arrival in qiemo

***this is duffy writing, not kate***

for those of you following along on the atlas, we have arrived at the next major city along chinese highway 315, qiemo. there is no bus leaving until july 10, so we will be here for a couple of days of relaxing, unwinding, and general recuperation before setting out on the stretch to ruoqiang, then on to golmud, and into tibet. we will be writing postcards, so send us addresses via email. we will also be giving our upper backs a much needed break from carrying packs, and our lower backs a much needed break from bus seats.

the bus ride into town from khotan was some new and different scenery. there were fields of sand until the horizon, portions of the road were washed away, and the sky was hazy all day. there were also many large, marshy areas, and gigantic piles of soil and sand. in many areas, there were pastures with sheep grazing surrounded by enormous sand dunes. the roadsides were deserted, and every so often there would b a group of people beside the road who we would stop to pick up. by the end of the trip the bus was a lot of fun. there were so many people who seemed to be complete strangers when they got on the bus who were laughing and playing cards and singing together by the time we arrived in qiemo. upon arrival at the bus station, there was a large crowd waiting to pick up friends and family members.

qiemo is a very sprawling and short town for china. the buildings are all one or two stories, and the distances are much greater. luckily, all the taxi rides are a flat, 5 yuan fee. we know nothing about the town, as it is not covered by any guide book, except as a stepping stone on the silk road, so we get to be the guide book and decide what to see, where the best places to stay and eat are, what to do, and how to get around. after being in tourist oriented places that are busy and bustling, a little down time is going to be much appreciated.