China part 2. 2012

Sun-maid raisins took on a new meaning. The Urumqi area is the grape capital. Brick buildings with open work, for poles to go through to hang grapes to air/sun dry.
Hunduang has big arches over the street with lots of lights and color. Did help to identify where the hotel was.
Hugh rocks are used for signs or that they look like an animal or another significant deity.
Liujiaxia is akin to scary science fiction in that it is so industrial. A tall stack with hugh gas burning flame. We could feel the heat in the truck.
Around Urumqi, in the Taklamakan desert are hugh mounds of dirt, that I imagine were dumped by giant dump trucks. Devoid of life. Another part of the desert was dark, flat, bit rocky. This is the desert that says if you go in, you will not come out, in the original Silk Road days. Then, when a city is finished, roadsides are covered with flowers, greenery, sculptures, topiary.
Stopped at a roadside stand for roasted chicken, my bowl had, not one but two heads. Guess it was good luck, not for the two headed chicken.
Foot massage: herbal soak, reflexology, massage of-feet, calves, thighs, arms, shoulders, hands. All for about $8. Nice.
Beijing hotel lobby. Had three cycladis in a cage, three cages of singing birds-2 to a cage. They all made noise.
Boiling water available everywhere. Train station had many instant noodle eaters, including me. I was eating mine, noticed many eyes watching. The noodles were hot, so I gave a bit of a show. Also had to change my suitcase, the Greek one busted an axel, not rolling well. That seemed to be very entertaining to watch me change suitcases. Now I have a giraffe pattern one. Yippee
When a new vehicle is bought, a red ribbon is tied on somewhere. And, it stays.
Umbrellas are made for motorbikes that attach behind the handlebars and extend back over the rear seat. Ponchos for bikes and bicycles, even saw one with two heads.
Little stools are used to sit on about the size for kids.
The new rich can buy the expensive new clothes, however, do not have the knowledge to put it together well.
Many Williebets trucks out of Germany that transports goods to the US groups in Afghanistan from Lithuania.
Money: 6.2 Yuan = $1.00
Gas: 6.2 liter
Water: 2 to 10
Beer: 2 to 10
Noodles: +- 6