After spending a day in minfeng we realised it was not much more to do. We managed to visit the museum in the evening and the director even told us to go to next city. So of to bus station we went to buy a ticket to cherchen / qiemo the following day. Well, it was quite not that simple. Apparently there are no buses starting in minfeng so only option is to wait for a bus passing through and that they have seats. Slightly discouraged by the news and lack of willingness to help from the people in the mutation we instead statred they next day trying to hitch-hike. Only issues was that our destination was 300 kilometers east with barely any towns in between. Cars heading that direction was therefore few if any.

After lunch we went back to the bus station and did a new try with the very impolite lady that just started to ignore us after first question and pretended we were not there. By being persistent we learned the following: Only two buses a day, one from hotan and one from yutian, passes through and seats cannot be reserved in advance. After bugging the lady for a few hours (and her boss) they seemed determined to get rid of us. They finally called the bus driver and arranged two seats for 80 rmb. After waiting two more hours we had a bus, although only one seat, so I had to sit next to the driver on a carpet for 4.5 hours. Not too pleasant to be aware that if any thing happens, engine starts to burn (I sat on top of it) or bus hits something, I am the first one to notice it.

With a sore butt and pain in my lower back I still had a good trip where i tried to either chat with my neighbours or go through unanswered emails.

Arriving in cherchen we had a good dinner and did a walk around the city center.

Niya / Minfeng was far smaller then expected. An old guide from central Asia traveller with a lot of information (in contrast to lonely planet which skipped it) gave many good tips. Only problem is that things seem to have changed. The advertised bus to the shrine of Mazar Imam Jafar Sadiq did no longer exist. We spent almost an hour trying to find transportation to there. A guy at the bus station, could have been a taxi, offered to take us there for rmb 200 but a lot of people was unaware how to get there. Even some local authority, whose tourist brochure we found in hotan, claimed when we called them there were buses to the shrine from the bus station. In the end we found a helpful Chinese guy ay zhejiang hotel who arranged a car, still for 200 though but felt more trustworthy than the first one.

The 90 km trip to the shrine took an hour through beautiful desert, with sand dunes all around where strong wind made the sand behave as ghost-like spirits moving from dune to dune and crawling over the road, disappearing just when the car reach them. The highway continues across the desert, a challenge as the desert keeps moving, and along the road are rows of trees and bushes in an effort to hinder the desert from coming in over the road.

Upon reaching the small village of Kapakaskan, the desert once again changed form and green vegetation emerged with the help of niya river oasis. At the end of the village was a checkpoint, and we had to search for someone to allow us to continue the last 5 kilometers to the shrine. As a very holy place we not only had to pay 50 rmb per person, but also leave cameras with the man and have our passport details recorded. Arriving at the shrine there were about ten people resting in the shadows and we were told to wait for the man responsible so he could show us around. Sleeping just a few meters from us a lady finally took the initiative to wake him up. We first went to the mosque, a simple looking building with area for prays, and then wandered around among  old buildings behind it. A bit further away below a sand dune was some ancient buildings 700 years old where dining areas was still well preserved. Outside the building was an area were animal  sacrifices were either done it preferred. At least was there remains laying on the ground. Scattered around the area were also graves with interesting decorations in the form if branches and trees. Above the building on top of the sand dune was the holy shrine and end destination for pilgrimages. Unfortunately, our visit came around 15.00 during Ramadan and we was explained that they could not go up there before they have had food which they would in the evening, and we were not allowed to venture up alone. With a slightly stressed driver and many hours to wait we went back to the city instead.

Back in town we tried to post some stuff to shanghai but neither honey nor knives were allowed to be sent in a package. Being told in the airport that knives are not even allowed in check-in luggage I make the conclusion that knives are not supposed to be carried at all and we will see if my handmade knives from yingisar will be confiscated later on or not.

Dinner was spent with a Chinese guy we ran into on the street trying to find transportation to our next destination.

Happy with hotan we continued east with bus another 300 kilometres to Niya (Minfeng). A nice newly made road where some parts had been destroyed by either sand or flooding.

Reading the travels of Marco polo I found out he also took the same route in Xinjiang before going into Mongolia.

Bus was the smallest so far with far from enough leg space. There was an option of private car but for the double price of 80 rmb I thought ut was not worth it. I might have been wrong. Still, after two hours in the road the neighbours started to chat and ended up having dinner with one of them. He also helped us find a hotel and we bought some fresh fruit on the street.

Hotan’s Sunday bazaar rivals the one in kashgar, but the best part is the lack if tourists. It was a pleasant chaos that stretched over a large area and even out in the streets where motorcycles and horse or donkey carriages where transporting everything from people to wood. It is organised into different areas for different products such as carpets, hats, scarf etc etc

Close to the bazaar is a small jade workshop, one part where they have eight stations making jade jewelry and an other with jade for sale. Hotan is full of street stands selling jade or at least jade looking stones. Not having a clue how to tell the difference we spent some time in the workshop looking at everything from small stones from qinghai mountains for one hundred rmb to white hotan river jade bracelets exceeding 80,000 rmb. As usual, after seeing really good jade you cannot but cheap ones so ended up buying a simple necklace of white hotan jade from the kunlun mountains for a somewhat higher price than planned….

After two weeks we have started do some souvenir shopping and after stocking up on home made jam and honey, next mission is to find a post office and send it all to shanghai.

Arranged through CITS we went on an overnight desert trip. Insisting on not having a guide with us they seemed to involve two more locals for safety reason so all in all we were a caravan of five people and seven camels.

Close to the area where we met up with the camel driver was the famous Rawak Stupa, an ancient Buddhist temple in the middle of the desert. Before only accessible by 4WD car + camel, today by newly made tarmac all the way as a side track of the new cross desert highway. We were informed by the travel agency a permit to visit was needed to the cost of RMB 500 per person. Considering it at first we then skipped it as to expensive. Upon reaching the camel caravan, one guy talked to our driver and translation went something like: if we want to visit the temple the guy can arrange a permit for RMB 200 per person. This as some bosses are away and you can avoid some costly bureaucracy. Wanting to visit it we gave it a try. We rode the camels for about an hour to the backside of the temple. There a sanddune had moved so it covered the fence surrounding the area…..all in all, although it was fascinating with the fact of an old Buddhist structure in the desert, it was not much more than a pile of mud resembling some kind of building. So it was a disappointment and not worthy that much money, especially not RMB 500. But of course it us of historical value.

The ride continued for another half hour to some larger sand dunes where we camped for the night. It was a few minutes of painful walk after spreading your legs over a camel back one and a half hour. Enjoying some water and naan bread on a blanket we spent the night enjoying the silence and looking at the clear sky and all its shiny stars. Surprisingly there was some small rain in the morning.

Location of our camp:
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=loc:37.36393,80.16222(I+am+here+-+37+21.835+N+80+9.733+E)

After a night in Yarkand the trip continued to Hotan (also called Khotan or Hetian). The road was far from as good as advertised and once again, majority of it under construction (probably destroyed due to flooding). Next to it was the new railway that soon will be in use.

Famous for its jade and silk we spent the day visiting an old workshop where I bought a nature colored handmade scarf. Thereafter we joined the locals searching for jade at the river. Seeing people looking for jade by the river bed, probably day after day, and knowing how many farmers who have gone bankrupt, you cannot stop feeling sad. But the feeling of just a slight chance is intoxicating and even I dug in for some time. Day was finished of by exploring the bazaar and shopping a local hat and hand-made knives.

Impression of Hotan is good and people are friendly and curious. Also here a lot of fun taking photos of people. And food is great, especially the bread that has even more different kinds here.

Leaving kashgar was with a surprisingly large dose of relief. The town is widely praised in literature and guidebook talks how different it is. For me it was an interesting place but unfortunately ruined by its people.

Overall, Kashgar had an ambience of aggression, tension and mistrust in the air. You often saw people screaming to each other or running out of cars to pick a fight, and heavy equipped military patrolling wither by foot or in trucks equipped for riots was a common sight. The only friendly people you met in the town was all trying to get money from you by telling you how difficult things are, that the road is bad or permits needed etc etc. We also had a few days of frustration with the local public security bureau that did not show there most professional or helping side. Only after calling higher bosses and supervisors was there any action.

When leaving the town for a local village market you were immediately greeted with more honest friendliness and curiosity. I realised the difference when we first arrived in Yarkand (Shache) three hours to the south on the southern silkroad. Nothing special there according to guidebooks but what I found was friendliness and people who were happy when I took photos and many wanted to pose or have their kids pose. Spent half a day walking around on small streets taking photos of people and sharing the result. A bit different from the daily feeling of irritation and mistrust in Kashgar.

After spending the night in tashkorgan and newly made bread for breakfast we continued to the border at Pakistan and the famous kunjerab pass, also called the valley of blood due bandits often attacking caravans there in the past. The pass consists of the Chinese/Pakistan border at an altitude of about 4700 meters (according to my gps) and zero degrees. My previous intel of the Chinese also making the road into Pakistan might have been somewhat of an exaggeration. Where Pakistan starts the tarmac ends and all you have is muddy roads.

After taking photos with Pakistani border guards, we went  to the karakul lake and spent the night in a yort. For 40 rmb we also got dinner which we shared with the kirgiz family in their house. Nice experience and they took good care of us serving tea and bread during the day, and warming up the yort in the evening. The son, and the only one speaking Chinese and limited English, also worked as porter for expeditions to Muztha ata and has reached the summit six times.

After watching the sun rise around 0830 (Beijing time which is almost a difference of three hours) against the view of beautiful snow covered mountains and the muztagh ata summit we packed our bags and tried to find a ride back. Our jeep arranged for the whole trip went back the evening before as the German girl sharing the car got very sick, either from food or altitude. At lunch we got a local who offered to drive for 70 per person and of we headed. Passing the spots that were destroyed going up we felt happy to have a smooth trip. But, right after that a long line of cars became visible. Walking to the front and talking to the special military guys (Wu Jing) we learned there had been recent  landslides and two to three days required to fix it. Not in the mood turning back we took our bags and continued on foot. It was not one landslide we had to cross, we climbed over rocks and walked through mud for almost 10 kilometers, passing abandoned cars stuck in between before we got to the end and a line of waiting cars. We negotiated a ride back to kashgar for 150 rmb. Halfway the driver didnt want to go any further and we were “sold” to another car and after 20 minutes of negotiation we were on the move again. After more than six hours on the highway we were back in kashgar.

Lessons learned:
1. The road is great all the way to the kunjerap pass. Although the road often seems to be under reparation from landslides, but if it is broken not even a jeep can cross so normal car or bus works fine.
2. No special permits needed. everything is arranged along the way at checkpoints. To reach the kunjerap pass a fee of 10 rmb per person had to be paid, nothing else.
3. Guides and drivers don’t really work for your best conveniency, more for their own benefit. This means it is more fun and rewarding doing things on your own. For example was our driver trying to convince us to follow his advise at the lake as we were not allowed to stay in local yorts. Well, it was possible and a lot cheaper and nicer…

Karakorum highway is famous in many ways, not only is it an old silk road route, it is also and important connection to central Asia.. The road gets all the way up to the Kunjerap pass on some 4800 meters before it continues into Pakistan, a part also where the Chinese has been involved.

Today we headed out in the early morning. It didn’t took long after getting into the mountains before a long line of cars emerged. With melting glaciers and landslides the road is often destroyed and the repaired parts can be rough. Along the route there were two stops where we had to wait for them to either repair the road enough so cars could pass, or clear away rocks that had fallen down. I am massively impressed over the effectiveness when it came to repair the road. Several other parts were also newly repaired or alternative roads made where the original had been washed away.

Today the car climbed to a max of 4000 meters before coming down to a valley at 3000 meters altitude, Tashkorgan. Here we walked around looking at an old stone fortress and then rested by a yort in the nearby wetland, chatting with both Tajikistan people and Chinese ex soldiers working together to move a yort to dryer place.

It was a nice quiet evening made to perfect when the power went out and we had to use candles.

Three days has already passed in the very west of China, where the sun rise almost three hours later than in eastern parts and the local time is two hours after Beijing time.

We were supposed to go for a three day trip on the karakoum highway today but after arranging it yesterday with a local guy that was friendly, we realised this morning that of what he had promised there was a lot missing so we cancelled and changed the plans.

Today we instead went on our own to a village market outside kashgar. Tour company suggested 120 for a car but we took a taxi for 40 rmb to there and 20 rmb back. Very convenient. Market was great and very local. Famous for its donkey market, the roads were full of small carriages coming in from other villages and in the market you could find sheeps, cows, bulls and donkeys. A lot of chaos and as only foreigner snapping photos of everything people were surprisingly friendly and smiled all the time. At one point I think someone tried to sell me a donkey and suddenly I was surrrounded by men gesturing and talking loudly to me, most likely making fun of me. Unfortunately is my vocabulary still weak with only phrase I remember being the greeting phrase “essalamu eleykum” – peace be upon you – and I think useful enough!

It is a completely different experience coming away from e.g. the touristy handicraft street in kashgar to a local village market where it is even more handmade, both in the way people threat you and price level. Lonely planet is a nice guide book but serves a better purpose to tell you what to avoid. Most fun comes from exploring on your own.