Same same but very different

An afternoon in the old town

I caught a taxi from the station to a hostel heavily recommended from the LP and from a few other people I had met in Beijing, and I must say that it is pretty darn good: good price, good rooms, HOT showers and in a good location. I had the room to myself and enjoyed my first proper hot-shower in four days, yeah I was beginning to smell a bit. I put on clean clothes, first time in two days and headed out into all that is Kashgar. The taxi ride took me through the centre of town and so far I was unimpressed, another regular Chinesified city, big buildings, big square etcetera etcetera. However after leaving my hostel and heading out, I made a beeline for the 'old town'.

As soon as I walked down my first street I was transported to another country: it is seriously another country, I felt like I had already left China and was already in the 'Stans or perhaps somewhere in the Middle East. I saw no 'Chinese' people and when I went up and asked, in Chinese, a man what the food was called that he was selling he didn't understand me! Damn it, just when I was getting somewhere with the stupid language no-one speaks it! It was fantastic! There is no way I can put into words the wonder I felt as I walked down these streets, past men cooking shasliks, working with wood, barbecuing a whole sheep head, selling spices, riding their donkey carts, it was completely bizarre and amazing.

I was too dumbstruck with awe and excitement to even think about whipping out my camera, and like a little kid in a lolly shop not knowing which lollies to pick first I wandered around aimlessly, drifting into street after street filled with people selling and buying all manner of things: getting shoes repaired, buying hats, spices, any manner of foodstuffs, riding donkeys carrying carts laden with goods, it was magic. I spent the next few hours just walking around the streets of the old town before I stumbled upon the Id Kah Mosque and being a Friday and the afternoon it was busy filling up, men carrying their carpets for their prayers all heading in the direction of the mosque and all piling in.

I began to make my way back before being ushered into a carpet shop by a very friendly old man who was missing his front teeth but made up for them with the most impressive whispy, white beard that clung to his chin. He was very keen on showing me his range of carpets, he even had some from Tibet but seeing as I was in Kashgar I wanted to see his Kashgar carpets. He proceeded to show me some very impressive carpets, huge but impressive, and when he asked me how much I tried to explain that I couldn't buy a big one, so he then showed me his extensive range of smaller carpets. In the end I couldn't resist and bought two very small carpets, probably only good for framing but still a nice little souvenir.

After exiting the carpet shop I was then introduced to the carpet man's friend who conveniently ran the restaurant over the road, I went and checked out his shasliks and they did look good and when I found out the price I was in for four of them. These were real shasliks, big meaty ones, not like the skinny little ones I was getting at all the other Muslim resturants throughout China. I also ordered a bowl of rice with meat and veggies and to my amazement found that they were quoting me the actual price and not a heavily inflated one reserved for foreigners, I was astounded. Now I knew I was in a different country. The shasliks were cooked to perfection and the rice dish was delicious and with some food in my belly I decided that I should check out the international bus station and see if buses were running to Kyrgyzstan or if the pass was closed. I had issues here and have to go back tomorrow to find out, fingers crossed though.

Tonight I plan on wandering around the night markets spread around the old town, no doubt I will find some more tasty food, perhaps I'll tackle a barbecued sheeps head, they didn't look that bad. But I am looking forward to just heading back into the old town and soaking it up some more. I promise there will be more photos, lots more photos over the next few days!

Thanks for reading!

Matt out

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