Out of China and into Kyrgyzstan

5.27 - 06.08
So I caught a train from Dunhuang (Gansu province) to Urumqi (the capital of the Xinjiang province) to arrange for my Kyrgyzstan visa. Like I mentioned before, I knew absolutely nothing about Kyrgyzstan except that it had a gigantic lake and it was said to be beautiful. So while waiting for my visa in Urumqi, I spent tons of time on the internet researching possible routes and planning my next move. I also enjoyed my first Pizza Hut since Thailand!

This was my pizza and the sign at the register. So much of China is lost in translation.

I met a Chinese man outside of Pizza Hut who owned a bike shop so we instantly bonded (of course we couldn't speak a word to each other) so he and I hit every hotel in the city trying to scout out a cheap spot for me to lay my head for the next 5 nights. What we found was absolutely perfect, a cheap hotel just outside the city with nice rooms....that night loud sounds awoke me from my sleep and it was at this point that I realized I was staying in a Chinese whore house, offering rooms by the hour to Chinese business men.

I really enjoyed Urumqi. This was my first introduction to the Uyghur people of China, a muslim minority that don't really have any business in China. They are more closely related to their persian neighbors in Central Asia but were swallowed by the expanding borders of China (command and conquer!). Their culture was unique and classy, they ate kebabs and rice dishes topped with lamb, the men wore stylish hats, rode on donkeys and congregated in circles, the women wore dresses and head scarves, they looked completely different from the Huan chinese that we'd experienced for the past 2 months. It was in Urumqi that I met two really cool people: a girl and her father from Qurghonteppa, Tajikistan. Fazilat, the Tajik girl, spoke extremely good english and the three of us enjoyed a wonderful night of exploring the city, eating lamb and learning about each others culture. They invited me to be a guest in their house if I was ever in southern Tajikistan.

So once my Kyrgyzstan visa was completed, I jumped on a train to Kashgar. Just outside the train station, I grabbed a quick bite before starting the boarding formalities. I sat down with what I thought to be yet another bowl of 'Mien Tay Ah' (noodle soup) but after a few difficult chews I looked into my bowl and identified something from biology class....I was indeed eating stomach. I almost vomited right there....I stood up and walked into the train station.

Kashgar is a major crossroads for cyclist, a central stop for people traveling along the silk road. I met a ton of cyclist in Kashgar, more than I'd met in the 3 months of cycling thus far! Most of them were on major cycling trips, having left from their front door in Europe and continuing east through China or south through Pakistan. Kashgar was even more rich with Uyghur culture than Urumqi. At this point I had almost spent 2 full months in China and I was eager to see, taste, experience something new. So I started the 250 km cycle towards the Kyrgyz border.

I reached the Chinese border (Irkestam Pass) 2.5 days later, excited to have started my solo adventure on the right foot and having all of my newborn ducks in a row. This border has only been open for a few years and was closed on the weekends. So I spent Sunday night in one of the most disgusting towns so far in China (and that's saying something!). "Tseu Sol?", I asked (Where's the bathroom?). They pointed me around the back of the building and I discovered landmines of turds lining the wall of the building. It was anywhere you pleased. Right on par for China!

So the next morning I got my things and headed for Chinese immigration. 'Zank you' from the Chinese immigration officer, a stamp followed and I was finally out of China! 2 months - April 8th to June 8th - were spent crossing China. I then began the 7 km of cycling in 'no man's land' between the Chinese and Kyrgyzstan border. Let's get it going!

Here's some pics from my last days in China: