Walking in the Light: Tamboura Grassland Duku Highway Baili Gallery

The third issue of Thousand Faces of Southern Xinjiang

On the same day, I took the third bus, and continued to head for Tamboura grassland along the road with the reputation of "Hundred Miles Gallery" along the Kashgar River. Although the end of September is not her most beautiful season, and most wild flowers are no longer swaying, because of such beautiful weather, the sky and the earth are spread out in front of us without reservation, and people are already in the painting.

Intoxicated by the picturesque scenery, everyone did not forget to chat happily. Sister Shuang, who was sitting in the co-pilot, was originally from Shandong. She shared my surname, so I kindly called her Sister Liu. Although she is skinny, she has a strong aura, and her quiet expression makes her look like a person with a story. The other two eldest brothers are the second generation in Xinjiang, and their personalities are very humorous and easy-going. When Sister Liu arrived in Tamboura, she called a local young man. It turns out that they come to this young man named Mike's house almost once a year and have become very close friends. It wasn't long before I met Mike who greeted us at the gate. He has black skin, but he is young, but he can see traces of life. He looks much more mature than his actual age (just like my inherent impression of many ethnic minority young people). Under his guidance, he came to the tent area of the grassland, Xiaomu Village, where dozens of families lived.

Mike's grandmother was preparing our dinner in the yard. When she saw everyone coming, she smiled shyly and said hello. She can't speak Chinese. Sister Liu took out a bag of extra-large naan and fresh grapes from the trunk and gave it to Mike, which was specially brought from Kuqa. Kuqa is famous for her big naan, and grapes are planted in her own garden.

I can't wait to go around the village when the evening light is soft. Strictly speaking, this is the first time to walk on the "green" prairie. Before that, Inner Mongolia, Tibet and Xinjiang all caught up with the other three seasons, and the grass was not strong or withered. This time, we finally caught up with the tail.

As soon as the sun went down and the cold came, I quickly hid in the tent. Dinner was ready, and as soon as I came in, I was amazed by the rich long table dinner, such as saute spicy chicken, hand-grabbed mutton and cumin pilaf ... Sister Liu also brought her own good wine, so they could experience the fun of drinking and eating meat on the grassland.

At the dinner table, I gradually unlocked the formality of meeting for the first time and became familiar with everyone. The eldest brother who drives a car is a joker, which naturally becomes an atmosphere; The eldest brother sitting in the back of the car is very cultured. Because of the wine, he gradually gets up and talks more. Mike is obviously familiar with them, especially with Liu Jie. He usually walks around a lot, just like some family members, and occasionally chats with them ... I shared the stories of my many years' journey with them, and when it comes to excitement, I can't help choking. "Stop, drink!" I joked to myself that after touching the glass, everyone burst into laughter ... This kind of wine shop makes people feel free and happy because they are a group of lovely people. Very interesting. Everyone can't help saying "I'm so excited" in unison before drinking heartily. This popular word is so appropriate for that night. ...

Sister Liu is really good at telling stories. She came to Xinjiang from Jinan when she was 0/4 years old, and worked with distant relatives to earn money. She said that she was relying on others, and it was more a feeling of relying on others. It tastes bad ... she has worked in many industries, and needless to say, she has finally gone through hardships. Now her career is booming and she has settled down in Shihezi. Sister Liu invited me to get together again and again when I left Xinjiang, but I haven't heard enough of her story on the wine table. I promised to keep the appointment as planned (unfortunately, I was forced to break my word because of an accidental injury ...)

After three rounds of drinking, Sister Liu and I went out to look for the toilet. The two men staggered in a slightly tipsy state and helped each other to walk on the grass in the dark night. The cold wind made us hold each other tighter. Now we realize that we are so congenial and close to this person. Although we have only known each other for a few hours, we are sure that we belong to the same kind of people and can be friends.

It's much colder to sleep in a tent on the grassland. It's already below zero at night, so it's just right to spread two layers. I was awakened by the howling wind in the middle of the night, and then I heard rustling animals scratching at tents. I was too scared to close my eyes. I was always afraid that rats would climb up to me ... but I finally fell asleep and slept until dawn. Hearing the cries of cattle and sheep, I was curious about the grassland scene in the morning. Suddenly I was completely sleepy and climbed out of the tent wrapped in the thickest clothes.

The smell of grass in the morning hit my face and my eyes turned green. On the hillside not far away, someone has been riding a horse and leading a sheep. Sister Liu also came out of the tent at this moment, pointing to the distant Woods and saying that there were delicious mushrooms inside. Then she walked to the hillside over there. I followed closely, trying to climb the hillside and enjoy the whole picture of this grassland. The seemingly gentle lines feel steep, and finally they come to the first Gaogang, where white tents are scattered in front of them.

It was a little gloomy, so I didn't wait until sunrise. Occasionally, the light beam leaking from the cloud gap hits the gentle hillside, which highlights the softness of the morning. The shepherd rode a horse to drive the sheep, and the sheep bowed their heads and grazed, while watching the big troops advance, stopping and stopping, which was a leisurely scene of grazing in the morning. This scene lasts for half a month at most. As the grassland turns yellow, all the herdsmen will move to the winter pasture for the winter. In fact, at this time, herders have moved more than half. It is said that there are hundreds of families and many tents in the village during the peak season. This is the central area for receiving tourists. In summer, every family has a bonfire and attacks at night, but I am glad that it has entered a quiet time in the off-season.

Mike's family has several tall red-brown horses. Their fur is bright and handsome, which makes me greedy-I want to ride them on the grassland. Brother Mike, who was cleaning the horse's mane, saw my heart and asked me if I wanted to ride with a smile in fluent Chinese. Naturally, he nodded again and again. He helped me get on the horse and took me for a walk twice with a horse rope. Although he can't ride a horse on the grassland like them (I hope I can learn to ride a horse on the grassland one day), he is very satisfied. At breakfast, Mike proudly told us that his second brother was the only child admitted to the military school in the county this year. The whole family feels particularly honored to be assigned a good job in the city after graduation. On this day, he will accompany his second brother to the county for physical examination, and he can report to Urumqi in a few days.

After breakfast, everyone will leave for different places-Liu Jie and his party will continue to go north to Shihezi, and Mike's second brother and I will take a ride to Nilek, a nearby town, and then go to Tex in Bagua City via Gong Liu. Such a fate naturally makes people reluctant, but the road always goes on, so we can only embrace each other and cherish each other. Goodbye by fate.

Raiders tips:

There are no tickets for Tamboura Scenic Area.

Accommodation is directly in the tent-style homestay of herders, all inclusive.

# Dooku Highway #