This week started on a low and ended on a high of a slightly different variety. So first let’s address the low. The UK voted to leave the EU. Unsurprisingly given my age and the fact that I actually researched the likely outcomes of leaving, I voted for Remain by proxy. It was an entirely unemotional and logical vote, separated from the untrustworthy campaigns by several thousand kilometres. And now that politicians faced with triggering Article 50 have realised they don’t really want to, I can only hope they decide that 1.9% is not a convincing majority and stop consciously screwing everyone over with something that half the country doesn’t want, and a significant amount of the other half didn’t know they didn’t want or didn’t think would actually happen when they voted. Good job, guys.

Back to me. The journey from Karamay was subdued in the light of our country’s imminent self-destruction, the probable loss of Scotland and Northern Ireland from the UK and the devaluing of our life-savings as the Pound dropped overnight (over lunch, for us in China). Back to me. Ürümqi now seems much smaller than it used to, which is nice but also somewhat too late, since I’ll be here precisely two more times before leaving Xinjiang. We stopped for a Burger King (very cultural, I know) before getting a car to Bagang, chez Calum and Mac. The car was about 70% bag and 30% person, with the boot half-open. That evening we played a Game of Thrones card game while I talked to people on WeChat – ‘Oh, you’re from the UK? They just voted to leave the EU, didn’t they? What did you think of that? It wasn’t a very good idea, was it…’ Deep breath, Tom.

The next day was packing for Turpan and Kashgar then visiting Hassan in Ürümqi. We did last minute shopping then went for a Burger King (last one, honest). I packed a smaller bag and left my suitcase, since we’ll be back in 10 days. The next day Calum, Kieran and I enjoyed some very good Pollo by the Hospital then met the others at the station (collecting train tickets). We were just getting in when the ticket lady stopped us and got an English speaker over to tell us that the train had been cancelled. Great. He deposited us in a queue for ticket replacements (cue half an hour of ‘Chinese queuing’ which involves having people try to push in at every opportunity because they’re in a rush and their train is very soon). We got a train an hour later and arrived at Turpan station to an hour journey to Turpan itself. Fantastic city planning right there.

Turpan was as hot as advertised and our trip into town was only slightly slowed by a security guard scanning our passports on the ID card scanner. The hostel was amazing! A terrace of grapevine-sheltered raised beds on which we could lounge and eat slices of fresh melon. For anyone going to Turpan – DAP Hostel. We met a Brit and went out for a meal on the first night. The next day was spent relaxing and doing precisely nothing besides try to avoid the heat. We met a Swiss guy taking a break from 8 months cycling from Switzerland to Asia and agreed to do some sightseeing the next day.

We were able to book a car for about £7 (sorry, that’s the old exchange rate: £8) each to see the Flaming Mountains (50 degrees anyone?) and Tuyok Village in the hills. A friendly old man invited us into his home for photos and frozen watermelons. When we reached the Gaochang Ruins it was way too hot to appreciate and lacking shade, so we gave up and waited for to regroup in the air-conditioned tourist office. The next day we had a leisurely start at the hostel. The food in Turpan is excellent so it was a pity to leave after only a few days. And in case I didn’t make the ‘high of a slightly different variety’ clear, I was referring to the temperature, which, in Turpan, is an experience in and of itself.

—TJC

Featured image: A local of the Bezeklik Thousand-Buddha Caves invites Mac to drum along to his music – apparently this man has been there over a decade! [2018 edit: He’s still there]