Welcome to the least densely populated country in the world. It was no surprise that crossing from China into Mongolia was like stepping back in time a couple of years – although it has its benefits. No more constant police checks, no surveillance cameras every few meters, and surprisingly much better grocery stores. Finding nutritious food in Chinese stores was surprisingly difficult. I crossed into the country in the West, near a city called Bulgan. After stocking up on foo

Notes about cycling across Xinjiang/China, coming from Kyrgyzstan: – entry was smooth, friendly border officials who even spoke English– great road surface & cell phone reception everywhere– signs in Chinese & Uyghur (Arabic script)– cameras & fences almost everywhere– modern police stations even in tiny villages– Western Xinjiang has a beautiful reddish mountain landscape– frequent passport checks, sometimes 3 minutes, sometimes 30.– great food again! also cheap, less than $