K2058 Part 2

(Back date 01/15/13)

As predicted, we did indeed break out into the vast Taklamakan Desert. And the further north we went the cleaner and more blue the air became. This is a huge relief to my lungs whom of which have gotten all too used to the tangible pollution in the Chengdu air! In fact, there was not even a cloud in the sky today, which, put together with the orange sand was really quite beautiful.
 

Taklamakan Desert view from the train

My hard sleeper cabin

Morning in Turpan, 2 hours from Urumqi

Nothing very exciting happened on the train. The lively bunch next to me repeated their first day's baijiu binge with the exception that today they were playing cards for money - like, a lot of money. It was fun watching them today passing around hundreds and hundreds of RMB. And I met some Chinese college students and talked to them awhile. I first met one of them, a girl who was sitting at one of the small side tables across from me, when she asked me (in Chinese) whether I was going to Urumqi. I said yes and we talked a bit about where I was from and other introductory bits. Then she asked if I was traveling alone and when I confirmed that it was just me she suddenly got super sad and seemed quite confused as to why I had no friends. I laughed a bit and assured her I had friends but that none of them were available to travel with me so instead she introduced me to her friends and we talked awhile until the car attendants turned out the lights and made me turn in. All in all it was a pretty cool experience. I found that if you know at least a little about the NBA, you always have something to talk about with Chinese college students.
Tomorrow morning I arrive in Urumqi, woo hoo! Before I left my new friend she looked at  me and said blankly I was not wearing enough clothes for Urumqi and that I will freeze to death. Hopefully I don't...