Urumqi-Kashgar Train

Buying tickets was a hassle, first because of the security checkpoints, then because of the confusing signage and long, chaotic lines. Plus side? I could pay using a credit card (Visa), and I nearly saw two guys get into a brawl. I got train K9786, which leaves later in the afternoon (I’m hoping I will still catch the good scenery), though I wanted the letter-less train that left at 12:14. Of course, that one gets to Kashgar at 7 AM Beijing time, which means the crack of dawn locally, so perhaps it’s just as well. It has some of the best scenery according to some google searches I did, but it wasn’t what I expected—mostly desert on one side and mountains on the other for the whole journey. It goes through the main mountain range in two long tunnels, so don’t expect anything spectacular, though the ride up to the tunnels is nice. 

Scenery example 1 (filter provided by dirty train windows)

Scenery example 2

There were two people in my compartment, an old Uighur man and a girl of indeterminate age, probably in her late 20s. They were actually very friendly and we made some limited conversation around the language barrier, mostly concerning the trip I was on. The old man even paid me 20 RMB (I tried to give it back to him) for taking the top bunk instead of the bottom where I had been assigned. There was another toddler in this train, and it took a liking to my fold-out language card. To distract it, I gave it a stuffed animal souvenir I had gotten as part of some travels before this trip.

Peace offering

The cars themselves were double-deck and obviously old; the only toilets were squat toilets (danger zone) and there was only one working faucet. Also, they blast music constantly, with silence between 10:30 PM and 7 AM. This was the most annoying thing about the train; it would be wise to bring earbuds or headphones. Still, it was a pleasant experience to ride in hard sleeper and see the interactions that went on in the train (all cell phone conversations must be conducted by yelling), and for one night, it was very bearable. 

Scenery in the morning

Arrival in Kashgar (Kashi)