Blogs from Xinjiang, China, Asia - page 32

ich hoffe ihr hattet alle schoene weihnachten.unser fest hier gestaltete sich komplett anders als in unserer vorstellung, aber es war trotzdem ein rundum schoenes oder eher gesagt besonderes lustiges weihnachtsfest. denn die chinesen sind wirklich unglaublich, die dekorieren nicht nur so, sondern die feiern wirklich alle weihnachten. aber natuerlich versteht man das hier ganz anders, vormittags heisst es shoppen, shoppen, shoppen den es gibt ueberall "merry christmas" rabatz. quasi ein grosser weihnachtsschluss verkauf. es tummeln sich nur so die menschenmassen. dann gegen abend wappneten sich alle mit einem gummihammer oder keule, die man an jeder strassenecke kaufen kann, und dann geht das feiern erst richtig los. man klobt sich damit und sagt frohe weihnachten (die spinnen die chinesen). das fest der liebe, ich glaube die haben da irgendwas missverstanden. es war eher eine silveste... read more

Kashgar is the first major city in China when you come from Pakistan. At first it looks very Chinese. Big modern buildings, broad streets. One very big east-west street and one very big north-south street. Transport system is well organized, Chinese Supermarkets everywhere. A huge statue of Mao Zedong at the main street. But most of the people do not look Chinese at all. They look like people from central Asia. And when you take a second glance you can find signs of their culture everywhere. This becomes especially obvious at the markets. Kashgar is famous for its Sunday market. When I visited it I was a bit disapointed because it was not so special, not especially big (maybe due to the season) and mostly Chinese. Not the variety of things and goods I hoped to ... 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

Hitching in China is no sure thing, it is something that people are unaccustomed to - Walking along a remote track in the mountains, some 10 km from base-camp and without radio contact at the end of a long day, an infrequent vehicle approaches in my direction. I stand in the middle of the narrow dirt road and hale it with one arm. As it draws near, the driver tries to find a route past me left and right as I step in its way. I physically jump on the bonnet before it finally stops. What am I doing? But getting dropped at a 3-way intersection with nothing but a sea of dunes around me is a whole new game! Fortunately, it was recognized that I was not just chilling, or exercising my right shoulder, and ... read more

At 45 degrees in the midday heat, Turpan is no place to chill. The air is dry and your body must fight the enormous wicking power to hold any moisture it can. The answer? I decided that the best approach would be to seek shade and drink the cool grape juice and other sweet fluids on offer. The locals, on the other hand, head for the nearest sand-pile to bury themselves in the scorching sand! I noticed this all around the old part of the city as I headed off in the midday heat on my bike (I guess we all had reason to be skeptical!). Nosing around in a little alley, I found myslef on a short trail that led up a small rise and onto a mud/clay plateau area with a bunch of small ... read more