After a four and a half hour ride southeast from Urumqi our comfortable air-conditioned bus arrived at what passes for the city center in Turpan. Touts awaited... actually, one boarded our bus on the outskirts of town and began his pitch crouched with each of the three foreigners on the bus in their turn. As I always avoid such hustlers, imagine my irritation when I later found this same guy sitting in the lobbies of all three hotels I checked during the initial phase of my hotel shopping spree, each time jumping up to renew his pitch for lodging and tours!  

I'm here to see the extensive underground aqueduct system created in ancient times. Still in operation after 2000 years, the life of the region depends on the mostly underground water delivery canals. The famous wine production operations could not exist without irrigation in this hot and dry region. Pumps bring the water to the surface at strategic points within areas where the grapes are growing. As the water emerges from large pipes into small holding ponds, people line up to fill drinking water containers. Twenty meters down stream from the pond I watched other women washing their clothes in the irrigation channel before the water continued its course into the vineyards.  

Turpan, lying in a basin 154m below sea level - the second-lowest depression in the world after Israel's Dead Sea, is a small tourist town, famous for hot winds, grapes, wine as well as the 1600 km Karez water delivery system snaking under and around the town. Exploring the town I could see much of the infrastructure being upgraded. New hotels and road pavement projects suggest the city expects to live up to its reputation as the "Top Tourist City in China," currently a shameless exaggeration. 

One day I took a #6 city bus to the southern terminus and discovered some of the extensive vineyards. As I explored the area, a communal mid-day meal was being served to several dozen toddlers and a smaller number of elders.  A mud brick walled enclosure provided protection from the wind, sand and heat. Inside cooking fires crackled and steaming woks spread their welcome aroma. Donkey carts with several thicknesses of heavy blankets covering flat sitting beds waited for the meal to end. One cart parked in the shade of the high walls contained noisy preschoolers waiting for a driver. I snapped several pictures as they giggled and pulled faces for me.  

Out among the vineyards were strange looking buildings, which I assume are used for storing and processing the grape harvests. The lower story of each building appeared to be a normal windowless mud brick structure, but the second stories all contained bricks staggered to allow air to circulate through the shaded enclosure. 

Back in town the cool grapevine lane bisecting the downtown area creates an inviting place for strolls. Young and old walk the four blocks long covered way both day and night. The city park, full of shady resting places and interesting sculptures butts up against one side of the arbor walks. An extensive sprinkler system snakes through the grape vine planters. 

I tried several WongBa’s and found none which would allow me to process my camera or deal with public Internet access security concerns. My short stay in Turpan provides an ideal excuse to keep this postcard short. So, I'll close. 

Peace,  

Fred Bellomy 

PS: Take a look at the photos I took while in Turpan. 

PPS: Just before I left Urumqi for Turpan I investigated the Computer City shopping center and discovered many makeshift booths selling every manner of bootleg software. I bought a copy of Microsoft Office 2000 for five yuan (about sixty-two cents), complete with a serial number... the same number on every package in the pile. The vendors had most Microsoft products, all for 5 yuan per disc. One table also offered a set of 9 DVD discs containing Discovery Channel programs for 135 yuan (about $17). FB 

PPPS: While in Turpan I jumped at the chance to spend time with several other older American tourists sipping beer in John's Information Cafe directly across from the Turpan Hotel where I stayed. Eventually our conversations came around to the way we have been received by the Chinese. All agreed the Chinese love Americans, but hate America... a sobering realization. Our country's recent foreign policies have not been making us friends on this patch of the globe! FB