Reaching the train station at 2+am at the edge of town, we decided not to visit a hotel but to sleep in the station itself. While I was pre-occupied with safety, Binni was very excited as she said this was the first time she had done so despite many backpacking trips. At 4+, a group of soldiers arrived who stared at us in amazement while they awaited their train. Binni feel asleep during her watch. Unbelievable.
In the morning, we washed up by paying 3 RMB each to a local boarding house to use the loo and shower. From there we took a 28 hour bus ride over the Tianshan Mountain to get to Yining. The ride took us over the peak and we got caught in a pre-dawn jam. The driver waited for 1.5 hours for daybreak before looking for a bypass.
When I woke up at six, I had alighted out of curiosity to investigate the traffic condition. Walking 300m, I was suddenly caught in a strong wind that literally sucked heat from my body. I was wearing only 2 t-shirts and my windbreaker then and panicked. It was 2 degrees Celsius. Walking close to the lines of vehicles to stay out of the wind, I nearly tumbled back into our bus. Exhilarating on hindsight.
Yining is green, lush and wet, a contrast from the earlier destinations.
At Yining, we took a ride to Sailimu further up North. There is no dedicated bus service and you have to pay full fare for a bus that passes by the area to drop you off. It is truly magnificent trekking country.
Here Binni had another first experience. We got to Sailimu without the certainty of a return vehicle. We flagged for a bus on the ride and was successful on the second try. The return trip cost us 30 RMB.
17 May was the lowest point in our trip. On our way to the bus station to get to Urumqi, my pocket was picked on the shuttle bus. The modus operandi was somehow to stand at bus-stops and observe commuters boarding. Once the crook discovers the pocket which you remove your money or purse from, they will board after you and pick you on the packed bus where body-contact is unavoidable and there are plenty of distractions. For the next 20 hours, I blamed myself and went to sleep. I didn’t talk to Binni and she was very sad. Me too.
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