Day 07 - July 31st - Turpan to Hami


From the Itinerary: A motorcoach today takes you to a onetime strategic stop on the Silk Road, Hami, or Kunwu as it was known in ancient times. It is the eastern gate of Xinjiang, and a convenient transport point. If time permits, today you’ll explore the ancient city ruins of Lapchok, one of 36 kingdoms in Central Asia during the Silk Road trade period. Later, perhaps, a visit to the Uighur king mausoleum, where nine generations are buried. (B,L,D) HAMI HOTEL, VIP Wing

       
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Day 7 - Turpan to Hami

We boarded the bus after breakfast and headed for Hami. A six and one half hour drive. At one of the checkpoints there was an armed guard. It was the first displayed weapon we had seen while on the road. Everyday on the bus we passed grave yards with large burial mounds. Another feature of China's new highways is the narrow shoulders with 18 inch drop off curbs (see photo). We saw a few overturned trucks along the way. Dulkin gave us a talk about the cultural revolution. We stopped for pee breaks along open stretches of the highway. Everyone scurried off the bus and looked for a secluded spot. The Hami hotel was very nice. The first afternoon in Hami began with a tour of The Cultural Relics Exhibition. On display in the exhibition are more than 300 cultural relics unearthed in the prefecture in the last thirty years or so. The ancient dried-up corpses unearthed in Wubao are also on display here. More corpses and relics that we were not allowed to take photo's of. The flying horse tiles between that street and building were interesting. Next we visited a Farmers Art exhibit. Clothing and artwork from the native peoples were on display and for sale. They provided some music and dancing entertainment. They were very happy to see us. They don't get many western visitors. Bill and Michelle danced with the local lady dancers. Scott explained the solar eclipse glasses and gave pairs to the locals. We had dinner outdoors at another rural restaurant location. A musical group provided entertainment. We found that Dulkin's fiance was there guiding another tour group. The wedding date is November 11th.

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