Home » China » From Russia to India (part IV: Travel Notes from Takla Makan Desert)

My childhood dream is fulfilled (mechta idiota ososhestvilas). I crossed Takla Makan and spent night in the middle of it.

From Russia to India (part IV: Travel Notes from Takla Makan Desert)

Alex Mumzhiu
2006-03-22 19:27:01

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car while others wait inside the pumping station. This day we were not so lucky and it took about two hours until we stopped a car which brought us to the Hotan, famous point on the Silk road.

Takla Makan Desert crossing, by far, was the most interesting thing I did so far in my trip.

Trans Desert Hwy allows the ordinary person to visit a place which was one of the most difficult place to reach on Earth. Before the road was built it was much less people in the middle of Takla Makan than on the Mount Everest.

Because of this I would like to provide a short description for these who may be willing to repeat it. I would prefer to spent two nights in the desert, but because of sand storm, it was not possible.

You can start your trip across the desert from ever direction from North or South. In the middle of desert at 336 km marker, the Chinese built a little village where you can buy some food and water. It would be a good idea to spend the night in the desert a few kilometers before this village. Then, come to the village and spend a day in the village. As night approach you can hitchhike or walk to a few kilometers behind the village and spent another night in the desert. And in next day you may continue your trip in the same direction. During the day it is very hot and it would be torture to be in the desert. So it is better to spend the middle of the day in a village.

For complete description of entire road look at Janne Corax description of Crossing Takla Makan at: http://www3.utsidan.se/corax-e/ He crossed it on bicycle in winter however.

My impressions from the other sites along the Silk Road are bleak compared with my impression from Takla Makan. However I have seen all the sites which tourist supposed to see here:

I have seen the mummies of people of Indo-European race in Urumqi museum. These people lived in this area 2000 years ago. I have visited ruins of ancient city Gaochang near the Turfan. And I visited so called thousand Buddhas caves.

I will not describe them. There is so much written about these places, but surprisingly not much about Takla Makan Desert.

Alex Mumzhiu
Kashgar, China
June 29 2005 2pm