Day 2, Turpan

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Well, we are here in Turpan. Will skip journey, but last 45 minutes descent into Urumqi was amazing, very low and steady over rugged, jagged mountains, thick with snow between the bare peaks and cliffs, glaciers almost to touch, incredible. Urumqi a bit chilly, minus 6 or so, great hotel (Luxemon Xinjiang Yindu, used booking.com) and brilliant unlimited buffer dinner (with wines etc.). Maghnus met us at hotel, so we are all three together, up at 6am for 9.04 bullet train to Turpan, what a machine! Gliding through the largest windfarm I could imagine, then by txi intotown, staying at "boutique" Silk Road Lodges (booking.com), a neat, comfortable and ideal place on a working grape-farm just about 1km from Emin Minaret, in the Uighir part of town. Security is tight, as anticipated, but we are enjoying ourselves immensely among very friendly and helpful folk. Have just had excellent lunch for 3 for 40 Yuan (100 yuan equal £12.50), only sorry that it will be hard to praise on TripAdvisor as we could not read the name (I am working on it). Dawn was bright, sunny, cloudless, we descended from Urumqi at about 1200ft to Turpan, minus 100ft at the digs. Urumqi the city on earth furthest from the sea, Turpan the send lowest place on earth and one of the hottest (in summer). Well over 50 degrees in summer, must be about 16 at the moment, although tonight will be rather nippy. BTW, interested to notice that most vehicles are electric, there is NO litter, and free safe drinking water fountains are provided at stations etc. I find that some emails are reaching me, fairly random.

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