As Luiyang approached, strange black hills materialised out of the mirages, at first appearing to float in an ocean of air, before materialising into real shapes as we approached and then drove through this strange black landscape.
Luiyang itself is unremarkable. An industrial town with not much to recommend it – with the exception of the incredible street food.
The hard sleeper carriage was full of Chinese people, and it wasn't long before everyone was sleeping as the train crossed the desert.
In the morning – the flat desert monotony continued – with the exception of the fields of wind turbines that stretched out into the distance.
While all we seem to hear in the west is how China is opening a coal fuelled power station every week – we don't get the full picture of what's really going on here. China now has it's own environmental action plan, and there does seem to be a real push in investing in renewable technology.
In addition to these wind turbines, I've seen a significant number of hydro generation plants while I've been in China. And added to this, many houses have solar water heaters on the roof. Photovoltaic cells also make regular appearances, powering street lamps or cell phone repeater stations.
Recycling is also big. People collect bottles from bins, and it's not uncommon to be
asked for an empty drinks bottle (or even sometimes a half full one :-). Plastic is money – and there appears to be a whole economy revolving around empty bottles. Perhaps even more striking – I've been told that store owners now have to sell plastic bags to discourage proliferation.
Certainly not everything is perfect here and there's a long way to go. But it does feel like while the west talks a good game – China is making significant steps towards addressing the issue of the environment.
In fact – an article I read in Wired magazine before I left for my trip detailed that China was the biggest net investor in renewable technology. It would be a major coup for this developing country if it were to become a world leader in renewables – stealing the march from the west, and attracting the inevitable rewards for any country able to lead the way...
Almost 12 hours after setting off, the train finally arrived in Urumqi – the capital of the Xiencheng region – one of the largest provinces and home to a significant minority group – the Uighers.
I'd not planned to stay here, and so made my way amid tight security to the ticket office. But there were no train seats until the next day. So I walked around to find an Internet cafe and had one of the strangest web experiences I've ever had.
Many of the frustrations in China are linked to the lack of personal space. It's not uncommon to have people look over your shoulder as you read something, or simply grab the guide book from you and start leafing through it.
As I was searching for flights to Kashgar I ended up with five Chinese people all clustered around my chair looking over my shoulder and commenting on everything I did. It was like being at work when your showing a group of people something, and they're crowding around to get a better view, asking questions as you go.
As it turned out, flights were twice the price of the train, so I headed back to the ticket office and bought the only ticket available for the next day: a soft sleeper to Kashgar.
After some fun and games, I ended up at the below average Maitan Youth Hostel and set off to explore. And there's not really that much to see.
Here's a picture of the main square:
What I wasn't to know at the time, was that an hour after I took this photo, two explosive devices would be detonated here, and 120 people would be shot dead, with hundreds more injured.
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