Blogs from Kashgar, Xinjiang, China, Asia - page 10

hi, after looking at our photos we saw we have a large number of ones showing doors. we found that statistic strange and thought maybe someone would find the photos interesting. so here is the appendix to our Kashgar entry. Dont forget to read about Kashgar in the main entry: Kashgaria enjoy ... read more

wunderbares kashgar nach der hoellen busfahrt bis kuqa (durch die eiswueste mit kaputtem bus, sprich 37 std. bei - 10 grad innen temperatur) haben wir erstmal tage lang entspannt. die oasen stadt kuqa ist schoen, aber es ist genauso schwer hin wie weg zu kommen. danach ging es weiter mit der BAHN durch die endlose wuestenlandschaft nach kashgar dem westlichsten winkel chinas. die stadt haelt was der name verspricht. schon marco polo sagte ueber diesen ort:"es ist die groesste und schoenste stadt der zahlreichen oasen" zwar ist auch hier die moderne unaufhaltbar und so reihen sich schon einige betonblocks an der obligatorischen remin lu (volksstrasse) auf, aber das leben und der trubel in der altstadt ist unkaputtbar. So reihen sich in den engen lehmgassen die unterschiedlichsten bazaars, shops und gerueche aneinander, der muhezin ruft zum gebet ... read more

Oct 1990. Kashgar is the biggest oasis in the Gobi desert in Xinjiang. The town its people, the market, the mosques and the back streets have earned it the rightful expression of 'the cross roads of Central Asia'. The streets and the surrounding fields are lined with tall poplar and eucalyptus trees giving shade and checking the advance of the sandy desert on the outside. Donkey carts, bicycles and the colourful Uighur people fill the streets. Most of the population here is Islamic, belonging to both the Sunni and the Shiite sects as well as the Shafee sect which is mostly found amongst the Uzbek and the Uighur people. The family planning programme of one child per couple does not apply to the Uighur minorities and so one can see lots of kids wherever you walk ... read more

Saturday 17thJuly–Zamyn-Uud - Hohhot I didn’t get a good night’s sleep, it was too hot and the train stopped every half hour to let another train past. There is only one toilet in our carriage, so there is always a queue, especially first thing in the morning. We stopped at Zamyn-Uud just before 830am and had immigration come on board (Zamyn-Uud is the last town before we cross the border). It seemed to take forever and once the train stopped, it became stifling hot again aboard, I expect we will have the same lengthy delay once we reach the first Chinese border town, if only there was some air in here! Next stop Erlian, the first Chinese town once you cross the border. Chinese immigration officials boarded and checked all our paperwork, no one was allowed ... read more