From Bole to Sayram Lake

I arrived at Bole Alashankou Airport via China Express Airlines. Upon arrival, I collected my luggage at the carousel and was then approached by the police, who asked where I was going and where I would be staying. There were shared taxis waiting at the airport, with a fixed fare of 20 yuan to Bole city. Upon arrival in Bole city, I was met by unlicensed taxi drivers trying to solicit passengers, which was quite annoying. When I checked into the hotel, the police came again and asked detailed questions about where I had been in China, writing everything down on paper. After that, I used Baidu Maps to check transportation to Sayram Lake and found that there were buses departing from 'Bole Talah Station'. However, after waiting at the bus stop, no bus came. I noticed a sign at a nearby shop that said 'Bole-Sayram Lake', so I asked the shop owner, who arranged a ride via radio. The fare was 20 yuan one way, 40 yuan round trip. After a while, a shared taxi arrived. Upon reaching Sayram Lake, I was told that the entrance fee was 144 yuan and that it would cost 600 yuan to go around the lake. Since this was too expensive, I said I only wanted to stay for an hour at one spot, and was quoted 150 yuan. Even after negotiating down to 120 yuan, it was not accepted. After the driver got the ticket and before passing through the gate, he told me to 'squat down!' I did as told but found it suspicious. Later, I checked the ticket the driver had hidden and found that he hadn't bought a ticket for me. The driver had a yearly pass, so he got in for free, pocketing the 144 yuan. I thought I would take photos of the lake for an hour and then leave, but I ended up waiting for about two hours as the driver tried to solicit more passengers for the return trip. The lake was beautiful, but the experience left a very bad taste. If you plan to visit Sayram Lake, I recommend going from Yili instead.