In September 2002, I was on a train in western China, a month into my six month around-the-world trek. I had left home with more than little apprehension about my security as an American traveling overseas. It turned out to be a great trip; I met some fantastic people, both locals and fellow travelers. Here is what I wrote at the time:

“Sept 10, 2002. I had a lot I wanted to write about Kashgar but I was too busy enjoying it. The Sunday bazaar was really incredible, especially the livestock market. 2000 yuan (~$250) for a horse, 800 yuan for a mule. I met up with a French couple I had run into in Turfan. We went to the bazaar together and spent some time at the Caravan Café over coffee. We left Kashgar on the same train, unfortunately they could only get hard seats. I helped them upgrade on the train, what a hassle.

I would like to return to Kashgar someday and see Karakul Lake and possibly Tashkurgan. Maybe a trip through Pakistan? As the train pulled out from Kashgar there were a lot of tears; a young Uyghur girl saying goodbye to her grandmother, and a Chinese woman waving to her boyfriend on the platform.”

It is not unusual to see street barbers in China; I have occasionally seen street dentists. This man was getting his head shaved in the city of Kashgar which is in the far western part of China. I visited there in 2002. Here is what I wrote:

“Sept 4, 2002. The train from Urumqi to Kashgar is one of the newest lines in the entire country. It also must be one of the most visually dramatic. The scenery charged no less than a dozen times during our 24 hour journey. Five hours into the trip we were among canyons rivaling the American west. In the morning I thought I was on the wrong train, outside it looked like eastern China with lush green fields and tall trees planted in straight rows. Just a few hours later we were in the desert with very sparse vegetation and rolling dunes in the distance. As the train sped on the hills in the distance came closer and I could see their orange colors become fiery red.”

You wouldn’t know it by looking at this picture but Yangshuo is a bustling little town with lots of little cafés catering to tourists. I visited in 1995 and then again in 2002. I was struck by the changes. Here is what I wrote in my journal:

“Nov. 13, 2002. Yangshuo is the perfect cure to many long weeks on the road. I feel as though I could stay here forever. I am sure I’d grow tired of it eventually but for now it suits me just fine.

I have managed to fall into the community somewhat – the staff at the 7th Heaven Café have befriended me. It is a lively place with a fun staff and great food. There is a roaming population of foreign tour guides who make 7th Heaven home, plus the usual collection of travelers coming from/going to S.E. Asia.

So much has changed since I visited in ’95. There are many more cafes and the food is much better. There are far more elderly foreign tourists; mostly part of groups but some solo. The most telling change is the huge numbers of Chinese tourists. It is the growth of the Chinese economy and the leisure class that will have the biggest impact on life in Yangshuo. Already much of the town is scrambling to meet the demands of Chinese business interests. I cannot knock people here for chasing this money; it will mean a better life for many of them. It also means a different Yangshuo for everyone.”

An overloaded hay truck I came across during an grueling bus ride in China’s Qinghai province back in 2002. From my journal at the time:

“Sept. 15, 2002. What I thought would be 12 hours on the bus was instead 9. Normally this would be a very good thing but it landed me in Xinning at 3am, very tired, cold, and no place to go. After paying a taxi 15 yuan [< $2] to drive me all over town I found a hotel where I crashed for 4 hours (also 15 yuan). The bus ride was awe inspiring and also very uncomfortable. For the first several hours I was blasted by the hot air form the engine. When the mountains came into view my mind lightened, we climbed along treacherous roads passing rushing streams. Dark came too soon and I could only catch moonlit glimpses of craggy mountains and valleys. At one point we passed a sign reading ‘elevation 3943m’ and I noticed snow on the ground. We stopped for an hour in a nowhere town. Everyone from the bus piled into several restaurants, all with TVs blasting. I had a look around and introduced myself to several shopkeepers. I hear the same conversation numerous times a day: ‘Where are you from?’ ‘Why are you here’ ‘America is good –better than China’ ‘How much money do you make?’ ‘China is too poor’…

…After the dinner stop I could not get warm again. A few hours later I was freezing and cursing my decision to travel at night, missing the view and chilled to the bone.”

This is a photo I took way back in 1995 somewhere in China, Xian maybe. It is one of my favorites.

What I remember about Xian: It was very dirty and the trees were covered in coal soot, the Terracotta Army is located outside of town right next to an amusement park featuring actors dressed up as prehistoric cave people, and I was nearly robbed by a couple claiming to be starving art students. Of course this was ten years ago, I am sure things are much better now. Here is what I wrote in my journal at the time:

“Feb 14, 1995. I just realized that today is St. Valentine’s Day. After more that 3 weeks on the road these things slip by. Today is also the last day of our journey. We’re on a train back to Beijing. Xian was a big disappointment. A very dirty, smelly, ugly city. The Terracotta Warriors were cool but we went through hell to get there. We joined a tour group and ended up going to lots of places we didn’t want to. Finally, we ditched them and caught a public bus…
[Later] …We visited a Taoist temple and a Mosque, both really interesting. Around the back streets of the temple were incense sellers, fortune tellers (mostly blind), and traditional doctors with dried snake and suction cups. We came across two people we had met 2 days before. They were nice and friendly and invited us to see their art school –so we did. It turned out to be a big con to try and get us to buy expensive paintings. It really pissed us off. All is all Xian was sucky and tiring.”