life - A frugal traveler gets to Urumuqi

I have missed actually all of the travel adventures of the frugal traveler in the New York Times until he got to Urumuqi, the capital of Xinjiang, and appeared on Michael's weblog and thus on my radar. Very funny descriptions and a good eye for the many changes that take place, although the train story does sound familiar - apart from the hygiene that seems to have improved.
Hilarious becomes his exchange in the most famous expat bar in the city, the Fubar:

I needed a drink myself, so I went to Fubar (1 Gongyuan North Road, 86-991-584-4498), a dim, friendly saloon run by Western expatriates, where I met a European businessman working on the Sheraton project. Why build a Sheraton in Urumqi?

“Honest to God,” he said, “I have no idea.”

Neither did I.

Next the frugal traveler will visit Beijing and Shanghai, so keep an eye on him.