I could take a 3-hr flight ($250) or a 30-hr train ($110) from Almaty, Kazakhstan to Urumqi, China, but I took a 24-hr (sleeper) bus ($50) leaving at 7 am, enjoyed the 5' * 3 ' bed with AC and light control, clean pillow and bed cover, great views along the ways including the beautiful Sayram Lake 赛里木湖, and three new Kazakhstan friends who are studying in China. They kindly ensured that I got back on the bus after each check point, and advised me that we needed to take a taxi to an out of border site and had lunch while waiting for our bus to clear the Chinese border.
Sayram Lake is the largest (458 km²) alpine lake in Xinjiang and also the highest (2,070 m). It is said that Sayram Lake was composed of the tears of a couple of Kazak young lovers. Their painful tears flooded into the abyss and formed Sayram Lake.
The Chinese border crossing was problematic because the guards there were not familiar with the new policy of no stamping on Taiwanese travel China permit. It took them 20 minutes to figure out the new rule. Then again my bus had waited longer for me because Urumqi special security police did not know whether they needed to register Taiwanese travel China permits like a minority local. Anyway, I survived all that the walked 2 miles to the hostel.
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