No, not that kind of depression. Turpan is the second lowest spot in the world (the Dead Sea is the first), as well as holding the record for the hottest place in China. This little oasis town lies smack on the northern Silk Road. All of Xinjiang province in China is full of ancient towns, half eroded away, and remains of Buddhist outposts. With limited time, it's a matter and picking and choosing where to go; the region is worth a trip in itself.
From Kashgar to Turpan, it is impossible to take the train. It's packed for days to come. Something about the weather and the track--standing room only for now. Uh, no. Not for 23 hours. I fly to Urumqi--nice new Boeing. From there, it's only 2 1/2 hours on the bus through the desert. It's not too bad; there's A/C, but typical of buses in China, they show martial arts videos--at full audio blast, and there's a speaker above every seat. The woman across from me sleeps the whole way.
Blogger note: I can log on to Blogger and post, but to log on to my site at blogspot.com--well, guess what? It's banned in China!! What is with it in these countries? At least I can post--pictures, too. I can't log on to BBC News either--that must be banned as well.
Anyway, Turpan hosts a variety of fun sites to see.
The Jiaohe Ruins: Thousands of years ago during the Han dynasty, the Chinese established a series of military garrison towns, of which Jiaohe is one of the best preserved.
Tuyoq: Surrounded on three sides by valleys lush with vineyards and at the base of the Flaming Mountains (so called for its color at midday) the tiny village of Tuyoq is typical of traditional Uighur life and architecture. It's also supposed to be a big Muslim pilgrimage site. Only 30 yuan, please.
Jiaohe Ruins
Jiaohe Ruins
Tuyoq
A little cafe at Tuyoq
The desert whizzing by at 70 mph.
Camels out here are the two-humped variety.
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