyone was standing on the right-hand side in single file! Both of us let out an audible gasp and a, “Wow!” at that. We saw it while trying to buy train tickets as well. In the past, everyone would push, shove, and force their way to the front of the line. We used to sharpen our elbows to beat them back – to hold them at bay and keep our place in line. You can still see lining up is a new concept for some – they start to head to the front of the line, and then realize that’s less acceptable now, and grudgingly step to the end. We were impressed.

We spent five nights in Beijing – visiting old hangouts, meeting up with friends, and trying to get everything in order for Rhona to get her German passport in her married name. That hassle just kept getting bigger, but I’ll spare you the details.

We had wanted to get into Tibet, but once again it proved difficult. A person now has to have a guide at all times, so to do a long trip is expensive. I tried to simply get a permit to hang out in Lhasa for a few weeks, but they said that wouldn’t work because nobody needs to stay in Lhasa that long. Too many hassles, so we opted to head to Xinjiang instead. Rhona had been twice before, though always with groups. I’d always wanted to get there, and considered it a major hole in my China coverage, so we were both excited to head that direction.

Jiayuguan

From Beijing we caught a 30+ hour train to Jiayuguan, considered the western end of the Great Wall. We spent the night in a great little place near the fortress outside of town, and then spent the following morning wandering around the fort. The sky was a beautiful blue, and because we were there so early we could get our photos before the hordes arrived. Nice.

After the fortress we hired a driver to take us out to the first tower on the Great Wall. That was disappointing. There wasn’t much to be seen, but in true Chinese fashion tacky additions had been made to lure the tourists – a zip line across a river and a mock Army base on the opposite side spring to mind. However, it was interesting to see the wall this far west, as it used the local materials and had been left in its eroding state.

Dunhuang

The Mogao Caves, near Dunhuang, had been started in 336 AD to serve as a repository for Buddhist scriptures, and as isolated retreats for practicing monks. The ever-increasing number of caves continued to serve that purpose for over 1000 years. They also served as a stopover for pilgrims on the Silk Road, which split into northern and southern routes around the formidable Taklimakan Desert west of the caves. The caves became places for travelers to show their gratitude for a safe crossing, or to make offerings for an upcoming journey, and as such the caves were often decorated with Buddhist paintings.

You have to have a guide for the caves, so Rhona and I dutifully followed while our guide took us into only a handful of the 700+ caves. It was interesting to see the different styles across the centuries, and with the amazing detail it’s easy to see why the Mogao Caves have been granted UNESCO World Heritage status.

Turpan

We continued our westward journey and spent the next two nights in Turpan. We were now amongst the Uyghurs – the Muslims of Xinjiang Province, and we liked the change immediately. There were friendly smiles, welcoming gestures, and beautiful people. Out of respect for the culture Rhona donned her headscarf, and then we were off exploring the town.

We spent most of that first day at the market – checking out the wares, and trying various foods. The skewers are well-known throughout China as fantastic street food – we always grab some when we get the chance, so we gorged on those. Bread is another specialty, and we found some sticky rice triangles with sweet syrup dripped over the top which kept us begging for more.

For a country as massive as China to only have one timezone is ridiculous – especially as far west as we were in Xinjiang. Therefore, the locals adopt an unofficial Xinjiang time - 2 hours earlier than official China time. We often found ourselves late at night still hanging out and wandering through night markets, or hanging out on streets grazing the various snacks at hand. Unfortunately, buses and trains all run to the official China time, which meant some early mornings after those late nights.

Our only full day in Turpan we opted to hire a car and driver to tour the numerous sites nearby. We started the day in the village of Tuyoq, a traditional village of mud-brick homes. We enjoyed wandering around there for a few hours. Tuyoq is home to a tomb stated to be that of the first Uyghur Muslim, and is therefore an important pilgrimage site. We came upon a man from Kashgar who had just purchased three goats to be offered as sacrifices – one was being cut up while we chatted. It seemed like a great deal for the locals – they sell the goat to the pilgrim, and then after it’s sacrificed the pilgrim generally offers the meat back to the villagers.

Next up were the Bezeklik Caves. I’d already been warned by Rhona that they weren’t overly impressive. However, while in Australia Rhona’s mom had bought me a DVD of some sites along the Silk Road, and Bezeklik was part of that series – I needed to see it. Rhona was right. Like Mogao, the caves had Buddist murals painted in them from the 5th – 9th centuries. However, large portions of the murals had been cut away to be displayed in museums – or in private collections. Other defamation included scraping away the gold of the painted auras, gouging out the painted eyes, or covering the murals in mud.

We next visited the village of Jiaohe, perched on an elevated platform between two branches of a river which offered a natural defense – except to Genghis Khan, who sacked and forced the demise of the village in the 13th century. We enjoyed wandering through the ancient roads, and marveling at the remaining mud walls.

Back in Turpan we visited our driver’s plot of land where he grows grapes. Grapes are big business in Turpan, and many families have small plots of land where they can grow the fruit. Each plot also has a building with holes in the walls, which allows air to circulate and dry the grapes.

Before leaving Turpan the following morning we visited Emin Minaret. Completed in 1778 it’s the tallest minaret in China. The stark contrast between the sandstone-colored minaret and the blue sky made for some nice photos.

Kashgar

Another long train trip had us in Kashgar, a place I’d wanted to visit for years. I wasn’t disappointed in the least, and really enjoyed my time there. Kashgar was a major trade city along the ancient Silk Road, and still maintains a bit of that feel today – especially during the Sunday market.

We spent our first day simply wandering the streets, snacking on fantastic street food, and seeing a bit of the old town. We discovered a night market on a road right around the corner from our hotel, so we hit that most nights to eat skewers, bread, meat pasties, and rice triangles, with slices of melon for dessert. It was a great place to people watch.

On Sunday morning we headed to the outskirts of town for the Livestock Market. We spent most of the day out in the dusty arena watching the bartering. We snapped a lot of photos, and really enjoyed the atmosphere. There were cows, sheep, goats, and mules for sale. Buyers would grab the butts of the fat-tailed sheep, and also feel along their backs. The mules had their teeth examined, and some were taken for a ride. There were many Uyghur men with amazing faces – their skull caps perched above. There was fresh meat hung at makeshift restaurants. There was dust and mayhem. There were handshakes and exchanges of money as deals were sealed. There was life, and it was great to be a part of it all.

After the Livestock Market we headed back into town to hit the Sunday Market. Many locals from outlying villages come to Kashgar on Sunday for their weekly provisions, and the market area is a teeming mass of people. The market sold mostly items for the household – clothes, shoes, pots, pans, cloth/beads for making clothes, and souvenirs (for the tourists). Crowded, but well worth seeing.

On Monday morning we joined up with another couple and hired a driver to take us to Karakul Lake, where we spent the night in a concrete yurt on the lake shore. It was a beautiful setting, perched at 3,600 meters in the Pamir Mountains. We spent the afternoon hiking and climbing smaller hills in the area, though I’ll admit that my eyes were constantly drawn towards Mustagh Ata. At 7,546 meters the mountain dominates the area, and its snow-clad slopes shone beautifully in the setting sun that evening.

The following morning we continued towards the Pakistan border and the town of Tashkurgan. The area around Karakul Lake is primarily inhabited by Kyrgyz, but the residents of Tashkurgan are mostly Tajiks. It was interesting to see both, considering those are the two countries we’re hoping to visit during my next break from work.

I enjoyed the two-day trip as there were some beautiful mountains to be seen, and some nice hiking as well. I’d love to go back there for several days – exploring all of the little side roads and villages, and doing some epic hikes.

Back in Kashgar we spent two more full days wandering around the old parts of town. Unfortunately, the old town is being demolished and the Uyghurs are being moved to the outskirts to make room for Han Chinese shops, hotels, and other businesses. Kashgar will lose a lot of the character that makes it such an amazing place to visit right now. It’s a shame. We’re both looking forward to spending a few more days back in Kashgar in late August before we cross the border into Kyrgyzstan.

Hotan

From Kashgar we took a bus to Hotan, a town on the southern edge of the Taklimakan Desert. The first day we hopped some local buses and motorcycle carts to take us out to Imam Asim – a collection of graves of important Imam’s throughout history. It also allowed us to get into the Taklimakan Desert for a short wander – which turned into a longer wander. Without much to drink.

Our main reason for hitting Hotan was its weekly market – also held on Sunday. It sprawled along several roads and alleys, and we wandered for hours watching people, snapping photos, and taking in the atmosphere. It was great.

Across the Taklimakan

Just last year a second road was forged across the Taklimakan Desert, and it was that road we crossed by bus the following day. It was interesting to lie back in the sleeper berth onboard, and stare out at the passing desert. It gives you a new appreciation for those that partook in the Great Game between the UK and Russia – or any early explorers for that matter. It’s a harsh environment.

Our bus kept breaking down and we became more and more delayed. It turns out that was probably a good thing. We were actually trying to get to Aksu that day, where we’d transfer to an overnight train to Urumqi. It was while we were still on the bus that we received a text message from Rhona’s dad, telling us about the riots in Urumqi. We checked in with the local whose couch we were planning on surfing in Urumqi, and he confirmed the troubles, and said it was best to stay away. Change of plans. We ended up having to stay the night in Aksu, but trying to organize anything from there was difficult, to say the least. We couldn’t get a train all the way back to Beijing, as there were no tickets available. We booked to Lanzhou. We tried to get online to check our options from there, but internet was locked down because of the riots – no joy. With the help of friends in Beijing, and family in the States, we were finally able to book flights from Lanzhou back to Beijing, but it was far, far from easy, and took us until 2 AM that night. The following day the government also locked down international phone calls and SMS messages, which would have made matters that much more difficult.

As our train didn’t leave until 7 PM the following evening, we went to the PSB so Rhona could try to extend her visa. We had a long, frustrating talk with an officer there, but ended up not being able to extend the visa. Two gems he spouted while we were there – he said that the government had everything under control in Urumqi, and it was perfectly safe for us to visit. It was only later, when we could actually get news, that we realized how bad things were, and what the riots were about. It had nothing to do with anti-government feelings, though there is always an undercurrent of unease in Xinjiang – the Uyghur Muslims, like the Tibetans, don’t feel they should be part of the Motherland and under the control of the Han Chinese. The riots were actually Han Chinese and Uyghur taking to the streets and simply beating and killing each other. The unrest was triggered when a few Uyghur factory workers had been beaten to death down in Guangdong Province a week or so earlier.

The PSB guys second amazing comment came as we were talking to him, inside the PSB building, where 30-40 police in full riot gear were also hanging out. He stated that everything was fine – that their presence was ‘normal’. It amazed us that he would continue to spout the party line, when all the evidence pointed to things being far from ‘normal’. Idiot.

As I type this on August 26 in the airport in Copenhagen, I’m on my way back to Kashgar. On the 22nd Rhona left Beijing for the 40-hour train to Urumqi. She was going to spend a night there with a local. I assume she made it without problems, but since the area is still in communication lockdown mode – 1 ½ months after the event, I have no way of knowing. We suspect it will remain in lockdown until after October 1, which is the 60-year anniversary of the founding of the Peoples republic of China. Rhona should have flown from Urumqi to Kashgar on the 22nd, and I’m supposed to be there in another 24 hours. Of course, if I’m delayed and miss my flights, there’s no way for me to tell her. Frustrating, to say the least, but what can you do when a government decides to eliminate communications so they can do whatever they want in an area.

Beijing

We took our train to Lanzhou without incident, and Rhona was finally able to extend her visa. After flying back to Beijing we spent a few more days dealing with the German embassy, and seeing friends, before I had to fly out to work in the Barents Sea. Rhona stuck around Beijing to refresh her Mandarin skills, and to hang out with friends.

We both really enjoyed our time in Xinjiang, and I’m looking forward to being back there in 24 hours. We’ll be able to spend another day exploring the Sunday market, and a few days relaxing and enjoying the Kashgar vibe. We’re then hoping to cross into Kyrgyzstan on September 1. Should be another great adventure….stay tuned.

China Photos

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