2 April 1999 – We left Yining early and drove until 1 p.m. when our translator Mr. Yuan suggested we stop for lunch, which we rarely do. In a roadside ‘restaurant’ for lack of a better description (strip of 10-15 food stalls lining both sides of the highway/road), we ate noodles with stir-fried lamb and vegetables. Bread, about the same size as a small pizza but a much tougher consistency and loose-leaf tea concluded our meal. Parked just off the road, the yellow Millennium Mercedes drew a crowd of young children and tire-kicking old men.