Tuesday 15 May
Frances calls for us at 11 am to take us to Urumqi museum. It's a beautiful, huge, marble walled, modern building. The toilets are the foot-either-side-coopy-down-type and I've found out why Chinese women prefer these toilets - they feel they are cleaner because they can go to the loo without having to touch anything eg an unhygienic toilet seat. The toilets in most public buildings in Urumqi are like this - as well as in the university residence where Frances lives, and it seems, in most people's homes.
The museum is amazing. It has tableaux with models of people, reconstructing Chinese life of long ago. There are many different Ethnic groups living in China, both now and in the past, and all the relevant minority groups are faithfully represented in the museum, with artifacts showing their way of life. We are fascinated by the numbers of items which have been recovered in good condition from hundreds of years ago.
We spend nearly 3 hours in the museum, before deciding to take a break for lunch. We learn about the history of China; about the Tang Dynasty, and how the Chinese people have always loved dragons and tigers and jade; jade has been traded in China for 3000 years.
Lunch is in a cafe where everyone sits together,at long tables, instead of at separate tables as in England. I remark on this to Frances and her fellow student Katherine, who joined us at the museum and comes to lunch with us. Frances says it's because there are so many Chinese people - there wouldn't be enough room for separate tables. There is no unease amongst the Chinese about sitting at a table with people they don't know. I'm surprised at the confidence Frances shows in ordering our food - but then she is a tour guide.
Reg, Katherine and I have fried rice, which is served to us quickly, as it comes from a large wok and is already cooked. Frances has to wait for her noodles. We enjoy our meal - I'm getting used to eating lots of rice! The meal is served with warm weak tea - again, as yesterday, a large metal kettle/teapot is left on the table for us to help ourselves. The whole meal for the 4 of us comes to less than £6.
We return to the museum, which has now been inundated by hordes of enthusiastic schoolchildren. Suddenly they are surrounding Reg and me, asking for our autographs, The children have been given leaflets by museum staff, and child after child comes up to us asking us to write our names on their leaflets. All this takes about 20 minutes - we haven't the heart to say no. So this is what it's like to be famous! Eat your heart out, David Beckham|!!
After the museum we go with Frances by bus to her tour guide offices, as we want to arrange a trip to "Heavenly Valley", a beautiful lake in the mountains, where the air is much cooler (it's 30 deg c in Urumqi). I'm starting to flag - but I know there will be little chance of a rest as it's already 4.30 pm, and we are going out at 6.30 pm this evening to a special meal/show event, involving "ethnic dancing" which Frances has organised for us through her tour guide offices.
The trip to Heavenly Valley is arranged for tomorrow. It's illegal for foreigners to join a Chinese coach party, so we have to go the first part of the journey by private car. After that we will join a coach party of foreign tourists to take us the rest of the way.
Frances comes with us back to our hostel, we have a quick cuppa, and are off again by bus to the "ethnic" area of Urumqi for our evening meal and entertainment. It's now peak travelling time for the Chinese workforce and the buses are absolutely jam packed - just like the London underground in the rush hour. Every bus journey, no matter how long, costs 1 yuan - 10p.
The theatre is posh and the audience is seated at tables in the floor area below the stage. There are a few Europeans and Americans here. At the back of the theatre is a buffet area with a huge variety of different Chinese food - Frances tells us to go and help ourselves. The food looks and tastes delicious.
The entertainment begins; it's mainly different styles of dance by a troupe of male and female dancers, dressed in a variety of costumes throughout the evening. There's a couple of singers too. We are sitting in good seats near the front. As the evening draws to a close, Reg and I are hauled up onto the stage by the troupe of dancers! We try to copy their movements (unsuccessfully) - it's embarrassing but great fun too!
We meet Frances' boyfriend briefly as he arrives to walk her home, while we catch the bus back to the hostel - and sleep!
Frances calls for us at 11 am to take us to Urumqi museum. It's a beautiful, huge, marble walled, modern building. The toilets are the foot-either-side-coopy-down-type and I've found out why Chinese women prefer these toilets - they feel they are cleaner because they can go to the loo without having to touch anything eg an unhygienic toilet seat. The toilets in most public buildings in Urumqi are like this - as well as in the university residence where Frances lives, and it seems, in most people's homes.
The museum is amazing. It has tableaux with models of people, reconstructing Chinese life of long ago. There are many different Ethnic groups living in China, both now and in the past, and all the relevant minority groups are faithfully represented in the museum, with artifacts showing their way of life. We are fascinated by the numbers of items which have been recovered in good condition from hundreds of years ago.
We spend nearly 3 hours in the museum, before deciding to take a break for lunch. We learn about the history of China; about the Tang Dynasty, and how the Chinese people have always loved dragons and tigers and jade; jade has been traded in China for 3000 years.
Lunch is in a cafe where everyone sits together,at long tables, instead of at separate tables as in England. I remark on this to Frances and her fellow student Katherine, who joined us at the museum and comes to lunch with us. Frances says it's because there are so many Chinese people - there wouldn't be enough room for separate tables. There is no unease amongst the Chinese about sitting at a table with people they don't know. I'm surprised at the confidence Frances shows in ordering our food - but then she is a tour guide.
Reg, Katherine and I have fried rice, which is served to us quickly, as it comes from a large wok and is already cooked. Frances has to wait for her noodles. We enjoy our meal - I'm getting used to eating lots of rice! The meal is served with warm weak tea - again, as yesterday, a large metal kettle/teapot is left on the table for us to help ourselves. The whole meal for the 4 of us comes to less than £6.
We return to the museum, which has now been inundated by hordes of enthusiastic schoolchildren. Suddenly they are surrounding Reg and me, asking for our autographs, The children have been given leaflets by museum staff, and child after child comes up to us asking us to write our names on their leaflets. All this takes about 20 minutes - we haven't the heart to say no. So this is what it's like to be famous! Eat your heart out, David Beckham|!!
After the museum we go with Frances by bus to her tour guide offices, as we want to arrange a trip to "Heavenly Valley", a beautiful lake in the mountains, where the air is much cooler (it's 30 deg c in Urumqi). I'm starting to flag - but I know there will be little chance of a rest as it's already 4.30 pm, and we are going out at 6.30 pm this evening to a special meal/show event, involving "ethnic dancing" which Frances has organised for us through her tour guide offices.
The trip to Heavenly Valley is arranged for tomorrow. It's illegal for foreigners to join a Chinese coach party, so we have to go the first part of the journey by private car. After that we will join a coach party of foreign tourists to take us the rest of the way.
Frances comes with us back to our hostel, we have a quick cuppa, and are off again by bus to the "ethnic" area of Urumqi for our evening meal and entertainment. It's now peak travelling time for the Chinese workforce and the buses are absolutely jam packed - just like the London underground in the rush hour. Every bus journey, no matter how long, costs 1 yuan - 10p.
The theatre is posh and the audience is seated at tables in the floor area below the stage. There are a few Europeans and Americans here. At the back of the theatre is a buffet area with a huge variety of different Chinese food - Frances tells us to go and help ourselves. The food looks and tastes delicious.
The entertainment begins; it's mainly different styles of dance by a troupe of male and female dancers, dressed in a variety of costumes throughout the evening. There's a couple of singers too. We are sitting in good seats near the front. As the evening draws to a close, Reg and I are hauled up onto the stage by the troupe of dancers! We try to copy their movements (unsuccessfully) - it's embarrassing but great fun too!
We meet Frances' boyfriend briefly as he arrives to walk her home, while we catch the bus back to the hostel - and sleep!
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