Tuyoq

Although we enjoyed Urumqi, we didn't want to spend all our time in the city.  After all, we were coming from eastern China, which is basically one giant city.  So we found out about a place that even our Lonely Planet guide didn't talk about.  Very remote.  Our kind of place.  A tiny, dusty village called Tuyoq, tucked away into the mountainous desert.  It took a few hours' drive to get there, but it was well worth it.  Although it was an ancient village, it had a very authentic feel, since people were still living it it.  We were charged a fee to enter the settlement, which seemed almost eerily quiet.  We saw a few friendly people here and there;including one welcoming man who persuaded us to buy some of his raisins (my husband claimed they were the best he'd ever eaten).  A few giggling children played nearby and stared, intrigued by the "foreigners". We walked through the narrow streets, peeking in at this or that tiny building, sometimes not knowing if it was in use or not.  Interestingly, the men of the village seemed to be installing some sort of piping system, and had dug up many of the roads.  Several times we found ourselves precariously edging along the path, trying not to fall into a deep hole.  We wonder if maybe they were installing a system for running water.

So many interesting things to see here, including a very old mosque, an ancient tomb, and the ruins of old homes.  This was definately one of the neatest places we've ever been.