Urumuqi

21 July 2005, 8 pm Beijing time.

I am finally here. Almost 40++ hours of rough track, 60 sticks of Zhong Nan Hai, 2 bottles of mineral water, and 5 hours of the worst sleep I've had in my life... I am here.

My first destination is Urumuqi's Central Market, Er Dao QIao, they call it. Er Dao Qiao is a gargantuan bazaar that Uygur knives, Uygur clothes, Tibetan hats (which, I must confess,immediately bought once I saw one!), Hotan jades, Chinese silk, Chinese antiques, Chinese faux antiques and even Russian dolls. I am sitting in an outdoor cafethat sells hami (melon) bingqilin (icecream) - the Uygur peoples sorbetes. The hami ice cream i'm eating right now tastes so amazing, and to be honest, mildly erotic! (probably because of the man who served me the binqilin!).

Suprisingly, the weather is not that bad in Urumuqi. I was expecting it to be unforgiving like the weather in Xi'an, but instead it was so welcoming. It's already half-past eight but it's still daylight and people are everywhere! All of them beautiful and walking, chattering, eating, taking pictures and shit in this festive funk. I could see the Uygurs, the Hans, a trickle of Europeans and Americans, and of course, the quintessential Japanese tourists with their patented sun-hat-and-camera-look. I guess I am the only Filipino here. I am truly alone (for the first time) and it doesn't make me sad. Tonight, I will revel in my solitude. I shall celebrate it. Like all the people in this bazaar who seem to celebrate their just being here.