Blogs from Yinning, Xinjiang, China, Asia

Lalati Grasslands Different publications have different translations of the name. This is a huge valley bounded by mountains. The grasslands are inhabited by Kazakh people. There was a longish drive to get to the grasslands. Once again we were treated to hot sunny weather with cloudless blue skies. The air was fresh and clear. To get into the valley proper we needed to descend from the higher ground. A steep winding road with many hairpin bends (switchbacks) led down into the valley, later of course we had to ascend once more. It is once again stunning scenery that awes the senses at the enormity ang the huge expanse. A lovely fertile river valley with the snow capped mountains making for postcard type pictures. The are caters for tourists and the people that make it their home. ... read more

Sayram Lake In the morning we were picked up by our new driver and agency. We had a long drive ahead of us as we drove out to Sayram Lake. Covid tests and police checks continued to be a dampener on the enjoyment. We travelled a road that used to be closed in the depths of winter due to snow drifts and storms. It now has a new elevated bridge that to my eyes was more exposed to the weather but we were told keeps the highway open most of the year. The highway leads to Pakistan. It was a huge structure. The views from the vehicle do not really show the perspective. Sayram Lake was our destination. The day was sunny, the weather hot, a cloudless blue sky and clear air allowed us to see ... read more

Kuitun After finally getting our Chinese documents, we headed east to Kuitun. We drove on new roads across some arid plains and then over a 7000 ft. plateau with a spectacular new bridge and tunnel system. On top, it looked just like Colorado. The Chinese seem to have no way to collect tolls ftm motorcycles, so we just ride around the end of the toll gate. Sometimes a guy comes out to direct us around. After running our third toll gate, the police stopped us at their checkpoint. The took lots of pictures, smiled a lot, gave us drinks, and we were off. So far, Chinese officials have been great (except for the DMV).... read more

China Today we left Kazakhstan and I made my last border crossing. Getting out of Kazakhstan was not really bad, and getting to China was a different world. Instead of many people writing stuff by hand, the Chinese border was a lot like an airport. You are not supposed to take pictures at the border, but almost all of the workers rushed out to greet us and take pictures of our motorcycles. They bad no problem with photos, and were most helpful. Since our emtry had been approved on advance, they knew we were coming. We had to carry some stuff across the border, and we didn't take our passports because we didn't realize we would have yo go outside the compound. Four of us entered China the second time without any documents. The Chinese have ... read more