Train Trip - Part#1

Before school started we caught a train up north to check out some of the sights that we long heard about but never had the opportunity to see. Our first stop was Urumqi. It was a 24 hour, non-stop, train ride to this city. It was my first experience with sleeping on bunk beds three rows high. Time passed quickly and we eventually made it. Urumqi is a much bigger and more diverse city then where I currently live. There is a lot of color and history close by. Here are a few of the sights that we saw by order of the pictures to the left: Pic#1: We first ventured to a park located high up on a hill... Pic#2: ...where we could see the whole city. Pic#3: The park had all sorts of cultural items... Pic#4: ...and cultural scenery. Pic#5: The next day we took a bus just outside the city to a small town known for their grape vines and Uygur people. It's supposed to be a fairy tale city in the summer time, but things were sort of dead and cold during the winter. Pic#6: There were plenty of grape / raisin drying houses located around the city. Pic#7: We checked out a UNESCO old city site... Pic#8: ...and posed for a group shot. Pic#9: It was the remains of a civilization a long time ago. Since it was off season, we were the only people looking at the site. Pic#10: On the drive back to Urumqi we passed by these wind turbines located in the middle of dessert.