Turpan

Today Matt and I arrived in Turpan. After Kashgar, we spent the night in Urumqi, then got on the bus this morning and now here we are! It was nice to have some time in Urumqi. Our hotel felt very familiar since we had stayed there before, and there were so many more food options! Urumqi really has a great food market...everything you could want, beautifully arranged and somehow it seemed cheaper than Kashgar. (Maybe cause Kashgar is more touristy you get charged more? Not sure...but when I say cheaper, I mean like 1 or two rmb cheaper...not much!) When we first arrived in Urumqi, it seemed so rustic after coming from Hong Kong. Coming from Kashgar, I was like, "Wow, it's so urban here. People look so "cool"!"

I was pretty frazzled so I sent Matt out of our hotel room for the afternoon. I think sometimes I need to recharge, quietly, by myself. I don't remember being like this before...maybe it is the Yeckel or Hardy in me getting stronger, or maybe it is the MS. Not sure, but I do need some time alone every once in a while. I read a very mindless magazine and did yoga and took a shower. I felt 2000 times better than before. Poor Matt...he is so understanding of my quirks. At least I realize this, and am very appreciative of him being so understanding!

Now we are in Turpan. So far, I am not as excited about it as Kashgar. It is less scenic. Kashgar had an old town area. and was very relaxed and you felt like you were in a very different place. So far, Turpan just feels dusty and city like, despite the grape vine trellises that cover the main road. It is too early to tell though...I 'll see how I feel after the next couple of days!