Day 3: Turpan- Desert Oasis

SUNDAY, AUGUST 15
Turpan is located on the edge of a desert basin. It is one of the lowest points below sea level in the world. Getting there was interesting -- our bus ride took 4 hours and passed through a pretty desolate region to get to the oasis.

Once in Turpan, we hired a driver to take us to the major sights around the city.

Our first stop was Tuyoq, an old city that is a pilgrimage sight for the Uyghur people. In the side of the one mountain were these old cave dwellings that kind of looked like the same structures American Indians made out west. The village nearby was pretty neat. And the mountains around the city were amazing.

The next stop was the Flaming Mountain -- named because of its red rock and firey-like features.

For lunch we stopped at a Uyghur village and had some nang (bread) and grapes. The village was actually in a huge grape vineyard valley, one of the largest in the region.

Our last stop was an ancient city fortress, called Jiaohe. The ruins sit on an island-like piece of land with high walls. The city is all but gone, lost to the elements, but was fun to explore. There weren't many guard rails, so I was free to roam and check out every little area and side street of the ruins.


MAP: Turpan is on the edge of the Tarim Basin, the northern part of the Taklamakan Desert. It was 4 hours by bus from Urumqi


GRAPE VALLEY: Lunch in the valley consisted of bread, grapes and more grapes


MOUNTAIN FORTRESS: The ruins at Jiaohe were really neat. There used to be a river that flowed around the city, which is why the fortress had no walls


ANCIENT RUINS: Ruins of any kind impress me, partly because we don't have them in the States. The only ruins I've seen in the last 23 years of my life were dilapidated houses from home that were maybe 20 or 30 years old -- unlike Jiaohe which is thousands of years old, and still standing in parts


TEST OF TIME: Unlike America, there weren't too many barriers keeping me from exploring any part of the Jiaohe ruins. A few signs cautioned about deteriorated structures and the possibility of cave ins or collapsing buildings, but there weren't many guards on hand to prevent tourists from being adventurous


TUYOQ MOSQUE: The mosque in Tuyoq wasn't open -- to foreigners


UYGHUR PILGRIMAGE: Visiting Tuyoq seven times is like taking one trip to Mecca. But during my visit I didn't see anyone that looked like a pilgrim


MOUNTAIN ON FIRE: The Flaming Mountain's barren surface was impressive -- even as we drove past at about 100 mph


CAVE DWELLING: The old cave dwellings of Tuyoq looked like the kind American Indians built in the American west. They were being renovated so we couldn't go see them up close


OASIS: Tuyoq, about a 45 minute drive outside Turpan, was also an oasis


RED HILLS: The landscape driving around Turpan was unlike anything I'd ever seen. The whole "surface of the moon" concept really came into my mind here


BARREN LANDSCAPE: Lots of mountains and open plains, but hardly any trees


TURPAN TOWN: Some old buildings in Turpan


POWER OF THE WIND: During the bus ride to and from Turpan we passed huge open areas with wind farms and these wind generators

Day 2: Tian Chi- Close to Heaven

SATURDAY, AUGUST 14
Tian Chi, also called Heavenly Lake, was our first stop. My other friends had recommended it as a good place to start any sightseeing trip/adventure across Xinjiang. And a good place it was.

We booked a trip through our hostel and left early in the morning. The ride was a bit long, 3 hours, but we also stopped at a few tourist traps along the way. Not that they were trying to sell us anything at these stops, but I felt trapped because I just wanted to see the lake.

The lake's water were blueish-green. And clean. So clean, actually, that I didn't think I'd ever seen anything quite like it before. Water in Beijing and my hometown of Tamaqua aren't the most spectacular things to look at, or drink, but the waters of Tian Chi looked magical; as if drinking them could cure any ailment or grant you special powers or something like that. But I resisted the urge to take a gulp since I have a strict "No Drinking the Water, except from a bottle, in China" policy.

On the lake, a cool breeze swept down from the snow covered peaks in the background. It was nice since temperatures were around +90 degrees that day. On a hill was a Taoist temple. Incense burned, filled the air with its distinct smell.

The walk down from the lake, located about two miles on top of a mountain, was just as fun. A canyon filled with streams and waterfalls had me stopping for a photo every three feet. Again, nothing but clean water and a cool breeze.



MAP: Tian Chi is about a three hour drive from Urumqi. But on the way home, it only took us an hour and a half getting to Urumqi. A prime example of Chinese "skilled" driving.


GOOOOOONG: Layla rings the gong at the Taoist temple


MOUNTAIN ANIMALS: It's kind of hard to see, but the white specks in the photos are sheep


TAOIST TAYLOR: They gave us ribbons at the temple and told us to make a wish and tie the ribbon to a special post near the gong


LITTLE FRIEND: Chinese kids love posing for the camera, especially with foreigners. I still haven't figured what's up with the peace sign thing though


LOVELY LAKE: Tian Chi was impressive, if not a bit touristy. But that's what you get for going with a travel group


TOURIST TRAP: I wanted to see the lake, but like tours the world over we had to stop at a few places first. The first stop was a mock-Uyghr village with yurts (small tent like houses) and a few people dressed in traditional Uyghr clothes


TEA TIME: Even Uyghrs have tea time. Our tour group got to eat and drink in one of the yurts


FALLING WATER: The walk down from Tian Chi was just as impressive as the lake itself. Through a gorge, waterfalls and a stream made their way down to the parking area


SHEEPING AROUND: Goats and sheep call the Tian Chi area home, and are allowed to roam freely on the same paths used by tourists. On a few occasions we had to stop because there were a few goats or sheep in the path


CELEBRITY STATUS: This never gets old: At every sightseeing spot random people ask to have their photo taken with me. I love this country

Day 1- Urumqi

FRIDAY, AUGUST 13
The trip to Urumqi, Xinjiang's capital, took four hours. But even before getting off the plane I was blown away by the autonomous region’s majesty – snow covered mountains lay off in the distance as the plane descended, surrounded by a desert-like landscape. It was a sight I’d only seen in movies.

As you can see from the map, Urumqi is located in a mountain range in Central Xinjiang.

As we drove around Urumqi looking for our hostel I was surprised at how developed the city was. It was almost too developed and reminded me of a slightly dirtier Beijing, complete with smog and lots of traffic. And I didn't see any Uyghrs the first day either.

China is in the process of developing its western regions, an initiative known as the Western Development, to improve the region's infrastructure and bring it up to date with China's east coastal provinces. It also involves moving Han-Chinese into the region, which upsets the local, but it's all being done in the name of progress.

But the next few days, and the rest of the trip, would make up for the lack-luster first day.

Meet the Uyghurs

Xinjiang's resident population are the Uyghrs, a Turkic people of Central Asia. Their culture and customs are more similar to Muslim areas -- and they speak Chinese, which is not their native tongue, just about as poorly, in some cases, as me.

Layla and I happened to be traveling during Ramadan --the Muslim time of worship when they aren't allowed to eat or drink from sunrise to sunset-- which made finding a restaurant that was open during the day.

Also, China is technically all in one timezone, despite being spread out across three. But the locals recognize their own local time, so if it's 8 p.m. in Beijing, it's 6 p.m. local Xinjiang time.

The people we came in contact with were extremely pleasant and helpful, due largely in part to the fact that we were foreigners.

China's Wild, Wild West

In the last year living in Beijing, I’ve been to the Forbidden City and Summer Palace four times. I’ve traversed the Great Wall three times. And I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve walked from one end of Tiananmen Square to another. Even when traveling on business or personal trips to Shanghai, I’ve found myself in the same places numerous times, the Expo (three times) and the Shanghai World Financial Center (twice) to name a few.

Needless to say, I needed a change of scenery, not to mention a nice trip away from the people mountain, people sea.

Friends suggested I take a vacation to China’s south, to Guilin in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region or Kunming in Yunnan to gaze upon the geography and see some of China’s minority groups. A cruise down the Yangtze would be a nice option, too. But despite not having visited most of the cultural relics of China’s eastern provinces, my eyes were turned westward – to Xinjiang.

Way out west, friends who had visited the region told me, was picture perfect mountain ranges and a landscape imaginable only in dreams. There were the non-Han Chinese, Uyghr minority group and their Muslim traditions. And there was the food –oh, the food – that I’d come to eat on a weekly basis at Uyghr restaurants around Beijing. It would essentially be like visiting a different country entirely, they’d said, one full of majestic sights, adventures and excitement. And there would be NO large crowds of tourists.

I booked my flight after hearing those words.

For 11 days (from August 13-23), my girlfriend, Layla, and I would be traveling around the autonomous region by plane, bus, cab and camel.

Dad Goes to China

This post is long, long [long] overdue. My dad visited recently (in July). I wasn't sure how he'd handle China, a country and culture vastly different from America, but he impressed me with his adaptability to this strange land.

Be sure to visit his blog for complete details of the trip.


OLYMPIC PRIDE: Traveling alone is no fun -- that's why I told my dad he couldn't come to China without someone to share the experience, and complaints, with. My dad brought his former student and long-time friend Joe Krushinski. Joe works for the state of Maryland in television and broadcasting. At our first stop, I took them to the Olympic Area to see the Bird's Nest, Water Cube and other Olympic venues.


THE CHAIRMAN MEETS THE CHAIRMAN: Aside from Maryland Public Television, Joe is also the Chairman of the Carbon-Tamaqua American Cancer Society. We felt it was only appropriate to have a photo of the Chairman and the chairman.


DIRECTIONS AROUND BEIJING: "Okay, so take Bus 101 to Fuchengmen, then transfer on Line 2 to Fuxingmen and go three stops. Get out at Exit A and hail a cap. Give him this piece of paper. And here's a cell phone in case you need to call. God speed" were my words to Dad and Joe before they left on their trip to Xi'an.


THE FAST TRAIN: After seeing the major attractions around Beijing -- Tiananmen Square, the Forbidden City, and the Great Wall -- we took a relaxing trip to Tianjin on the intercity fast train. Cruising along at 350 km/h in comfortable seats never felt so good, after spending the previous days walking around Beijing or the Great Wall.


WARRIORS FOR THE DAY: After a few days in Beijing, my dad and Joe were ready to spread their traveling wings and take a one-day trip to Xi'an to see the terracotta warriors. I arranged for them to be picked up and taken on a tour around the city by a guy named Tiger Wang (not to be confused with Tiger Woods, so said my driver John Ping who had arranged the pick up).


ONE STICK, TWO STICK: For someone who had never used chopsticks before, my dad did pretty well getting food from his plate to his mouth.


ONE WITH BUDDHA: I took my dad to a few of my favorite drinking spots, including Fubar, where you can buy a buddha glass with one of many different mixed drinks.


BIG MAO: My dad and Joe stand by a giant statue of Chairman Mao at the China Military Museum in Beijing.


NOT-SO-FORBIDDEN CITY: My dad was really impressed with the architecture and overall layout of the Forbidden City.


WALKING THE WALL: Judging by the ring of sweat around my dad's neck, we'd been on the Great Wall for about an hour.


PHOTO OP: We take a break on our walk on the Great Wall. Thankfully, my dad has been going to the gym and was in good enough shape to traverse the ups and downs of the Wall relatively easily.


INNER CITY: Our first day of sightseeing included a visit to Chairman Mao's mausoleum, Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City.


BRING YOUR FATHER TO WORK DAY: One of the best parts of my dad's trip was showing him around my office. For years as a child, I had always had fun visiting my dad at work. Now, I had fun showing him Beijing Review and letting him meet my co-workers and foreign colleagues.


AIRPORT FAREWELL: From the food to the sights, my dad had a great time visiting Beijing. And I was glad to show him around.

The Shanghai Strikes Back

The last video project we filmed in Shanghai went over so well that the bosses at Beijing Review decided to produce a longer edition for DVD release. They sent us back for a week to film the new project.



HIDING FROM THE SUN: Waiting between takes, we'd hide under umbrellas and read our scripts


DRESSING UP: At one of the cheongsam stores I was allowed to try on one of the Chinese style shirts. And as much as I liked the shirt, I couldn't think of any other time in my life that I'd ever wear it


CELEBRITIES, SORT OF: At each scene, we'd be surrounded by people curious to see what was going on


AGAIN, THE EXPO: We spent two days at the Expo. A thunderstorm delayed filming for a while on the first night, but made the scenes look cool


GIMME A BREAK: Taking a rest between scenes with the French and Japanese foreign experts


FOOD, GLORIOUS FOOD: During filming one afternoon I ate delicious snacks at three different restaurants


PINK DRAGON: Filming in one of the parks. Large dragons protect one of the garden's sections


LION'S PRIDE: Bronze lions in front of one of the banks on the Bund


BACK ON THE BUND: The script for the second project was extended to include more lines for each of the experts, particularly along the Bund


UNDER MY UMBRELLA, ELLA: During the first project last March I got incredibly sunburned. This time, the crew made sure I always wore sunscreen, sat in the shade and carried an umbrella to protect my face


MR. MOVIE STAR: Every so often, random passersby would stop and ask for a photo


ALL EARS: After filming a scene, I watch it again to make sure everything is okay


DOWN BY THE BAY: I sit near the waters of Huangpu River, reading over my script and preparing to shoot another scene for the film


BETTER CITY, BETTER LIFE: The skyline of Pudong District, Shanghai


MISSION ACCOMPLISHED: Thumbs up for the final filming day



Photos by Chen Ran, Beijing Review