At Last
Addendum to the China LP: how exactly to make your way across the warping sands of the Southern Silk Road from Hotan to Golmud. Reconstructed from recent memory, so take with grain of salt. It takes about a week and lots of poking around for current information unless you come armed with the tricks of the trade. I think the LP is makes this route seem scarier than it is, although from sand-washed roads it is definitely possible to see the basis of their warnings. It is a bit rough, but if you’re into contemplation under long skies and desolate nothings (I found it quite cathartic), and of course are headed for Lhasa, give it a shot. The towns get smaller and smaller, the roads narrower and narrower, and you see Uygur melt into Han, the transformation complete at Golmud.
Note: Hover the mouse over Chinese characters to view their pinyin equivalent.
Hotan → Qiemo (和田 → 且末)
Take a long, dusty sleeper. Officially it leaves the Hotan South Bus Station (南郊客运站) around 10:30a (72¥), but it will likely wait around for an hour or so as Uygurs pile on stashing plenty of Naan. Make sure you are dressed warmly, as the desert turns into a freezer once the sun sets. You’ll arrive in Qiemo way too early in the morning to want to move. Options: wait around in the chilled bus and accompany Uygur friends doing the same, or look for a place to stay in near pitch dark. The former is highly recommended; the bus station should open at 8:00a, at which point you can see if you can get a bus the same day to Ruoqiang.
Qiemo → Ruoqiang (且末 → 若羌)
There doesn’t seem to be a bus every day, though you may get lucky. Qiemo is a cute place to explore, with a quaint quiet market buried downtown. The bus the Ruoqiang leaves at 10:00a (58¥) and should arrive in the evening. There are only two places for foreigners to stay: at the Traffic Hotel (交通宾馆) right next to the station, which is the cheap option (15¥/bed), or at the mythical County Hotel (县宾馆) which we did not check out because rooms were rumored to start at 100¥ or more. If you want to head out of Ruoqiang to Shimiankuang (literally, “asbestos mine”) as soon as possible, make sure you set your alarm for 7:00a, lest you miss the only transport for the day!
Ruoqiang → Shimiankuang (若羌 → 石棉矿)
No buses run on toward Golmud from Ruoqiang; you’ll have to fork over 100¥ to claim a spot on a SUV-type vehicle (probably not a spiffy Land Cruiser) for the 6 hour ride up to Shimiankuang, which at first appears to be a wasteland. Well, it is tiny and there is nothing going on except mining. The ride up is quite interesting, though, as you traverse at least one huge canyon with a trickle of water running through it, reminiscent of the Grand Canyon. Hopefully minibuses are still running between Shimiankuang and Huatugou, your real destination, when you arrive. Before plunking down for a snack at one of the desolate-looking (but friendly enough inside) restaurants, make sure to get onward transportation sorted! From what I saw, there really isn’t a reason to stick around for the night!
Shimiankuang → Huatugou (石棉矿 → 花土沟)
This leg of the trip is only about 2 hours long. You can hire a minibus going thataway for 60-80¥. Huatugou is definitely more happening than Shimiankuang. There are many places to eat, wash up, and even surf the internet when you walk down to the busy part of town. Next stop, 800km to Golmud!
Huatugou → Golmud (花土沟 → 格尔木)
The sleeper bus leaves at 3:00pm (140¥); you can secure your ticket early in the morning. You’ll pull into Golmud at around 8:00a, having passed plenty more - guess what - desert, although this time there are curious conical dunes and bedrock mixed in with the classic sweeping wind-shaped dunes of Lawrence of Arabia fame. Once in Golmud you can stock up and rest for a day (phew!), or go ahead and buy a same-day ticket to Lhasa for noon!
Onward to Lhasa (拉萨)
If you’re lucky enough to look Chinese and have convincing Mandarin, it is very possible you can sneak into Tibet for a mere 160¥ via the touted buses outside the Golmud bus stations (there are 3, and apparently all have buses running to Tibet although I haven’t confirmed this), or 180¥ via the official bus stations (off-season rates). Otherwise, you’re looking at at least 700¥/person to go by the book through the bus station - it is ridiculously expensive just as the LP indicates - or 250-400¥/person if a tout agrees to take you (they take shortcuts to avoid checkpoints anyways, as they always carry more passengers than capacity by law and can be fined severly if caught). Or here’s an idea I’ve been grinning about which you can try your luck with: buy some Uygur gear when still in Xinjiang (men: squarish hats; women: headscarves, at the least), and try to convince the touts that you’re from Kashgar and have a poor grasp of Mandarin. Of course, avoid showing your passport at all costs. I have no idea if this might work, but the idea is certainly entertaining to entertain!