[Xinjiang Awkward Journey] Those "interesting things" that happened to us in Xinjiang

This embarrassing story happened from 4.10-4.13

This is our entire itinerary from 8 a.m. to 2 a.m. the next day on April 10th! During this period, most of the roads were mountain roads, and there were also plateau sections, covering a total distance of more than 700 kilometers!

After last night's dinner, we fell asleep suddenly in the middle of the night when we suddenly received a call from the police (it was past 1 a.m. on my phone), telling us that we could not stay and had to move on. However, since both of us who could drive had drank beer, So we were reluctantly allowed to stay here for one night. Because we are all outsiders, although we have taken nucleic acid tests, the policies of each state and county in Xinjiang are not uniform. Our test results are not recognized here and now. The police's task is to send us out of the jurisdiction. Since we had already consumed some of the supplies in the car in the desert, we needed to resupply in the next city, but the police told us that we could not enter the city! Reluctantly, we walked to a place called Yangxia Town, had a quick lunch and continued on the road. The end point in the picture below is Yangxia Town, and the journey is 150km.

We asked the checkpoint on the desert road if we could stop in the next city, and the answer we got was unknown. So we moved forward as planned. It was late in the evening when we arrived in Hejing County (travel 250km). The checkpoint informed us that we could not enter Hejing County and sent a police car to take us away from Hejing County towards Nalati.

The police car took us on an 80-kilometer mountain road and brought us to Baluntai Town. After exiting the checkpoint, they supervised our continued progress. From Baluntai Town to Nalati Checkpoint, it was a 200-kilometer plateau mountain road. It was already 8 pm. Click around. There were several checkpoints waiting for us along the way until we reached the Nalati checkpoint.

Part of the road section is shown in the picture. We passed it in complete darkness. The characteristics of the road section are: plateau, mountain road, sharp bends, and many large vehicles.

The ice and snow along the way have not melted yet

When we arrived at the Nalati checkpoint, we had the following conversation:

Checkpoint: Is there any nucleic acid test?

Us: Yes

Checkpoint: show it (maybe you don’t believe it)

Us: Test report produced

Checkpoint: Wait for us to ask for instructions (continue to think of reasons). This doesn’t work, it’s not done here!

Us: How can we get tested here when we just arrived, and we all have green codes?

Checkpoint: (Starts to avoid the question) If you want to move on, you have to ask someone from Yili to pick you up for nucleic acid testing.

Us: Okay (because we already know in advance that people from Yili come to the checkpoint every day to pick up out-of-town vehicles for testing. It’s 300 kilometers from here to Yili!)

Checkpoint: (After a few minutes) You have to wait 2 days before they come, otherwise you can contact them yourself.

We: It was obviously inconsistent with the previous news, so we called Yili ourselves, and they told us that they would come tonight (the 11th), but we would be delayed for 2 days, and other states may not recognize this test, so %￥… …&%……*

In the end, we decided to terminate our trip to Xinjiang and spend one night in the checkpoint parking lot! My mood is a little fluctuating~

At dawn (on the 11th) we finished breakfast, immediately took back our ID cards and returned, quickly leaving Xinjiang. However, what made us cry for a while was the mountain road last night, which we had to walk again. . . . . .

The arrival of an Alaskan in the morning relieved my somewhat bad mood.

Passed by the north entrance of the southern section of Duku Highway, which is still closed.

Ready to go up the mountain again

Look at this road from a distance. . . . . .

continue to return

We decided to go back to Hejing County for a nucleic acid test as backup, because it would take at least 2 days before we left Xinjiang, and we would need to go into the city for supplies on the way. then. . . . . . He Jing, we are back again. . . . . . (The return trip for this section is 300km) When we arrived at Hejing, we told the police our needs, and the police agreed. Then a police car took us into the city the whole way, but we didn’t think about it and didn’t stop! They took us directly out of the city to the highway entrance and watched us leave. . . . . . Very helpless

It was getting late, and since we could no longer enter the big city, we found a small town called Ushtala to spend the night (travel 100km).

We set off from Ushtala in the morning on 4.12. We found out that only Dabancheng could go in to rest, so we diverted to Dabancheng (travel 300km).

Arrive at Dabancheng for supplies, and then stop by the Secondary Forest Park.

Play in the water and relax

4.13 We set off from Dabancheng to prepare to leave Xinjiang. During this period, we tried to see if we could enter Turpan City, but the result was not as expected. We drove back again (100km of travel), so we looked to see if there were any remote attractions that we could visit along the way, and then we discovered a place called Barkol. The lake was pretty good after reading the introduction, so we were going to camp and rest (travel 400km). Just when we crossed the Tianshan Mountains and were about to go to Barkol Lake, a checkpoint suddenly appeared in the field of vision. Everyone in the car prayed that there would be no more checks, but it was of no use. The checkpoint told us that outsiders must have nucleic acids. Testing is required.

Tragedy struck again and we had to backtrack to G7, that is. . . . . . Cross the Tianshan Mountains again. It was getting very late, so we had to go outside a town called Sandaoling Town and find a hotel with extremely poor conditions to stay overnight. (Travel 150km) There was no way to take a shower, there was no hot water, all the bedding was taken from the car ~ However, we unexpectedly found a ruined town near Qijiaojing Town (will be discussed next) Special introduction), which can be regarded as the last gain of the trip to Xinjiang.

For the past four days, we have been escorted and handed over by police from various places. It was a completely different journey and a different experience and memory!