Wednesday, June 24th - Tash Rabat - Kochkor

As noted in my last blog, this was an early morning for me.  I was awake at 5, 5:30and 6 so finally decided to get up for good.  It was a cool brisk morning in the mountains but because the sun was shining it didn't feel all that cold.  Of course I was still dressed for a winter's day.

I wondered around and took some pictures of Tash Rabat and the surrounding landscape.  At times the dogs would start barking and you knew there was someone or something coming over the horizon.  At one point it was a herd of horse with one lone herder on horseback.  At another point it was a huge herd of cattle accompanied by three riders on horseback and several dogs.  The dogs on our side of the creek definitely let them know that they weren't to cross over because we were already there, and they didn't.  The dogs are not your usual brand of herders.  They just seem to be a mix of anything imaginable in various sizes and shapes but they do get the job done.

Breakfast was at 8 and it was a porridge that was sort of like cream of wheat.  They didn't put milk on it though but rather their great jam and/or butter and/or sugar.  I ate the first half plain and then added some raspberry jam to the last half.  There were small pancakes - ladkes, which were too greasy for me, and of course there were breads and cookies and more jam and candies for dessert.  And lots and lots of tea, which seems to be all they drink at meals.

At 9 a.m. we packed up and started our 4-5 hour drive to Kochkor.  The first part of the drive back to the main road was rough but okay.  The main road is a nice road but through the pass and in several other places it is under heavy construction so at times it was pretty rough and rocky.  My motion sickness settled in so for part of the drive I was feeling queasy and was very grateful for every break we got.    

The scenery was absolutely amazing.  Everywhere you looked you wanted to take a picture.  Beautiful green pastures and rolling hillsides with streams flowing through them - all dotted with herds of sheep, goats, cattle, horses - and high snow-capped mountains in the background.  We started out at over 3,000 metres and after the pass went down to 2,000 metres so still on a high plateau.  The whole country is beautiful and high and the mountains are never far from view.

At one point we went by a low wall about 6 ft high.  Apparently the first president of Kyrgystan was going to sell that section of the country to China and was fencing it off - a not-so-great wall of China  The people revolted and took to the streets so he resigned and the sale never went through.  The second President tried some strange things as well and this time there was another revolt where the people took to the streets.  This time was not so peaceful though and 70 people were killed.  Eventually he did resign though and now it seems like normal politics - some good and some bad - but the presidency now is restricted to six years.

Our guide was telling us that in some areas the girls still get married very young and have families.  Bride kidnapping still continues as well but is not as common or as accepted.  Marriages are generally arranged by the parents but sometimes the young people choose their own.  A dowry is required in all cases.  All family members and friends must be invited to the wedding so there are often 300-500 guests.  Families are very close and there are lots of family gatherings that everyone must attend  - weddings, funerals, circumcisions,   As a result, the Kyrgys seldom travel outside the country because they are too busy with various family commitments.  And guest are always welcome and always treated with respect.  Even if you are a stranger and show up at their door you will get the best chair and bed and food and be welcomed warmly.

They own their own land.  Because of the altitude and climate in this area, the only crops they can grow are potatoes and hay for the animals.  The pasture land is good though and they are known for their horses.   Our guide told us all about their horse races.  The Buskashi (?) has horsemen racing and trying to get a sheep's head to the finish line.  This one was described as very bloody with a lot of pulling and grabbing at the head while riding.  There was also wrestling on horseback where the riders were oiled and slippery.  Another race had the females on good horses and the males on slower horses and the males have to catch the females and kiss them.  If they don't, the females get to whip them.  Our guide had pictures of these races and we all agreed that the female doing the whipping was enjoying herself way too much, but it was all in good fun.  They apparently have big nomad horse games where these events take place.

I forgot to mention that at Tash Rabat we met Rustov, our guide for the rest of our trip inn Kyrgystan and Uzbekistan.  He is from Uzbekistan so could not meet us at the border crossing.  Today we had both Rustov and Mikki, which was really nice as they booth had lots of stories.  Mikki is from Kyrgystan so she did most of the talking today.

We were commenting on how green everything was and now we are also seeing small flowers (yellow, blue, white, ...) - even some dandelions, which they of course make into jam and use as medicine much like a mustard plaster.  They seem to use everything for medicine.  Anyway, apparently our timing is just right.  Before May/June the area is brown because it is too early for new growth.  In July/August it is often too dry and hot so often brown, and in the winter it is covered in snow and -20 degrees Celsius at times.  I'm glad we came when we did.

Some other tidbits: The hills are mainly clay and sandstone.  They have an earthquake almost daily but nothing over 3 or 3.5.  The mountains are "new" age-wise and as a result the landscape is constantly changing.

Along the way there are small towns and villages.  The homes are 1-2 storeys of brick/stone/mud construction and they all appear to have court yards behind their fences.  

We arrive in Kochkor around 2 p.m. and it is a small town but appears bustling.  We go to our homestay and it is amazing.  There is a six foot wall all around and a big courtyard.  They raise chickens and grow roses and have some herbs and plants growing in pots.  There is a covered outdoor seating area that could sit a dozen easily.  Inside there is a kitchen with stove and fridge that goes off to the right with their living quarters behind.  To the left is the bathroom which is very modern and much bigger than mine at home.  The dining room can easily sit 10 and has a very modern cabinet at one end that is full of china and glassware and a TV.  There are three bedrooms in this area and that is where we are sleeping.  They too are very large and comfortable so this will be a great stay.  There are grandparents living here, at least one of the daughters, and at least five children/youth, whom I assume are grandchildren.  Another  daughter lives and works in Moscow so the grandparents look after the children.  Everyone is very friendly and they appear to be very healthy and happy.

CBT Homestay is a community based tourism organization that helps families offer their homes to travellers.  It certainly works well for travellers and I assume the extra money helps the families.  I'm not sure how they cope if some of their family members arrive to stay with them while we are here but I'm sure they manage somehow.  I highly recommend it if you are travelling in this area.

We had tea when we arrived, which literally is just tea with jam and bread or cookies.  And of course the desserts are always present.  For dinner we had salad (lettuce, cucumber, tomato all sliced finally with spices; a soup with potatoes, beef and vegetables; and dumplings that were very large.  We each got 5 dumplings: 3 chive and 2 meat.  There was a chili sauce available to go with them and some yogurt.  They were delicious but I couldn't get through more than 4 of them.  Desserts were still there too so I did try some of the chocolates and they were wonderful, as expected.

In the afternoon between tea and dinner we went to a felt carpet-making workshop.  When we got there at 3, they were full with other tours so we just looked around the shop and came back.  We took turns in the shower or relaxed for a couple of hours and then the rest of the group went back at 5 for the demonstration.  They said it was very interesting and they really enjoyed it.  My stomach and head were still whirling from the drive so I chose to stay behind and rest.  Given the loveliness of the homestay it was a wise decision and I really enjoyed the down time.

After dinner, we talked for a long time with our guide entertaining us with stories about his previous guiding adventures.  Shortly after 9 we were all ready to call it a night and by 10 I think we were all in bed after another wonderful day in Kyrgystan.

Tuesday, June 23rd - Kashgar to Tash Rabat

This morning we were up and packed and had breakfast and were ready to go by 9 a.m.   We had a 2 - 3 hour drive to the border in Turogart Pass, and then another 2 - 3 hour drive from there to our destination.  All that doesn't sound too bad but we have to go through several police and immigration and customs check points and apparently the waits can be long.

We did make one stop in town as most of us had Chinese yuan to exchange and we needed Kyrkystan som.  We just pulled over on one of the main streets and the driver yelled at an older man in a trench coat and he came on board with his calculator and pockets full of money.  My 1100 yuan became 8800 som.  We might have been able to get a better rate somewhere else but we definitely could not have found better service. I don't normally make use of the black market when travelling but this one was just fine.

The first part of the drive was very quick and on a great highway that doesn't yet even show up on google maps.  Then we turned on to a smaller highway.  That turned into a mass of potholes and washed away road bed.  The driving was ridiculous and there were always big semi trailers coming at us from the other direction.  A couple of times we had to stop to let them by before we could proceed, and once we  had to back up.  It was definitely a bumpy road and one of the worst I've driven on, and I thought I'd seem them all.  The only good thing was that it was warm and dry.  Obviously the water and cold do not make this road easier to travel so I wouldn't have wanted to be in that kind of weather.

The scenery was changing all the time.  Once we were out of the city we had some green land and small fields.  Then we had barren dry land with signs of industry in the background.  There were hills in the background and eventually high mountains appeared.  There were also some very wide river beds but very little water flowing through them.  The houses along the way were mud brick and one storey.  Some times they were on their own and sometimes in small towns.  There were very few people anywhere around.

At 10:30 we arrived at our first check point but we were too early and had to wait until they opened at 9:00 local time -  the two-hour time difference again.  There were dozens of money changers there waiting to make us a deal and I was very glad we had already taken care of that in Kashgar.  We were the first ones through when they opened at 9 a.m. and we were on our way again by 9:30.  We had to take all our belongings and walk through the check point then re-board the bus but the process was pretty easy.   The check point after that we were just waved through.  

At this point we were still in China but it was more like no man's land.  The road was terrible.  There were still some wide river beds with only small streams but the road had obviously been washed out in places.  And there were beware of water on the road signs in many locations.  There were a few very small villages with brick and stone houses.  There were  also a couple of small villages where the houses were all brick and all built and painted exactly the same.  We figured that was likely a building project of some sort where the government had relocated some village.  Thankfully there was very little traffic on this narrow two-lane road which often had sheep and goats crossing or wandering down it.  As we were in a mountainous area near the end there were a lot of S curves and sharp corners where the signs showed a horn so you had to honk to make sure everyone knew you were coming around the corner.  And our driver literally did use every inch of the road so it was good not to meet anyone along the way.  The whole ride was fast/slow, left/right, to/fro so my motion sickness was definitely kicking in.  Sitting in the back seat of the van probably didn't help either

At 2 p.m. we arrived at the final check point before the actual border and we waited for over an hour and a half to get through.  The police could very easily and quickly have cleared the two automobiles in front of us and our bus since we were leaving China and had already cleared customs and immigration, but instead they decided to work on an old double decker bus coming into China.  They made everyone get off of the bus and they had to remove all their stuff.  Some of it had to go through the portable x-ray machine.  Some of it had to be opened and it was confiscated.  Some of it was taken but then they were allowed to bring it back.  We assume a bribe or two was provided.  The people on the bus looked like they were just moving to China they had so much luggage.  And they had big jugs of honey - at least 5 quarts in size - and honey cannot be brought into China.  Cherries are not allowed either and there were boxes of them - and cigarettes, also banned.  It was really quite amazing to see all the stuff they had and how they had it packed into the bus.  Big boxes and cases came out of the upper windows and then had to be crammed back in.  And we had lots of time to watch the process and a great view because we were right beside them going the other way.  Obviously the police or check point people (at least 10 of them involved at this point) really don't mind if foreigners see them tasting the wares that are not allowed to be brought in or treating some people differently than others or just wasting everyone's time by sitting around laughing and talking while we all waited.  Luckily we have a very patient group so had no problem waiting.

Breakfast had been at 8 a.m. and it was now approaching 4 p.m. so we were a bit peckish so we ate a lot of cookies and nuts and crackers and drank a lot of water.  While waiting we also used the facilities (I hesitate to call them washrooms), walked around, did some stretching and just stared at the border guards as they went through the bus.  We even got to see it rain and snow/hail while we waited, but only briefly.  Eventually they finished with the bus and then we think they took a break (well-deserved I'm sure) before finally getting around to us.  As expected they just opened the gate and we got our bags, said goodbye to our China guide and driver, and walked across the border to board our new van and meet our new guide.

What a difference a border makes!!!  Kyrgystan seemed wonderful right from the beginning.  The driver and guide were smiling and friendly even though they had been waiting since 11 a.m. and it was now well after 4 p.m.    Mikka is our new guide and she is bubbly and full of information.  The road is no better but the driver is good.  We still have about a 2 hour drive to get to our destination, which was the bad news.  The good news was that they are on regular time (not Beijing time) so we had to move our clocks back 2 hours, which meant we would still have time at our new place when we arrived. 

The scenery is breathtaking and seems totally different that what we've just seen in China.  Everything is green and lush looking in the valleys and the hills are wonderful shades and shapes.  There are high craggy mountains closer to the road and snow-capped mountains in the distance.  Tina spotted a marmot and that was exciting for her and then we saw lots of them so she was thrilled.  There were sheep, goats, cows, horses, and even yaks along the way.  The rivers even have lots of water in them.  Our guide tells us that this is just Kyrgystan and you will have a beautiful scene around every corner.  We already believe her and we are definitely taking a lot of pictures.  Kyrgyystan is higher than the surrounding countries and the higher elevation makes it cooler, or should I say colder.  Snow at the border crossing should have been our first clue or an elevation of 3,700 metres!  By the time we arrive at our destination we are pulling out fleeces, coats, tougues and gloves.  And the air is so clean and fresh after China - even with the animal smells.

Our campsite is directly across from Tash Rabat.  I thought Tash Rabat was a town or city but no, it is just an ancient stop on the Silk Road.  The area is the home of a small community of Kyrgyz nomads high in the Tian Shan mountain range.  There are lovely green rolling hills all around and in the distance you can see snow-capped mountains.  There is a small river running through the area anad the water is very cold.  There are sheep and goats and cows wandering all through the place and in the midst of all this are 10 to 12 yurts and a couple of other buildings.

We have four people in one yurt and three in ours.  There are four singe beds in each yurt.  When you are in them in the day time, enough light gets in that you can see.  They are made of a wood frame covered by hides held together by felt straps.  Each one has a small stove in it and they burn dung in the evenings to keep the interior warm.  The beds have heavy blankets on them to keep us warm but there are enough spaces around the bottom and in other places that the cold air can get in.  The door is made of heavy hides sewn together and is rolled up during the day.  At night the door comes down to keep the heat in.  It was definitely cool when we got there and I had my shirt, a fleece and my jacket on, my head band and jacket hood on my head, and my tights under my slacks.  I was comfortable but if the wind really started blowing it was cold.  We knew it was going to get colder and they thought maybe even down to freezing.   Compliments of a generator, we had lights from 8 to 11 p.m.  Toilets were outdoors of course but once it was dark, any quiet spot outside seemed more inviting.

Once we were settled in and dressed, we walked over to tour Tash Rabat.  Built in the 12th century, if I remember correctly, it was a major caravan stop for goods coming from China through the pass.  It is one main structure that looks big from the front but small from the back as it is built right into the side of the hillside.  There is an arch entry and a long hallway leading into the main common room which has a fire pit in the centre under a high dome.  Branching out in all directions were other corridors.  Some led to jail cells (pits in the ground covered by grates), some were sleeping areas, storage areas, and even one escape route tunnelled out the back in case of attack.  Aside from the main rooms, many of the ceilings and passageways had low ceilings.  It was certainly a structure that would have been warm and safe for weary travellers.  The animals generally stayed outside in a pen but if it was too cold, they too would be invited in.

Following our tour of Tash Rabat we had a few minutes to explore before dinner.  I have to confess that I didn't go far as I was finding it hard to breath just walking up the hillsides.  I guess thee elevation was too much for me even though I don't think it was much more than 3,000 metres.  

Dinner was at 8 p.m. in one of the buildings and there was hot water there for washing and plugins for charging cameras or cell phones as well.  Dinners in Kyrgystan consist of salad, soup, main course and dessert and a lot of the food (like the desserts)) are set on the table from the very beginning.  We had cucumbers and tomatoes and a light spring noodle salad, followed by a delicious soup with meat, potatoes and vegetables.  The main meal was a noodle dish with some vegetables and maybe some meat and cheese (it was hard to tell).  I do know that it was delicious and the whole meal was a great change from Chinese food.  Desserts were sweets and chocolates lots of jam (raspberry, strawberry, black current and cherry) on various pastries.  Their jams are absolutely delicious and I don't even like jam.  They even put jam in their coffee to make it sweeter and they consider jam to have many medicinal values.  I'm not so sure it isn't just a great way to get some more sugar.  Regardless, it was a great meal and we were certainly satisfied when we left the table.   Oh, we also had two other travellers and their guide with us for dinner and we really did have a great time.  Vodka is the drink of choice here so with their vodka and our wine and beer we had a good time and a lot of laughs.

We went to bed about 10 (midnight Beijing time) so we were tired.  The fire had been started and the door closed so the yurt was warm.  However, in my bunk I still felt cold so I couldn't get to sleep right away and I awoke many times during the night so didn't sleep well.  I got up shortly after 5 to go to the bathroom.  It was already too light so I had to go to the outhouse.  I had just got settled back into bed and drifting off when the alarm went off at 5:30.  It was set for 7:30 but I forgot to change the from Beijing time so 7:30 became 5:30.  Then I was just going back to sleep when suddenly the sun rose and was shining directly in my face through a small hole in the side of the yurt so at 6 a.m. I figured I might as well get up and face the new day - the subject of another blog.

Monday, June 22nd - Kashgar

Today is our extra day in Kashgar due to the closing of the border crossing.  As a result we got to sleep in and relax a bit before heading out at 10:30.  We did not have a bus scheduled so we just walked to the old city, which was perhaps a half hour from our hotel so not too far.  And 10:30 Beijing time is really only about 8:30 so it also wasn't too hot yet.

The old town has been partially torn down.  It's hard to tell whether it was by earthquake or simply fell down or whether the Chinese government tried to take it down.  The people who live in the old town have been there for centuries and they own their own homes, which are passed down to the next generation.  China has built them flats to move into but they don't want to move  Chinese people can buy a house or apartment through real estate but they can only own it for 70 years and it can't be passed down from generation to generation.  Besides, the homes in old town have character and the new flats are pretty generic and boring and all the same.  I don't think I'd want to move either.  However, we did wonder just how long the old town would survive before the government tried to do something to change the area.  There are high rises and modern buildings and the wonderful lakefront all around them so they really don't fit it - but they do add character.

We wandered the narrow, winding streets for about an hour and a half.  We went into a couple of homes and into some shops.  All of them were small by North American standards but very livable.  Their sleeping quarters were very small.  Many had a courtyard or open area where there was a day bed or stools to sit on.  Some of them had great views of the lake and city from these rooms.  Several of them had an upstairs and I went up one.  The ladders/steps were pretty steep and rustic and I wasn't actually sure they would hold me.  However, I made it up and down.  Upstairs was their day room with day bed and canvas awning for shade, a couple smaller rooms for storage, and it looked like they did their cooking upstairs.  One of the units had a lovely  courtyard with potted plum trees around it for shade.  They were obviously quite well off as they had a fridge in that area and a washing machine off in one of the sun rooms.    One of the homes even had a small TV in one of the rooms so obviously they have electricity.  They also have running water as we saw a toilet at one home.

I guess the best way to describe it is that it's just a different way of living.  The residents all seem happy - but never want to have their picture taken - and their homes are very neat and clean.   We found the area very dusty but there is not much you can do about that when you are living in straw and mud brick homes.  They had carpets on some of the floors but not all.  The children were very shy but beautiful and polite.  The fruit and vegetable seller drove a motorcycle with cart on the back up and down the wider streets so they had deliveries almost to their door.  They seemed very content and that's what counts.

From there we walked down and across the bridge to catch a taxi to the Idgah Mosque, which was built in 1442.  The mosque is in the centre of a large square so has a prominent location.  Perhaps because it is so old, it doesn't have the traditional high minaret or the same shape or feel of many mosques.  The outside is yellow in colour, with white trim and some other colours occasionally.  It has a square entrance, which is also unusual but does have some arch details as well.  Inside the gate there is a lovely garden area with lots of shade, the side rooms for ablutions and the main mosque area for prayer and lessons.  Only men are allowed in this mosque to pray and apparently that is the same all over China.  The women must pray at home.  With prayer mats inside, outside on the balcony, outside in front of the park, throughout the complex and out into the square,they can accommodate a very large crowd.  The really big crowds off thousands occur for festivals.

We then wandered the streets and looked in some of the shops for a while.  It is definitely a Muslim neighbourhood - more Arabic than Chinese - so everything is quite different.  For lunch we went into a restaurant and had some kebabs, rice and what we thought was naan but it turned out to be a meat pie sort of like a Cornish pastie.  We can't read the Chinese or Arabic so we have to go by pictures.  Despite the fact that it wasn't what we thought we were getting it was delicious.   The meat was beef and very tender.  The kebabs were mutton - a bit fatty but good.  The rice also had mutton in it and came with some plums, grapes, chick peas, cucumbers, etc.  Overall it was a great meal and cost less than 20 yuan each or $4.

From there we came back to our hotel for some time on our own, and met again for Happy Hour in our room to eat up all the food and finish off the beer and wine before crossing the border tomorrow.  After Happy Hour, our Chinese tour guide flew home and we went to a local restaurant for dinner.  We thought we would go down to the lake and eat at one of the many restaurants down there.  However, when we got there everything was taped off and you couldn't get into the area at all.  We never did figure out what was going on but turned around and headed back toward the hotel.  

We found a restaurant a couple blocks from the hotel and decided to give it a try.  It was a Muslim restaurant so no beer or wine with dinner tonight.  However, they did serve us at around 9 p.m. even though their main business arrived  after sunset.  The tea was good as usual and a couple of us had fruity drinks that seemed like water, sugar, maybe some fruit juice and then a lot of fruit (plums, raisins, figs, apple slices and pear slices.  It was very good but we really just had to hope that the fruit was washed in purified water and that purified water was used as the base.  If not, we may regret it.  Dinner was another point at the picture to identify the dish and then use your fingers to tell them how many.  We had noodles and sauce, which was very good.  We had kebabs, some of which were good and some that were a little tough.  We had some naan bread and we a bean dish which was very interesting with garlic and ginger and crisp, dried, fried peppers (at least that's what we thought they were), peanuts and bits of meat.  It was very tasty.

After dinner we walked home, had a short visit and then went to bed for our last night in China.  Tomorrow we're off to Kyrgyzstan, a night in a yurt followed by a night in a homestay.  It should be interesting.

Sunday, June 21st - Kashgar

This morning we got to sleep in a bit, which was really nice.  We are here for 3 nights because of the border closure due to the Dragon Boat Festival holiday.  That means we have more time and can tour around more leisurely.  Kashgar is also at the very west of China so by Beijing time the sun rises around 8 and sets at 10:30 so everything here happens later than you might expect.

It is also Ramadan right now so that adds a complication.  This area has a lot of Muslims in it and they of course cannot eat or drink after sunrise and before sunset.  That means that even some of the restaurants are not open during the day.  The Chinese restaurants are open though so we will be fine.  The restaurant here at the hotel is open for breakfast from 8 to 10:30 a.m. Beijing time, then lunch from 11:30 to 2:00.  Something follows that in the afternoon but I don't remember what it was called and then dinner is from 8 to 10:30 and supper from 10:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m.  The folks who were out walking until just after 11 p.m. last night said there were lots of families down at the lake and the little kids were playing in the water.  It was still very warm - probably well into the 20s Celsius - so although they say it is cool in the evenings it really isn't.

Okay, back to today.  We had breakfast at the hotel and it was mainly Chinese food.  I had some fried rice, vegetables, buns, etc. and then also a fried egg, toast that wasn't really toasted and some yogurt.  There was a lot of other food available as well but I don't think I tried anything else.  It was good and it was certainly enough to keep me going.

At 10 a.m. we got on our bus and went off to the animal bazaar.  Before we even got there we knew we were heading in the right direction.  There were big trucks and little trucks, motorcycles pulling carts, horses trotting along side vehicles, etc.   The bazaar is outside and the area is quite large.  There are huge sections for sheep and goats and for cattle,  a much smaller section for donkeys and horses.  The cows looked very healthy and well fed, and the bulls were huge and healthy.  They in particular did not look too pleased to be tied up and having people poking and prodding them.  The sheep and goats didn't look as impressive but they looked healthy.  Again there was a lot of poking and prodding going on but they didn't seem to mind.  It was interesting to see a farmer come in with sone animal - probably what he had to sell in order to feed his family or keep his farm going.  

Some farmers (and I'm assuming they were all independent farmers as opposed to brokers) came in with a half dozen head of cattle and dozens of sheep and goats.  Negotiations were generally quiet and done by hand signal but the prices seemed high.  If our guide was correct donkeys were selling from $300 to $600 and the cattle were going for a lot more than that.  Given how much meat you get in a restaurant when you order a dish, you would think the meat was cheap so I'm not sure these figures make sense.  We walked all through the bazaar and had a lot of strange stares but generally we were easily accepted.  Most of the farmers appeared to be Muslims of Arabic ancestry, as opposed to Chinese, so that would explain the fact that there were no pigs for sale.  The buyers were sometimes buying for their own farms to help build up their stock and sometimes buying for the meat.  At the sides of the bazaar there were people killing the animals (which I didn't actually see, thank you very much, so I can't tell you how it was done) and the skinning and gutting them and selling the meat.  From what I could tell, they certainly don't waste much.

There were also stalls for people selling farm supplies like ropes, fertilizer, feed, etc. and they seemed to be doing a good business.  There were a few food places - mainly bread, vegetables and fruit.  Aside from a few dozen obvious tourists like ourselves, the buyers and sellers were mainly male, and there were hundreds of them of all ages.  I saw maybe half a dozen women at various times, as well as a number of children and young men with their parents.  It is a Sunday and obviously a very popular bazaar for everyone.  Later as we were driving away we saw another smaller market which seemed to only have birds - probably a good idea to have them in a different place.

After the bazaar we drove to the Apak Hoja Mazar, which was built in 1640.  This complex is farther out of the city and in a vey green area.  There are several very old mosques of various size on the property - not very ornate but certainly functional for the time.  There are lovely gardens and ponds and park areas between them.  There is also one very big mosque or hall which holds 72 tombs of Hoja family.  Apak Hoja was a 17th century missionary and 5 generations are buried here.  The most famous person. Xiangfei, is one of his female relatives who was chosen as a concubine of the Emperor in Qing Dynasty.  She rose through the ranks to become Imperial Concubine, which is the highest level, and her claim to fame was her smell.  Yes, that's right.  Her natural body perfume was well known and pleased the Emperor.  As a result, the place is more commonly known as the "The Tomb of Fragrant Imperial Concubine".  For more information on her you'll have to check on google - something we can't do from here as google is banned in China.

After we got back to the hotel we went around the corner for a quick pizza lunch, which was okay but not great.  I don't think they can believe how little we eat.  Three of us shared a pizza and didn't even finish it.  They wanted us each to order one.  The people at the next table had a full meal which started with a large bowl of ice cream.  Yes, they eat that first.  Then they had salad and soup and something else I couldn't identify.  And those were the side dishes that came with their main course, which was a steak, two eggs and pasta.  That seemed to be the standard luncheon fare and this was in a Chinese restaurant.  We are going to have to try it at some point but it certainly seemed to be too much for lunch.

After an hour rest to recharge batteries - both ours and our cameras, phones, ipads, etc. we were off to the Grand Sunday Bazaar.  The Bazaar was huge and had virtually anything you might want: men's and ladies' clothes, socks and nylons, belts, shoes, coats, hats - both winter wool and religious, curtains, bedding, carpets, jewelry, bags and purses, stationery, toiletries, spices, fruit, vegetables, etc.  My particular favourite was the shoe repair guy because he fixed the strap that goes around my suitcase, which the airline broke on our flight in.    He was fixing shoes for a lady but interrupted that work to sew my strap, and he had others waiting as well.  He used an old hand crank machine but it certainly seemed to do the trick, and he charged me 3 yuan.  I gave him 5 yuan, which is only about a dollar, and he was very happy with that.  I was very happy to have the job done and so quickly!

The stalls were all full to the rafters with merchandise and the colours in the materials were so vibrant and shiny.  It was a hot afternoon so some of the merchants were sound asleep in their stall.  Others had their children with them and they were very cute.  It started to storm while we were there and it was a torrential downpour.   We headed to the central part where it was dry but the sound of the rain on the aluminum / tin (?) roof was almost overwhelming.  The merchants with wares not totally under cover very quickly covered their goods or moved them to drier places.  The drainage system couldn't keep you with all of the rain so some streets and alleys were flooded. As we left we had to step through quite a few puddles but we survived.  We figured the water was good for washing the potential waste from the animal bazaar from the bottom of our shoes anyway.  The cutest part of the visit was the two little girls who jointly carried a small pail to the drain in their beautiful sparkly white dresses.  Then they would return to the stall to remove the one pail from under the pipe while they put the now empty pail in its place and repeated the process.  They really were cute, a great example of teamwork and of helping the family business as dad was busy selling his goods at the time.

While the bazaar was interesting, it was also very relaxed and laid back.  No one hassled you or tried to sell you anything, and only the main entrance corridors were busy.  It was quite different than any other bazaar I had been in and didn't seem quite right.  I sort of missed the noise and bustle of the other bazaars but this one was certainly interesting to see anway.

We returned to our hotel to change and have our happy hour before heading out for dinner at the old British Embassy, which is now a restaurant.  This was our last dinner together in China with our tour guide as he leaves us tomorrow to fly home and we head on to Kyrgystan and a new guide.  The meal was excellent - Chinese since we were there at 8:30 (before sunset when Muslim restaurants open).  We had a private room and the walls were very ornately decorated, and the view of the city was lovely on the balcony off our room - although it was too hot out there to stay for very long.  The British left after WWII when their "invitation was revoked".  The building then went to other embassies and eventually became a restaurant.

After dinner we went for a walk down to the lake - probably about six blocks from our hotel.  It is a lovely facility and they have walkways and piers and lots of room for people to enjoy the area.  There were lots of families out - even at 10 pm and the children were definitely enjoying the water.  Our hotel is right beside People's Square with a big statue of Chairman Mao and a heavy police presence.  This area has in the past tried to break away from China so now China polices it quite heavily to ensure there are no demonstrations or unwanted activities.  

We got back to our room about 11 and that was the end of another wonderful day - much more relaxing than some of our previous ones.

Saturday, June 20th - Turpan to Kashgar

We were up early,checked put and on our way by 8:30 for our 3 hour drive to the airport.  Turpan was just starting its day and there were people sitting outside at local restaurants, the vendors were setting up to sell tehir fruit, vegetables and spices, High school students were on their way to school - many of them from out of town were going to write the graduation exams.  Some of them stayed at our hotel and they were definitely a studious group, whereas I had expected a bit of noise throughout the night.

Outside the city we ae back into very flat, barren land that looks like nothing could possibly grow.  In the distance there are hills and on the one side some high snow-capped mounatains.  By translation they are the Sky Mountains but I don't know what range they are part of.  Occasionally wind farms with hundreds of turbines dot the horizon.  At times it takes a half hour to drive past them.  Sometimes we see factories or smelters belching out smoke in the distance, the obvious sign of some sort of mining or extraction that fills the many large trucks on the road.  It's another very beauatiful day with blue sky and some fluffy white clouds.  It's already very warm and likely to be another 100 degree day so its a great time to be in an air conditioned bus.

The hills got closer and we eventually went through a pass, only about 1200 metres according to my camera.  After that we got into a broader valley with streams flowing through it and looking very green and lush in places.  There was a small dam in one area which created a lovely cool-looking lake.  Sometimes the surrounding hills looked like sad mounds of rocks.  At other times they looked more like sand dunes, and sometimes they looked green.   

We eventually arrived in Urumqi, which is a large city of 2.3 million.  We did not stop in it but rather just drove through to the airport.  Now driving is a topic for discussion.  We had a wonderful driver for this leg of the trip and felt very safe with him.  They drive like maniacs all over China, at least from our perspective.  They dart in and out and change lanes and drive on shoulders if they are available.  The horn is used on a regular basis to warn the vehicle in front of you that you are coming through so they'd better get over.  It seems to work for them.  We've seen a few minor fender-benders but nothing bad - unless you consider the one watermelon truck that lost his load.  That was sad.

We are now just waiting for our flight to Kashgar or Kashir as they call it.  I believe the flight is only a couple of hours so we should still have time to tour around when we get there.  Our schedule has changed a bit because we can't cross the border into Kyrgystan on the day that was originally planned because the Chinese side of the border is closed.  Believe it or not, the border guards all get a day off for the dragon boat festival.  Can you imagine closing the US/Canada border every time either country had a holiday or festival?

Friday, June 19, 2015 - Turpan

I think I am finally tired of overnight trains.  We boarded about 10:30 and tried to go right to bed.  Because we are now farther west but China has only one time zone, it's hardly even dark by the 10 p.m. lights out order.  Anyway, a lot of us got on at our station and it was a bit confusing finding some of our bunks, especially since people were sleeping in them even if they weren't supposed to be.  The train started somewhere about 20 hours further south so there was no guarantee that our bunks hadn't been slept in along the way and we were prepared for that.  However, we weren't expecting people to still be sleeping in some of our beds.  It really is an amazing system and it seems to work really well for the locals.  It just takes some adjustments on our parts to be comfortable with it. 

We were to get off at 5 a.m. we thought, but it was much closer to 6.  We had been warned about that the night before so no big problem - other than it was still early for most of us.  Nothing like lugging suitcases up and down stairs when you are half awake!  I don't even know the name of the place we got off at but we Canadians considered it kind of like Ft. McMurray.  Most of the passengers getting off the train were male and blue-collar workers.  It was definitely an industrial town, although we never figured out what industry.  The landscape was barren and looked like it had already been processed for something.  As we left the town, on the side of the road there must have been 30 huge trucks loaded with something under cover.  As we drove along we met a continuous parade of similar vehicles heading into town.  And they were going very slow but we finally figured out that was because they were climbing up hill and we were going down hill but at a slow consistent grade.

We had about a 50 minute drive to get to our hotel in Turpan, which seems really nice.  However, we're not really sure about the hourly rates that are posted and the condoms provided along with the other bathroom items.  Shampoo, conditioner, shower cap and condoms.  Who would have thought it?  We all had a great laugh about that.  We have also had a great laugh about many of the signs we come across.  The English translations are priceless but right now I can't think of a single one.

We tried to rest until about 11 a.m. since most of us didn't get much sleep on the train. Our first stop was to get lunch (although we never really had breakfast) and we just went down the street to an outdoor seating area.  The temperature was perfect and there were very few people there yet so we had a very quiet and peaceful lunch.  We ordered individually and it was amazing how good everything looked and tasted.  Most people had noodles.  The package of noodles arrived at the restaurant while we were there - six inch disk of perhaps 4 feet of noodles.  Some folks remembered to go watch the lady spin and stretch and swirl the 4 feet of thick noodles into many, many yards of thinner noodles.  Their pictures were great.  Some of us had rice and I personally had the cashew chicken dish that I like at home.  It was huge and it was delicious.  We all tend to try everything on the table, which is good.  There were hordes of cashews instead of the two or three you might get back home.  There was also a lot of chicken which was unexpected because up until this time in this western region we've had very little meat in any of the dishes because meat is so expensive.  And when we did get meat it was barely edible.  We still haven't seen animals other than lambs and goats so I'm not sure where the meat is coming from.  And supposedly Turpan is the place where spaghetti was invented.  Who knew?

After lunch we went to the Jiaohe Ruins at Yar City.  Jiaohe sits on a fish-shaped or boat-shaped island at the convergence of two rivers.  In the 1st century BC it was a very important place on the Silk Road.  As the administrative capital of the district, all travellers whether on the north, south ot central route had to come here to register.  At some point several centuries ago the Muslims attacked the city and everyone was killed including over 200 babies whose bodies were later found in one location.  They don't know how they died or who killed them, only that they all died at the same time.  

Today all that is left of the town are partial walls and pathways.  They know which are the temple remains and which are the residential or business areas.  There were some agricultural areas at one time but nothing remains of that now.  The island rises in the centre and from the top you can see the very rich agricultural land on the other side of the rivers.  It's quite a desolate area but still very impressive with all the wall structures in pale sun brick colours

Our next stop was at the Karez Water System museum.  The system is quite amazing given that it was developed over 500 years ago and is still in use.  The system starts with wells from 5 to 100 feet in depth and there were/are rows and rows of them on the hillside.  Then there are both hidden and open trenches running between the wells.  The trenches were 100 m to 25 km in length and 1-2 m in width and depth.  The museum showed the men down in the wells and trenches digging them.  The walls of the wells were square instead of round because with round walls the diggers got disoriented and didn't know which way to dig.  And to keep things level they used a suspended stick as a simple plum line.  It's quite a simple but ingenious system and has served the dry, almost-desert area well.  Through the many irrigation trenches they are able to grow an abundance of crops including grapes for wine, and everyone has water flowing near their home for domestic purposes.  The museum also had a display of the grape drying sheds and the bars they were dried on - also very ingenious.  They were dried for 30-40 days and the "raisins remain green and fresh as newly picked up grapes."

Our last stop was just a short one to see a pagoda but it was at at the Imin Mosque so I'm not sure why it wasn't called a minaret.  Perhaps it's just a translation issue.  Anyway, the grounds around the mosque were very plain but nice, and the mosque inside was also very plain.  The pagoda or minaret was very unique in that the stone work on the outside was different all the way around and up in various patterns.  With the sun shining on it, it was quite spectacular.

We then had time to return to the hotel and freshen up and rest before happy hour at 7 p.m., which was in one of our rooms and consisted of a lot of different things we were trying to finish up before our flight tomorrow.  Then we walked to dinner - a new BBQ place the guide had heard about.  It was a longer walk than expected and the place was just a parking lot with tables and chairs setup and various vendors BBQing around the outside.  Some of it looked disgusting but some of it also looked good.  However, we decided to not take a chance since some of it was already prepared and then sitting out for who knows how long and there were flies all over it.  We walked some more and ended up back where we had lunch.  They provided us with another great meal, which we enjoyed sitting outside until 10 p.m. and it was still light out.  This one time zone in all of China that really covers 5 timezones makes for some interesting day and night time hours.

I should add a couple of other things here.  The temperature was still hot tonight and unless you were in the shade you were sweating.  We figured it was close to 40 degrees celsius today.  Second thing, the price of food is very reasonable.  We eat lots aand, in actuality, never finish all of the dishes which is frowned upon here as being very wasteful.  Tonight we had plain rice, fried rice, dumplings, shredded pork and garlic, and the cashew chicken again.  The five of us eating this food had to each pay $33 or about $6.00 Canadian.  And that includes tea to start and at the end, as well as several big bottles of beer.  We probably could have found something cheaper or sometthing more expensive but why bother when the food is great and the price is right.

Well it's now time to go to sleep.  My room mate is already in bed as she's feeling a bit under the weather.  I guess I should be nice and let her get some well-needed rest before our journey continues tomorrow

Thursday, June 18th - Dunhuang to Turpan

This morning we had rain but it didn't last very long and wasn't very hard.  We never really got wet at any time, but did have to watch our step at times.  The rain certainly  refreshed everything and that was nice.  We had breakfast and checked out early and went on our first adventure of the day.

The Mogao Grottoes are a UNESCO World Heritage Site and they are quite amazing.  They are caves in the side of the mountain and they were built over a timespan of 10 dynasties.  There are 750 caves of varying sizes and they all have contain different items.  In the early 1900's after their discovery, a lot of the caves were looted - sometimes by archeologists taking the items back to museums around the world and sometimes by common thieves.  As a result, a lot of the original material is no longer at the site.  Also, some of the caves collapsed or deteriorated over the years and are no longer passable.

We went into 6 to 8 caves.  We couldn't take pictures so I'm not going to remember all of them now (several days later as I write this).  The largest cave contains the beautiful Great Buddha and that sitting statue is over seven storeys high and very impressive in shiny gold.  Another cave held a sleeping Buddha, which was also very beautiful and, while certainly not as high, it was definitely longer.  There are thousands of tourists around in various groups with their tour guide shouting instructions so it got a bit crowded and hectic in the individual caves.  Outside there was a large walkway and a huge museum and park area so much more room to separate the groups for pictures and explanations.

Some of the smaller caves contained different buddhas.  All of the caves were very ornately decorated.  Some of the colours were fading and oxidizing but you could still see most of the colours.  Some of the statues and murals had been at least partially restore in the late 20th century but with the original colour.  In some of the caves you could still see how vibrant the blues and reds and yellows were on the ceilings even while the statues and walls were lighter.  The smaller pictures were sometimes of other buddhas or important religious people, or of the benefactors who helped build the cave originally.  Sometimes the pictures told stories, which once explained to us, were easy to see.  Of course if you were Buddhist, they probably made more sense than they did to us.

The tall Buddha was seven stories high and the main pagoda reconstructed at the front of the cave was five stories high.  The head of the Buddha was always two stories above the original facade, and it was the large head that was originally discovered, not the caves themselves.  The caves are two and three storeys in places. and there are wooden walkways around them.  Pictures in the museum showed what the caves looked like in 1908 (I think).  The walkways and stairs are a bit more substantial now, which is good considering how many tourists are traipsing around these days.  The museum or exhibition centre is very good and shows original and current pictures along with explanations, details on archeologists who worked in the grottoes, the restoration process, and of course the history of the Grottoes.

After the Grottoes we got dropped downtown and some of us went and got a pizza, which took an interesting period of sign language to order, and went down to the river walk to eat it in the shade of the gazebo.  We then walked further down the river and crossed on some rectangular stepping stones across the top of a small dam.  I made it okay but personally did not think I was going to make it so it was not exactly a fun experience - especially when we met someone along the way.  I was having trouble enough on my own without having to share my stepping stone with someone else.  The area was very nice and there were even smaller stepping stones going out to pagodas in the middle of the river.  I didn't try those but it did make for a nice little area.

Once back at our hotel we freshened up and repacked our suitcases/backpacks to prepare for the next part of our journey.  We had a 10:30 overnight train to catch but we had to catch the train in a small town about 3 hours from where we were.   The bus ride was good and we managed to reach the train station with lots of time to spare.  I would describe the countryside along the way as level to rolling hills.  There was some barren land but also some fertile fields.  The fields are small and the crops were varied. 

At the bus station we experienced the worst toilets of our trip so far.  The ladies' toilet was a dark room with two rows of cubicles - one on either side.  Down the middle of each row there was simply a trench sloping slightly to the one end.  We very quickly learned to go to the cubicle at the far end on the right.  That way you were at the start of the trench so "nothing" was floating past under you, and because there was a slight crack in the window so you got a bit of a breeze. 

Eventually we left to get on our train, laughing that it was going to be nice just walking straight out on to the ramp instead of fighting with stairs.  Well, boy were we wrong.  There were three flights up and three flights down just to get over track one to get to track two, which we were leaving for.  And everyone was trying to do it all at once because they wouldn't let you out early, but you had to get on the train on time.  And of course our car was way down at the end so it was quite a hike with all our bags.  Eventually we found our bunks and settled in for the night.  We were on our way to Turpan and all was well.