22/09/05 (Thu) Urumqi Touchdown

We arrived at the Shenyang沈阳 airport just past 7am, paid 200 yuan to the driver, and checked in at the counter. After spending some time in the departure lobby, we went through the security check and waited some more in the boarding lobby. Except for one white guy, who looked neat and clean and was with a Chinese-looking guide, there were only Chinese business people and tourists waiting there.

We boarded the plane at the scheduled time and took off from Shenyang. Despite what I was expecting, the seats were almost full. Psymeg soon fell asleep and didn't eat his flight meal. I didn't expect to get a meal because I am vegetarian, but they gave me a muslim meal and because the main dish was meat I ate what I could.

When we arrived in Lanzhou兰州, half of passangers got off the plane and the rest of us got transit passes, and went to the airport by shuttle bus and waited there for 30 minutes. At the airport lobby in Lanzhou, which is the capital city of Gansu甘肃 province, I saw dried rocky hills and they reminded me of the Silk Road.

We took off from Lanzhou again and arrived in Urumqi乌鲁木齐 within a couple of hours. At last we were in Urumqi, the capital city of Xinjiang新疆 province. The airport seemed like a n airport in a small Japanese locale, but the difference between Urumqi and small town Japanese airports is the row of counters representing travel companies beside the baggage claim. They were waving tour fliers at the passengers, who were passing there, and shouting things like “Would you like to join our tour?” from all counters. Very noisy.

We left the airport planning to go to the bus terminal to get tickets to Korla. As there didn't seem to be any buses running from the airport into the city we had to take a taxi. But it was tricky.

We got into the cab but as we were pulling out of the airport, our taxi driver, who was Han-Chinese, told us that the meter was broken and didn't start the meter. So we asked how much to the city centre and he answered 60 yuan. Psymeg had taken a taxi from the Urumqi train station to the airport for 35 yuan when he went to Dandong, and my Japanese guidebook also said so. “It's ridiculous!”, psymeg said and when he opened the door of the moving car, the driver apologized and started the meter. And then on the way to the city he picked up another Han-Chinese guy, who was walking along the road towards the city centre. After a bit he got out of the taxi and paid his fare. I checked the map in the guidebook and the driver had taken us a little out of our way. Eventually we arrived at the bus terminal and paid the driver what the meter showed, but it were angry at the driver. Welcome to Urumqi!

We got our tickets for the night sleeping bus to Korla at the terminal. It was just past noon and we had nothing to do, so we had a look at the guidebook to find something to do. I found a park in the centre of the city and so we went there. The entrance fee for the People's Park is only 5 yuan. It is about 20 minutes walk from the terminal, a nice peaceful place where one can escape from the noise of the city and Han Chinese taxi drivers.

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*Long distance buses between Urumqi and Korla (as of January 2006)
Around 7 hours (1 or 2 15-30 minute breaks)
Recently a highway to Korla was completed so it takes about 3 hours less than before. The buses often stop 5 or 6 times at police check-points but they never seem to come on to the bus.

Overnight sleeping bus from Urumqi (3 RMB for insurance)
Bottom bed 64 RMB / Upper bed 74 RMB
*There are 2 main bus terminals: at Heilongjiang st.黑龙江路 and Nanjiao (南郊southern suburb) bus terminal in Urumqi, but both prices are the same. At Nanjiao bus long distance taxi drivers (120-150 RMB to Korla),are annoying during the day.
*City bus (1 RMB)
The No. 44 bus run: city centre ~ main bus terminal ~ train station
The No. 1 bus route: city bus terminal opposite the Nanjiao bus terminal ~ train station ~ city centre

Buses from Korla (3 RMB for insurance)
Rapid buses:110 RMB
10:20 / 12:00 / 14:00 / 16:00
Standard buses: Bottom bed 77.5 RMB / Upper bed 72 RMB
9:30 / 10:30 / 11:00 / 13:00 / 14:00 / 15:00 / 16:00 / 17:00
Night buses:Bottom bed 87.5 RMB / Upper bed 78 RMB
21:00
*Arrive at Nanjiao bus terminal in Urumqi
*Terminal access by city bus (0.5RMB)
The No. 2-2 bus runs from the bus terminal into the city centre
This is a publicly run bus, so the fare is half the normal 1 RMB. Cleaner than the private buses, but usually crowded.