K M Cheng-Travel Journal: My 29 days Free & Easy Visit to Northern Xinjiang (Urumqi, Fuyun, Beitun, Altay, Burqin, Jiadengyu, Karamay, Kutuin, Yining, Nalati & Tekes Baqua City), China Aug 9 > Sept 6 2026 Day

Urumqi Tianshan International Airport
Xinjiang, Chins (06.26)

Hong Kong International Airport
China (16.05)

Kuala Lumpur International Airport
(KLIA 1), Malaysia (01.29)

Day 29 Sunday Sept 6 2026 (Urumqi & Hong Kong, China) - early hotel check-out (06.00) & took a DiDi (CNY59 = Rm36) from the hotel to Urumqi Tianshan Airport for our return flight back to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (5.5 hours transit in Hong Kong); flight time 10.10 > 16.05 (Urumqi > HK) & 21.30 > 01.30 (HK > Kuala Lumpur. Upon arrival in KLIA1 & after all the protocol & luggage collection, we e-hailed a Grab (Rm65) to Subang Jaya & I gave a lift to Boon & drove him home ! A long day & night indeed ! Home Sweet Home at last !

1) In-flight meal on board the Cathay Pacific Airline (Hong Kong, China > Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia), filling & tasty especially the lemon chicken rice & Haagen Daz ice cream !

2) Wating lounge & boarding gate at Hong Kong International Airport for Cathay Pacific flight from HK > Kuala Lumpur.

3) Observation Deck, Hong Kong International Airport, China - a glimpse of Hong Kong International Airport (Terminal 1) by night !

4) Sky Deck, Hong Kong International Airport (Terminal 1), China - a short rest at the Sky Deck & admiring the airport surrounding from a viewing platform while the sun sets !

5) Welcome to Hong Kong, premier duty free outlets, international fashion houses & cosmetic shops, Sky Garden (smoking area), Caring Corner, food & souvenir shops, window shopping in HK International Airport etc.

6) Aerial view of Hong Kong island from the plane's windows.

7) In-flight meal (chicken rice) on board the Cathay Pacific Airline (Urumqi > Hong Kong, China)

8) Urumqi Tianshan International Airport - airport & luggage check-in, issuing of boarding pass, immigration clearance & security check etc

9) DiDi ride from our Urumqi hotel > Urumqi Tianshan International Airport.

Day 30 Monday Sept 7 2026 (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia) - arriving in Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA 1), Malaysia (01.30) - to all Malaysians, welcome home & for foreigners, Selamat Datang to Malaysia ! Usual protocol for all arrivals ie immigration clearance & luggage collection (unfortunately my travel buddy's luggage never arrive & after checking with the KLIA authorities, there was a mis-step & his luggage was holed up in Hong Kong airport & we were told that the luggage will be put on to next flight & will be delivered to his house hopefully by tomorrow afternoon !), e-hailing a Grab car (Rm65) from KLIA 1 > Subang Jaya, Selangor & giving a car lift to my travel buddy staying in Section 14, Petaling Jaya, Selangor (15 minutes drive from Subang Jaya) ! By the time I retired for bed it was 04.30 ! Sleep well, KM after "roaming" eleven (11) cities / county towns in the wild wild north & west (dry & arid desert & grasslands) of Xinjiang in the late summer & early autumn month of August / Sept 2026 for 29 days ! But as our Grab car drove us home, a hazardous hazy weather greeted us & needless to say, we all look forward for the haze to clear soon ! Another of my China Dream free & easy travelling has been accomplished & fulfilled - a great outcome for KM !

1) After a little LIFE Pleasure & Sightseeing in Northern Xinjiang, China & upon my return, I & my wife together with my brother Weng + spouse & sister Inn, Peng & Mei hosted a lunch (Rm267 = US$65 for a table of 10) in F4 Fish Head Restaurant (my favourite eating place), USJ, Subang Jaya, Selangor for my Singapore brother Hong's family (Jennifer & Bryan) who was on holiday in Kuala Lumpur from Sunday Sept 6 to 10 2026; good food, good company & good mood (also celebrating my return from Xinjiang, China), all of us enjoyed savouring the steamed ginger paste fish head, Hokkien mee, fried duck egg pork spare rib & deep fried squid (sotong), braised pumpkin taufu, stir-fried sweet potato leaves, 4 heavenly king (mixed vegetables) yong chow fried rice + white rice + a pot of hot Chinese tea. I am no foodie but these food on the table were palatable & tasty & really suite my tastebud ! Finally I am back to eating Malaysian style & home cooked food vs Xinjiang food after roaming the wild wild desert landscape of northern & western Xinjiang for 29 days (Aug 10 > Sep 6 2026) !

In closing, this Xinjiang Aug 2026 free & easy trip was a great accomplishment to me (at age 76) in my world of travelling thus far (21 years of intermittent & consistent travelling, well documented in my travel blog except the Covid years of 2020 & 2021) - here are my 4 Xinjiang pictures taken in May 2006 (my maiden visit to Xinjiang & Gansu), Sept 2025 (Southern Xinjiang & Gansu) & Aug 2026 (Northern Xinjiang) Vs a MATTA Fair Sept 2026 publicity & ad on Silk Road, Southern Xinjiang & Northern Xinjiang package tours. Pictures said a thousand words - KM, you reap what you sow especially your passion in travelling ! Well done ! Travelling after retirement has immensely shaped my day to day retirement LIFE, memories & experiences ! One of my travel buddies asked me after this Northern Xinjiang trip - KM, What's next ? I grinned & said let nature take its course & I will continue to do the things I enjoy most as long as I am healthy & able even though I am now in my twilight years !