Spring of northern country vol.1

3:00am. The taxi that I took is now runs on the express way of Urmuqi, Xinjang China.
Introduction of music I familiar with is played from the car radio. It takes a while before I remember the title.
Yeah. It's old Japanese pop song "Kitaguni no Haru" (Spring of northern country) I expected the song would be started in Chinese, although it does in Japanese. Woman's vocal. I remember the original number was sung by male singer. So who is she? Moreover I'm surprised midnight radio program plays the old Japanese popular song.
Any way the music choice is perfect for the spring night of Xinjang.

My flight from Almaty of Kazakhstan had 2 hour delay. The taxi pick up in front of the Urmuqi arrival had a long long waiting line. When I was hesitating to lined up in row, I found a bus beside. A woman was selling the ticket.
I asked her pointing on a map if the bus passing by the government building where my hotel would be nearby. She told me in fluent Japanese. "Are you Japanese? Take it. This bus will not go there in exact. But you can pick up a taxi in the city. It's the best way for getting there. Don't worry. I'm gonna tell the driver to let you off at the connection point. OK?" Exactly it looked better than standing in the long waiting line for the airport taxi .

I got off at the bus stop the driver told me. There was another passenger who got off there. He gave away the taxi he found for me. What's going on this relay of kindness?
I safely sat on the back seat of the taxi. And now I'm listening "Spring of northern country" by unknown singer from the car radio.

The taxi gets off the Express way and stops in front of the government building. 3:30am.
I have looked for the hotel I booked for a while. However cannot find it. I think the map is so much rounded up. I regret that I didn't show the exact address of the hotel to the taxi driver.
On the early morning vacant street, I find a passer-by. A young Uighur guy in his twenties. I show the address to him. "I have no idea. Better to take a taxi"
Yeah, it must be the best way although I just got off the taxi. I thank to him. Without any moment, he comes back to me saying something aloud.
"Hey, you have money, uh?" Gosh, he must ask the money for his assistance. "Mo...ney?"
"I'm asking if you don't have money to take a taxi" I'm relieved. Looks like I meet another person of kindness. "Yeap, I do" If I say no, so what he would do for me?

Fortunately, I find a taxi which just dropped passengers nearby. As it turns out, the hotel is far from the area I was looking for. Nevertheless it's in the early morning, the taxi is not taken high extra charge and run squarely with the meter. Once I show the address, the driver take me to the hotel easily.
I got really bad experience by Kazakhstan's hustled illegal taxi. So the professional attitude of the Xinjang changes my bad stereotype for the taxi driver.

4:20am. The hotel is a kind of designer's hotel. A fashionable one you can often see any big cities in China now a days. A receptionist has slept and my booking must be canceled. Coz I get huge delay.
However the receptionist is standing by. She is talking to her boy friend in a candle light. She finds me and salutes, surprisingly in Japanese,"Konbanwa" She explains hotel facilities quickly also in Japanese. I go to bed safely at 5:00am. Long day.