Gobi Desert: Urumqi, China

Urumqi is in the Guinness Book of World Records for being the city furthest away from any ocean or sea. My urban adventure getting to this bustling city in far north China seemed to highlight its remoteness. After almost 30 hours of travel, including a delay in Harbin, China due to a sand storm in Beijing, I am required to navigate through various baffling conversations in the Beijing airport in order to execute the final leg of my journey. Here is a typical example of just one of those many conversations:

"Can you tell me what time my flight leaves for Urumqi?" I say to yet another eager young woman from Air China.

After checking her computer screen she takes my ticket and writes down a time.

I try and clarify, "so my flight leaves at 1:30?" gesturing to her handwriting. She looks at her own handwriting again, and then at me, and confidently declares, "maybe."

I have heard this word many times since my arrival in China and I am not clear as to its meaning here. So once again I try another tactic. "Which gate will this flight leave from?"

After more inquiring with the computer another number is written on my ticket. She has to circle this number, as there are many.

I point to clarify, "to Urumqi, Gate 25?"

She replies with the now familiar, "maybe."

I sigh and, for my own sake, decide to summarize my experience thus far in China. "So at some point today, my flight will leave from one of the gates in this terminal."

Pleased at my newfound understanding of the situation she smiles triumphantly and says, "Yes!"

Arriving in Urumqi over a vast and stunning landscape of sand, rivers and snowcapped peaks I am less one piece of luggage - the one that houses all my race food. Through an array of "maybes," I have been able to retrieve my bag just in time for our departure today to the race site.

I am craving the simplicity of being in my head for several days of racing while surviving with only the goods on my back.

Back at you from the desert.

Terri