♥怡: bonding with nature(　◜◡‾)(‾◡◝　)

Fish <')))><–Xinjiang has a lot of different species of fish. One of the most popular was the 小白魚 (I don't know the English name) because there was so many that the river overflowed with them. However, maybe a couple years ago, the Japanese (not sure if it was the government or a private company) imported their own species of fish to be bred in the waters of Xinjiang and that fish killed off all of the 小白魚 to the point of extinction. And the worst part is the Japanese then refused to take back the fish because they grew "too big" and were not the size they wanted. So now China is trying to get rid of their fish, but they have such high vitality that it's impossible to get rid of.

The tofu served here is made traditionally (with some sort of chemical that is toxic if not used properly, which is why most tofu is not made this way nowadays), so it has a certain taste to it. Though the restaurant we were are specialized in fish, I enjoyed the tofu the most!

For the next couple of days, we are going on a road trip around Altay Prefecture♪~ The drive was really long, but the scenery was beautiful! and we stopped at various places which allowed me to grow intimate with nature♡(๑・‿・๑)

切木尔切克石人，石棺墓群
A graveyard of the ethnic people's royalty.

We passed by many fields of sunflowers on our drive. Of course, I couldn't contain myself and stopped in on one of the fields. We all know that I like flowers, but sunflowers are my favorite☆(✿◖◡◗). Just looking at them makes me really happy because they always look like they're smiling back at you.

The sunflowers here don't grow the seeds we eat as snacks, rather, they're seeds used for producing oil used for cooking.

But what I found strange about these sunflowers in particular was that they all faced away from the sun. Later on, I found out that the sunflower seeds from this field were imported from America and for some strange reason they turned out to be this way. Mutated genes, maybe?

Next to the sunflowers was a watermelon field. Again, these watermelons are not the red ones we eat, but ones full of seeds used for planting more melons and growing more watermelon seeds.

As we continued driving, we passed by many other fields of corn and wheat, etc. Finally, in the late afternoon, we reached our first rest stop, which is actually an airport. Some people prefer to fly here and drive from this point since it's closer.

It's a very small airport, which seems to me to be good for only helicopters and private planes. I don't think I really like the idea, though. Yes, I understand that not everyone has the time to drive all the way here, and I agree that with planes allow of more people to come, but all of this comes with the sacrifice of clean air and the environment. A lot of the people who live in these mountains still live a primitive life. As someone born and raised in the city, it's hypocritical for me to say that I wish everyone could live like them since I can't give up electricity and running water, but I always wished that people could take better care of the earth.

Fresh fruits! Xinjiang is rich in a variety of fruits, such as watermelon, cantaloupe, tomatoes, grapes, apples, and pears.

Oh, and fresh fruits is another one of my loves ♥ ‿ ♥

Since Altay is located at the northernmost part of Xinjiang (or rather all of western China at that), the climate is pretty cold (with summer temperatures peaking at around 85°F). Winters are harsh and even single digit to negative degrees can be considered not cold. Therefore, those people living in the mountains that have no heating system need to rely on physical materials such as animal hide to keep warm. I'd say this is a fairly environmental practice, as they don't waste any part of the animal at all.

As souvenirs, they sell various things, such as this fossilized scorpion and preserved bird.

They also have these really cute hand-crafted items.

奶疙瘩／奶酪: These are strained dairy products. Besides meat, the lifestyles of the ethnic people are heavy in dairy. Since they don't have access to many processed junk food, they make their own snacks. These are truly the most natural and organic products you'll find, with no preservatives, no additives, etc. They come in many different degrees of hardness. Generally, the harder it gets, the more sour it is. And the milk is not always from cows; they use lamb milk, horse milk, and even camel milk.

From this point on, we begin to see a lot of yurts and cattle. Cows, horses, flocks of sheep running loosely and feeding on grassland–seeing all of this was like I entered a whole different world. Sure, I've seen it in movies, but actually being with them allowed me to experience a feeling I cannot describe in words.

Finally we reached Kanas, which is actually known for Kanas Lake. Kanas is not really a city or town; it is like an area in the Altai Mountains between Burqin and Kaba County in Altay Prefecture in the Xinjiang Region (yes, I know China's geography is complicated).

Well, we ended our day here at our hotel, which is fairly new (I don't remember this being here ten years ago!). Last time I came here, we stayed overnight in a wooden cabin and Mongolian yurt.
Everything here is solar powered so be sure to shower while the sun is out! Well, that isn't such a big problem, since the sun sets at 10pm(・o・) in Xinjiang (since China doesn't have Daylights Savings Time).

snow-covered tips of the mountains

Wasting food is never okay, but if you waste food here, you are committing a big crime (in my eyes)! because all the ingredients are transported from the city, hours and miles away. Think about how much time, money, and labor you are wasting and disrespecting by throwing out leftovers! As I always say, don't order it if you can't finish it.