Week 11 - China

We were on the road again the following morning to break the long journey to the Chinese border. It was warmer lower down the mountain and although the site was pebbly it was more comfortable to breathe at the lower altitude.

On way to Chinese border

Our journey towards the Chinese border was broken at Narin where we used up the rest of our Som buying delicious noodles for lunch and nibbles in a local store. The road took us across barren plains and the scenery was desolate but still amazing. On arrival at our camp site, it was raining heavily and in a break we quickly put up the tents. At one point a vicious squall blew in causing Aiofe’s tent to disappear over the ridge and it was funny to watch Denis and her carrying it back up the hill. Our tent was weighted down by all our backpacks and luggage so did not move much. However it became warmer and we were able to eat outside. A family came to visit and we were able to get rid of the final pair of fairy wings much to Jim’s relief.

Very early start for a long border day. We went through numerous checkpoints and departed Kyrgyzstan through a desolate place at the top of the Torugart Pass. Obviously this is a place that you are sent to if you do not behave yourself. It was then a 100 km journey through no man’s land until the first of the three Chinese border posts. It actually went quite smoothly although numerous people checked and rechecked our passports. My bag was inspected as I still have a large quantity of pills but once I explained they were not interested in seeing my doctor’s prescription. Eventually we were in China. The scenery was immediately different with more trees and shops and motorbikes to look at. The temperature rose and we were shedding our cold weather gear. As we approached Kashgar, the traffic became heavier with crazy three wheel cars carrying huge amounts of baggage and motorbikes carrying whole families. On arriving at the Seman Hotel we were pleased to find comfortable rooms, in fact extremely ornate rooms. The bathroom didn’t quite match the standard of the bedroom but had hot water which was more than welcome after several nights bushcamping. Dinner was at John’s Café in the grounds of the hotel. This hotel is quite famous and appears in many books about the region and the café is a place that backpackers meet to swop notes. My sizzling chicken with peanuts was wonderful and it was lovely to eat something that did not involve dumplings for a change.

The following day headed out with Wendy, Colin and Melissa to the Karakorum Café for breakfast. The town is rather interesting with its large population of Uighar people. I bought a jade necklace as the area is famous for its jade. The mosque did not look that interesting and as it was prayer time we could not go in and look.

Little Uighur girl in antique shop

Man cleaning the jade necklace that I bought

Outside antique shop

The market had a hat street where Melissa bought a great hat for her brother and we then wandered around the other streets of the market.

Goat cart in city square

Little girl in market

Unsafe building practices

Eventually we came to the Old City where we were lucky to get Murat, an excellent speaking English guide, who showed us around. I was obviously in a spending mood as I also bought myself the most beautiful rich coloured pashmina which I am sure will be extremely useful in the future! In one of the houses we had our photos taken with a 92 year old lady who makes her living by having her photo taken with tourists (10 yuan = £1).

With 92 year old lady

Murat playing traditional instrument

Ladies making dumplings

 Dinner that night was taken in a restaurant down the road where we adopted the point method and ended up with the most wonderful dinner which cost us each 20 yuan and we were so full we could barely move. I am going to enjoy China.

Delicious dinner

The next day Melissa and I went back to the café for a smoothie and I got my dress shortened while I waited. We found the old British Consultate which had been turned into a Chinese restaurant but I went in anyway and had a look around. Behind our hotel was the old Russian Consulate but it was all locked, barred and bolted unfortunately.

Getting my dress shortened

Old British Embassy now a Chinese Restaurant

Old Russian Consulate

Motorbike taxi in central Kashgar

Pigeon soup street

 In the evening some of us went back to the Old City where Murat had organised for us to have a meal in the house of one of the richest families. It was a veritable feast with plates of dried fruit, nuts, crackers and cake to start with. We then had bowls of yoghurt and a spicy salad, followed by noodles with vegetables and meat, followed by rice with vegetable and meat, followed by meat on skewers, followed by watermelon and cantaloupe and as much green tea as you could drink. The ladies of the house danced for us and encouraged us to get and dance with the young men who had to come to watch the fun. After dinner Murat and a friend of his joined us and told us about their lives and the history and culture of the Uighurs. It was a memorable evening.

Dinner in the old town

Dancing at dinner

Early start for our long journey across the Karakoram Highway. This was going to be a 1500 km journey through desert so probably not something most of us were looking forward to that much. My stomach was playing up again so I slept most of the way and was pleased to arrive at camp when I crawled into my tent and slept soundly till the following morning.


Awoken by rain and violent wind for an early start to continue on our trek across the Karakoram Highway. I was feeling better thank heavens but sat at the back of the truck in the “sick bay” just in case. Landscape was dry, barren and uninteresting and later in the day became high sand mountains and quarries. There is huge amount of roadworks taking place and therefore much quarrying. It was hard to tell what was man-made and what was natural. We reached Turpan late and crashed straight into bed.

Ornate bedroom in Turpan