Xinjiang's ghost highway

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It gave us a huge lift to find this stretch of perfect highway closed off to traffic. It allowed us the freedom to roam and put in good distance as the evening turned to night. All the better, as the sunset gave us a blood red sky and no wind to ease Tati's fears of Silent John's doomsday predictions of all out armagedon if we were to leave Xingxingxia without him.The only worry was a lightning storm well away in the distant mountains to the north, but we soon forgot about that as we made camp having put on 45km since Xxxia.The evening was cool, but bearable,Venus shone like a headtorch in the western sky, our instant noodles tasted like lobster our bottle of rice wine tasted like the usual paint stripper.
With a fairly decent tailwind we had delusions of reaching Hami, 150km away, by night fall. Large earth piles that blocked entry to 'our' road were easily swerved and we desended gradually along the straight highway into the Hami basin rim. Although our map stated villages, Silent John was right about the no people bit. Ahead of us lay 130km of emptyness,no supplies, only the odd factory or work camp.Glad to have stocked up like camels in Xxxia we had plenty of water to see the out the day and porridge for when we got hungry. Its barren here, but the snow caps of the 4800 metre Karlik Shan gave us a focal point in this grey wasteland of sand and shale.
Later on we noticed a black dot looming ever closer from the east. As it grew we realised it was Silent John and so we waited for him a top a hill.It didnt take long to understand that our agenda's and speeds were differing,SJ wanted to get to Hami by night fall, but we had decided against it since the afternoon headwind had returned with brute force, slowing our progress and morale. No doubt he will make Hami today,we bade him good luck on his round China mission and dug out the stove for a round of afternoon porridge.
The afternoon was sluggish,all thoughts of Hami vaporised for good against one of the strongest headwinds yet. Ducking out of the elements we found cover under a copse of popular trees. The battle with the headwind was over for now as I began a fresh fight with my Travels of Marco Polo book,not an easy read.The silk road caravan merchants of yesteryear didnt have an empty highway of smooth ashfalt to cross and I reminded myself that the only barbarian issues out here were the table manners of the truck drivers.
It was uplifting to enter an oasis again late in the day.Grape vines were king, lending the area a much needed dose of colour.Daquanwan was a happening little town and after topping up at a restuarant we bought pork,vegetables and wine and went out into a rediculous headwind that had us throwing the towel in after about 10 more km. The Hami basin winds have sabotaged our usual peaceful evening ride.Diving for cover into the vineyards, the popular trees once again gave us exellent shelter. We made the most of it with a fine pot of food and a bottle of sweet wine.
With a still morning air we were munching buiscuits and taking the tent down as fast as we could, slightly hung over, but eager to beat the wind to the road. Away by seven and with 30 on the clock before a side/headwind found us and followed us to town.
Hami is a sizeable city right out in the middle of nowhere and surprisingly green considering that this is the Gobi desert.The council have armies of workers planting trees everywhere using the snow melt waters from the Karlik Shan to keep it verdant. We began to see more prominent changes in the people too, with many more 'doppa' skull caps and headscarves that belong to the Uyghur people, Xinjiang's largest ethnic group.
We've just found out that the internet is unavalible here in Xinjiang, mainly due to last years ethnic riots in Urumqi. That has thrown an almighty spanner in the works conserning our Kazak visa and LOI(letter of invitation).What a headache,using expensive posh hotel phones to call family back home, we began a 3rd party link to get hold of our agency in Almaty. Lets just say it was a pain in the arse and leave it at that!
Also the PSB in Hami only offered 10 - 15 days extension which was no good to us and later that day at our hotel the cops were banging on our door asking why we were here and when we were leaving. I'd love to have said " when we're done spying on your people", but I think the last laugh would've been on us. So that was Hami, can't say we'll be back anytime soon. At least our day off gave us fresh clothes and legs to batter out the 400 odd km to Turpan.
A distance we covered in two and a half days of hard core saddle hours.Begining at sunrise(six) we left Hami and found our old friend the 312 running through a long oasis of tall green trees,aided by a favorable tailwind we soon merged with the G30. The blending of the two roads was an altogether Chinese affair, vehicles coming and going, avoiding all sensible rules and scaring us out of our skins.

We saw a motorbike the other day in the fast lane going the WRONG way towards two overtaking trucks.The rider was only interested in us,craning his neck around to double check the alien life forms he'd just seen.We could only look through our fingers as he swerved through the lorries.Chinese drivers can make incredibly insane decisions, but their worst fault by far is impatience.They will not wait for anything,seeing several cars trying to get through one gap together is commonplace and the car horn, like most of Asia is the most important item in any vehicle.
''Yeah mate she'll never let you down, just hold your hand on it all day,she's 180 decibels.''
''I'll take two!''
We were looking at another big day with 85 on the clock by eleven. Ate eleven's at Sandaoling and like good hobbits and were back on our our highway leaving the cars and trucks to battle it out on the old 312.We began a hot afternoon climb into Barkol Shan foothills finding shade beneath the large green road signs at rest stops. Re-joining the traffic again at a toll where we found fiery pot noodles and supplies for the evening in a small cluttered shop.I got my map out to ask a truck driver about supplies ahead, namely the town of Chiktam, but he rubbished the town and said there was nothing.How can a town on China's national map have nothing? No doubt this is car v bike as far as 'nothing' goes.No matter, we still loaded up enough water to make a camel cry,Chiktam is 120km away and IF it is a ghost town then its a futher 60 to Shanshan.
The evening was one of those memorable sections you could do over and over.Our ghost highway continued after the toll through the rugged foothills of the Bogda Shan. A powerfull sunset shaded the mountains around us into deep shades of grey and blue, and we even saw wild dromedary camels.
''I bet weve got more water than you,'' I called.
They didn't reply.
With yet another 180km on the clock we had little enthusiasm or energy to go setting new records and so pitched up behind a hill 100 metres from the road. Its dark now at ten, so a quick eat had us heading for the tent as tomorrow is another long day with little in the way of supplies.

Not sure what it was sniffing around the tent last night, whatever it was it was gone by the morning. Up at 5 30 with a breakfast of stale flat bread from Hami, memories of the Sahara returned as we wearily packed down.I still cant grasp how we went from Agadir to Barbas on the Mauritanian border with only one day off, 50 000km at least! I blame Julian, our Irish amigo for all his tailwind talk.Luckily out here there are decent break points every three to four days,you wouldnt want a day off in Lemsip or Tah in the Sahara, trust me on that one.
With legs of lead we were soon climbing up 30km through the Bogda Shan foothills once again.Another fine day,the wind just about onside, the highway as empty as my head.Pottered along over a summit we began a gradual desent that really helped to pile on the distance.Another 170km today,thats 350 in two days, but we rarely get out of bed for less than 150 these days.Our three biggest days ever have come in the last week, but that's the desert for you.
We entered an oasis at the bottom of our long desent.Happy again to be among soft colours and shade, as its a real scorcher today. The trouble with being on this highway is we detour around possible supplies as the old road is the one that goes through habitation.At Chiktim we saw petrol stations but opted to continue 12km onto Chiktam where we found shops and restuarants.That trucker was full of it, but experience has taught us who to believe when it comes to this sort of thing.
What do you do in a 35 degree heat for lunch. Well, we ate a fantastic Uyghur meal of mutton and potatoes. Amazing food which left us knackered in the afternoon heat. Slumping down beneath road signs in the dust five km out of town, we slept for an hour.
Heavy legs took us past Shan Shan into the most Uyghury town yet.Lianmuqinzhen was totally Central Asian.Kebab stalls smoked the streets,tiles covered the buildings,mosque domes dominated the skyline as skull caps and multi coloured scarves worn by the dark skinned locals milled about the dusty streets speaking the local Uyghur language.So busy too ,although a long detour for a couple of beers left Tati in a bad mood and left me praying for a close convinent campspot that we thankfully found close to the many mudbrick drying rooms(for grapes).With 350 km on the clock since Hami we made camp in the ankle deep dust 2km from town,very tired, but proud of our two day haul,tomorrow we desend into the greater heat of the Turpan basin.



A sudden desent in the morning took us through hardened dunes as our road dropped below sea level into the world's second lowest depresion(after the dead sea).The heat was oppressive as we passed the theatrically named flaming mountains. At their best during sunrise and sunset, we were slightly disappointed with the after show look.The oasis ran along to the south as we headed along our empty highway 40 more km into Turpan.It seems only the odd looking Turpan hotel accommodates aliens like us for a reasonable price. There's other extra terrestrial's here too.We got a room and compared tenticles.

Supply notes
From Hami heading west.
Sandaoling 80km restuarants and shops
Yiwanquan Toll 130 -140km petrol station, shop and small restuarant
Chiktim 120km from toll, saw petrol stations,possible shop, didnt check?
Chicktam 130km from toll shops and restuarants
Shan Shan 50km from toll shops, hotel and restuarants
Lianmuqinzhen 25km from Shan shan , shops resturants, couldnt find a hotel.

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Photos

Happy days
Our very own desert bike lane

Turn right at the dunes
meeting the locals

Grape vines
Turpan basin

View of oasis from Jiaohe
Turpan basin

Comments

[Lazy]

Chinese porridge...
Ah porridge, you gotta love it! You have to make the best of that tailwind... you never know when it'll turn around! ;) Suerte amigos... LZ