Kashgar 7th - 10th May
The train journey was 24H and very comfortable. We now feel in the swing of things when it comes to Chinese transport. Sleeper trains really are fantastic, you fall asleep at A and get up for B! Very simple logic I know but you can't beat it. I managed to read and entire book in the evening we got on the train 'Walk across America' - a book that was actually given to David but he didn't mind. During the journey david taught our two bed buddies how to play suduko, they didn't speak a word of english and he got the point across by using our manderin phrasebook, they where hooked - excellent!
The journey took us through mountains and ended up in desert. In the morning the train passed through a number of villages that had noticably just been bulldozed - we tried to question our new friends but they wouldn't say. We have a thoery (from what we have been reading about) that they where involved in the heavy handled events of 1990. Kashgar was first emptied of foriegners who could bear witness, the border with Pakistan was closed due to 'landslides' on the Chinese border and then the army was sent into pacify the town. The minorities here tolerate the chinese rule, a statue of Mao stands in the Peoples Square to remind them of who's in charge but it seems that they just carry on reguardless, e.g. the whole of China has the same timezone: here this is ignored and they have their own local time. At our time of visit the sunrose at 08.00 and would set at 22.00, during the height of summer the sun doesn't go down till 02.00! It is said the Xingjiang (this province) has recieved treatment worst than Tibet on ethical grounds, it's just been very hush, hush.
Kashgar is untouched by tourism, of course there are main attractions, but you really feel alone as a western traveller in the town. The locals are extremely welcoming and friendly, all the kids greet us hello!, those who know a little more have a brief chat. "Welcome to Kashgar!" one lad shouted.
David and I spent an afternoon hanging around on a corner near a local hang out, within 10 mins the old guys across the road offered us seats in the shade and we chatted (no english) about our families and themselves - one of them was 102!! Later in the week we returned to that spot to say Hi and bye, all the guys where there, we tried to tell them we had just had a fanatastic meal but I think they all thought we had come by to tell them I was pregnant! They where over so joyed we didn't try to explain, a small misunderstanding that was best left.
We have made friends here with a couple and have decided to treat ourselves to a jeep for the day with them. The destination was a lake on the Karokarom Highway, it took 3H to get their on dirt tracks along rivers and through mountains. We where all awe struck with the scenery. It was the second time we had seen snow in China, the lake was freezing, I did try to paddle but lost all feeling in my feet! The surrounding mountains are said to have roles in local folklaw and one is to be 7000m, the lake itself stands at 3900m. The lake was beautiful but commercialised with pony and camel men nagging for rides.
It was a good day to chose to leave Kashgar for the day as terrible sandstorms hit the town, so bad no flights where leaving! We had previously booked a flight to Chengdu with Swanson and Train that was too leave on the 10th - our anxiety was not helped by stories like the last time it was this bad no flights left Kashgar for 2wks! We have again chosen to fly as we are short on visa time and it would take about 5 days to reach Chengdu from Kashgar - just check out the distance on a map.
The journey took us through mountains and ended up in desert. In the morning the train passed through a number of villages that had noticably just been bulldozed - we tried to question our new friends but they wouldn't say. We have a thoery (from what we have been reading about) that they where involved in the heavy handled events of 1990. Kashgar was first emptied of foriegners who could bear witness, the border with Pakistan was closed due to 'landslides' on the Chinese border and then the army was sent into pacify the town. The minorities here tolerate the chinese rule, a statue of Mao stands in the Peoples Square to remind them of who's in charge but it seems that they just carry on reguardless, e.g. the whole of China has the same timezone: here this is ignored and they have their own local time. At our time of visit the sunrose at 08.00 and would set at 22.00, during the height of summer the sun doesn't go down till 02.00! It is said the Xingjiang (this province) has recieved treatment worst than Tibet on ethical grounds, it's just been very hush, hush.
Kashgar is untouched by tourism, of course there are main attractions, but you really feel alone as a western traveller in the town. The locals are extremely welcoming and friendly, all the kids greet us hello!, those who know a little more have a brief chat. "Welcome to Kashgar!" one lad shouted.
David and I spent an afternoon hanging around on a corner near a local hang out, within 10 mins the old guys across the road offered us seats in the shade and we chatted (no english) about our families and themselves - one of them was 102!! Later in the week we returned to that spot to say Hi and bye, all the guys where there, we tried to tell them we had just had a fanatastic meal but I think they all thought we had come by to tell them I was pregnant! They where over so joyed we didn't try to explain, a small misunderstanding that was best left.
We have made friends here with a couple and have decided to treat ourselves to a jeep for the day with them. The destination was a lake on the Karokarom Highway, it took 3H to get their on dirt tracks along rivers and through mountains. We where all awe struck with the scenery. It was the second time we had seen snow in China, the lake was freezing, I did try to paddle but lost all feeling in my feet! The surrounding mountains are said to have roles in local folklaw and one is to be 7000m, the lake itself stands at 3900m. The lake was beautiful but commercialised with pony and camel men nagging for rides.
It was a good day to chose to leave Kashgar for the day as terrible sandstorms hit the town, so bad no flights where leaving! We had previously booked a flight to Chengdu with Swanson and Train that was too leave on the 10th - our anxiety was not helped by stories like the last time it was this bad no flights left Kashgar for 2wks! We have again chosen to fly as we are short on visa time and it would take about 5 days to reach Chengdu from Kashgar - just check out the distance on a map.
posted by David at 10:19 am
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