Operation Desert Storm

Jason, our guide, has been asking around what the road will be like for today. Bad is the answer.. very bad! We are very much worried as this means the steering stabilisor could break again and we could strand in the middle of nowhere. Not to mention the strain it will cause of the broken steeringwheel rubbers!

We ask if there is a new road which we can take (illegally). Nope, its still under construction and the road is guarded by the police! Everyone who drives it will be fined heavily. 240 kilometers of bad road¡­ my god! Let¡¯s hope hippie is going to make it!

We decide to take it as easy as we can. Well, there is no way we can drive fast. There is no road and the dirttracks consists of lots of stones and fine sand. We crawl forward at a speed of 20 kilometres an hour. Then we see a newly build road. For 30 kilometres we drive on it and risk getting a fine. We¡¯d rather pay then ruin the car on the bad road! Luckily no fine and no policeman in sight. But then the new road ends and we are back on the dirt track. To make things worse we notice a cloud of dust in the distance which grows bigger by the minute. Damn, a sandstorm. Before we know it our visibility is returned to a minimum and we need to use the windscreen wipers to remove the sand from the front window. We even taste sand after a while!

7 long and tough hours later we reach the freeway that leads to Urumqi. We have a late lunch. The best noodles in the whole province the man tells us. Michel skips it as he feels sick of the drive and is exhausted. We all are exhausted. The freeway is a tollway and is perfect. In total we have to pay 60 yuan (about 7.5 dollar) for the 180 kilometre ride but we don¡¯t care. We have made it in one piece all the way to this road, that¡¯s what counts. We have heard the roads are better from now on. Let¡¯s hope they are!

30-10-03 Operation Desert Storm

Jason, our guide, has been asking around what the road will be like for today. Bad is the answer.. very bad! We are very much worried as this means the steering stabilisor could break again and we could strand in the middle of nowhere. Not to mention the strain it will cause of the broken steeringwheel rubbers!

We ask if there is a new road which we can take (illegally). Nope, its still under construction and the road is guarded by the police! Everyone who drives it will be fined heavily. 240 kilometers of bad road¡­ my god! Let¡¯s hope hippie is going to make it!

We decide to take it as easy as we can. Well, there is no way we can drive fast. There is no road and the dirttracks consists of lots of stones and fine sand. We crawl forward at a speed of 20 kilometres an hour. Then we see a newly build road. For 30 kilometres we drive on it and risk getting a fine. We¡¯d rather pay then ruin the car on the bad road! Luckily no fine and no policeman in sight. But then the new road ends and we are back on the dirt track. To make things worse we notice a cloud of dust in the distance which grows bigger by the minute. Damn, a sandstorm. Before we know it our visibility is returned to a minimum and we need to use the windscreen wipers to remove the sand from the front window. We even taste sand after a while!

7 long and tough hours later we reach the freeway that leads to Urumqi. We have a late lunch. The best noodles in the whole province the man tells us. Michel skips it as he feels sick of the drive and is exhausted. We all are exhausted. The freeway is a tollway and is perfect. In total we have to pay 60 yuan (about 7.5 dollar) for the 180 kilometre ride but we don¡¯t care. We have made it in one piece all the way to this road, that¡¯s what counts. We have heard the roads are better from now on. Let¡¯s hope they are!

30-10-03 Operation Desert Storm

Jason, our guide, has been asking around what the road will be like for today. Bad is the answer.. very bad! We are very much worried as this means the steering stabilisor could break again and we could strand in the middle of nowhere. Not to mention the strain it will cause of the broken steeringwheel rubbers!

We ask if there is a new road which we can take (illegally). Nope, its still under construction and the road is guarded by the police! Everyone who drives it will be fined heavily. 240 kilometers of bad road¡­ my god! Let¡¯s hope hippie is going to make it!

We decide to take it as easy as we can. Well, there is no way we can drive fast. There is no road and the dirttracks consists of lots of stones and fine sand. We crawl forward at a speed of 20 kilometres an hour. Then we see a newly build road. For 30 kilometres we drive on it and risk getting a fine. We¡¯d rather pay then ruin the car on the bad road! Luckily no fine and no policeman in sight. But then the new road ends and we are back on the dirt track. To make things worse we notice a cloud of dust in the distance which grows bigger by the minute. Damn, a sandstorm. Before we know it our visibility is returned to a minimum and we need to use the windscreen wipers to remove the sand from the front window. We even taste sand after a while!

7 long and tough hours later we reach the freeway that leads to Urumqi. We have a late lunch. The best noodles in the whole province the man tells us. Michel skips it as he feels sick of the drive and is exhausted. We all are exhausted. The freeway is a tollway and is perfect. In total we have to pay 60 yuan (about 7.5 dollar) for the 180 kilometre ride but we don¡¯t care. We have made it in one piece all the way to this road, that¡¯s what counts. We have heard the roads are better from now on. Let¡¯s hope they are!