Karakul Lake

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Hi Mum, I'm in Afganistan

Just kidding....I have spent just 2 days in a remote town called Karakul, 3hrs from the boarder of Pakistan and Afgan. It was the first time I really felt the contradictions of this land in every sense of the word. Travelling 6hrs through rough terrain, I watched the landscape change from desert to ice mountians. The most incredible was a scene of fireary red mountains against a backdrop of glaciers. Where else do u see camels on a sand dune and a huge glacial melt behind it?

At Karakul, I lived with a family with ancestery from Kyrgyzstan. We stayed in yurts (huts) by the lake surrounded by ice mountains with green pastures, grazing yaks and goats. It was a place I thought I could only visit through the pages of a magazine/ documentary. I thought I'd only ever expeirience such a place through the pages of a magazine/ a documentary.

Beautiful Place, Hard Life

In the family, there was mum and dad and 3 sons. Being so close to the Pimir mountains the temperatures are cold in the early morning and night. We sleep in the yurt on the floor with 3 massive doonas and a piping hot stove to keep us warm. The backbone of the family is the mum -- she does everything for the family, makes our bed each night and wakes up early to milk the yaks, make us yoghurt, bread and tea for breakfast. Yak milk and cheese stinks as hell to me, but it is fatty so keeps us warm in the cold weather. Even though she's only 35, she looks about 50 -- the environment here is cold and harsh. The father was about 40 but also look older beyond his years.

One thing that really struck me here is that life is stripped to the bare essentials -- There are no televisions, bathrooms or other creature comforts. Its about survival and having enough to eat for the family. Although their life seems peaceful and is simple, I imagine must be a hard one. Im reminded to keep life simple and not take things for granted.

Xingjiang Toilets -- the Best and Worst

Best - Karakul lake - Toilet behind rocks with pretty unbeatable views of the Pamir Mountains.
Worst - Toilet in Dormitory in Seamen Hotel -- Kashgar. I litterally wanted to ask the staff if I was sharing the toilet with a Cow!!

New friends along the way

In towns like Kashgar, backpackers from India, Pakistan, Krgystan merge in this cross road. I'm amazed by the new friends I make along the way and their stories and what they're doing...here are some of them.

TOKO (Japan) - 36 yr female - Married Solo traveller. Left hardcore workaholic husband in Tokyo to work while she explores China before they start having a family. We plan to meet up in Tibet if we make it alive across the boarder.

ELKO (Holland) - This guy has spent the last 11 months biking from Netherlands to China. Unbelievable, I looked at his feet, and they were baaaaaaaaad. He was camping by a river bank at night (stupid) and was caught up in a flash flood at the boarder of Pakistan n China at 1am and survived. He plans to cycle down through SE Asia and through Indonesia. Aspires to be a doctor.

ALLESHA (USA) - 26, biking through China for a Charity.First biking trip ever and doing it solo.

HOLLY (UK), MIKE (UK), SUSANNA (GER), JUILIANNA (MALAY)- rug rats i have been hanging out with for the last week. Incredible people, we range from 19 to 30yr olds -- some working in China and others gainfully unemployed/ fired/ in China learning the language.

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Comments

[Juliana Hashir]

Karakul Rocks!!!
Hey, I love the eyes picture. Can u send me the pics we took with Holly, Mike etc outside the ChiniBagh?