After napping in a public park as the old people did Tai Chi around us, Graham and I set off to see the sights. Unfortunately our first destination was the decrepit joke of the "Xibo Folk Minority Tourist Village" (AAAA level!) where the only thing worth seeing was this cool calligraphy:
The Xibo minority in Xinjiang were Manchurians who migrated westward under the Qing dynasty over 200 years ago. Whereas the Manchurian language has died out in the northeast as assimilation with the Han has occurred, the Xibo in Xinjiang still retain their language and customs. More interesting than over-paying for China's laughable idea of a tourist destination was chatting with two Xibo women while sharing a cab. They said that despite their small population, they're not worried about their culture dying out because all the children are brought up speaking Xibo (which sounds unlike anything I've ever heard) and learning the traditions.
We decided not to dally in Chabucha'er (home of the Xibo) any longer, and the next day set off for what would be one of the most spectacular places I've been in China: Sayram Lake. It's the highest alpine lake in Xinjiang and surrounded by a ring of snow-covered mountains.
Unluckily, we arrived under storm clouds. We fended off the advances of men on horses urging us to check out their accommodations, until finally allowing one Kazak to tow us along on horses toward his yurt.
After checking out the inside of the yurt, we agreed to stay there for a nice price of $15/night, total! Check out the beautiful rugs and embroidered bedding.
After a short hike during which we got very cold and very drenched, we returned to the comfort of the yurt to eat nang (flatbread) and drink milk tea, which the Kazaks, Uighurs, Mongolians, and other milk-tea-drinking people of this region take salty. I'm actually accustomed to it now!
The fact that we went to sleep to the sound of storm was actually good luck: the next morning it was beautiful. That's our yurt on the far right and the mountain we climbed later in the background.
Determined to get some views, we sneaked under some fences around grazing land and headed up the mountain. It was the best hike I've ever done in China.
After getting to the lower peak, Graham, who had never been this high up on foot before, took the lead to make it up to the higher peak so that later we could get a Google Map reading on the altitude (over 10,400 ft!). Needless to say, it was FREEZING on top with knife-like winds that threatened to push us over. We were shamefully unprepared but, hey -- still alive!
The descent:
That night we met up with some friends from Shihezi and squeezed a crowd into our yurt before heading back to Yining City the following morning. In Yining, we hung out with one of the Uighur students in our Chinese class, who took us around the city and fed us all day! Yining has the best ice cream, jam, mutton skewers, and, thanks to Paruk's mom, the best 抓饭 or polo (a Central Asian rice dish).
We also tried this really yummy combination of shaved ice and fresh sour yogurt with a little sugar mixed in.
One of Yili's specialities is a honey "beer" -- basically a fermented, but non-alcoholic beverage made from honey. A bit like hard cider in flavor. It's sticky sweet but the carbonation adds a freshness that's delectable.
Yili is an awesome place and, being only an overnight train away, one of the more convenient places for us to travel to in this big big land of Xinjiang. I can't wait to go again!
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