Blogs from Xinjiang, China, Asia - page 8

From Kashgar to Irkeshtam, at the border with Kyrgyzstan It’s been over 2 months since I last wrote about my on-going bike trip. I am now back in China for the October Holiday after visiting Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan in August and September. It was hard to get on line in the Pamir Mountains of Tajikistan and then I was with my parents in Kyrgyzstan and wanted to take advantage of every minute with them so I didn’t spend much time on line (Sorry Becky!). Lots of things have happened since the end of July when I was in Kashgar. I am going to try to retrace my steps and share my impressions on 2 beautiful months across Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. On my last days in Kashgar, Xinjiang Province, I spent a lot of time on the ... read more

Here are some photos of the livestock market in the outskirts of Kashgar. It’s a famous market in the area and it attracts many shepherds, farmers, cooks and tourists. I spent a couple of hours wandering around from the area where they discuss the price of cows, to the next where Uyghur men check out the sheep’s ears, backs and buttholes… and then there is the donkey area… While the Uyghur were looking at the animals, I must admit I was people watching. As you can see I took more pictures of the people selling and buying livestock than of the animals. There is something fascinating about these men’s faces, the beards, the hats, the wrinkles and the body gestures. When I look at them, I realize how far I am from home. Funny how a ... read more

Petit poste rapide sur Kuche (ou KuQa) sur la route qui me mène a Kashgar. La première journée a été un peu difficile avec un gros vent de coté qui me poussait vers les camions et les voitures sur la voie express. Et puis il y a eu cette tempête de sable pendant plus d’une heure où je ne voyais pas plus loin que 10 mètres devant moi. Le sable s’est incrusté de partout dans mon cou et même au milieu des dents… J’ai longé les montagnes à ma droite et l’immensité du désert sur ma gauche. Je me suis engouffré dans un petit tunnel sous l’autoroute afin de passer la nuit a l’abris des regards, mais vers minuit le vent était tellement fort (amplifié sous le tunnel) que j’ai du déménager entre les voies de ... read more

I could have stayed longer in Urumuqi eating amazing sweet Uyghur pastries, devouring more meat dishes, strolling through the Uyghur area a bit more, taking more pictures of the lively streets and enjoying the comfort of Becky’s home… But Becky had to go back to work in Beijing and I had to get back on the road. And what a road! To go south, I had 2 choices: I could either take the smooth road through Turpan (expressway) or what looked like the shorter way through the mountains on a smaller road. Because we had already visited Turpan, I chose the road through the Tian Shan Mountains. Becky’s Mom had warned me it would go up and down and the riding would probably be difficult (like many people from the city, she has never taken this ... read more

I believe there are 3 places that stand out in Xinjiang province in terms of popularity. The first one is naturally Urumuqi because it’s the capital of the province and it’s also the largest and most developed city in this huge province. The second one is Kashgar because of its location in the far west of Xinjiang. It’s the gateway to Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan or Pakistan and it’s the heart of the Uyghur community and culture. Finally the 3rdplace must be Turpan, a famous oasis covered in green grapes where tourists come for a day trip from Urumuqi to enjoy big fat raisins and some sweet wine. Becky’s friend, Jiao Lu, had some business to attend in Turpan and she offered to drive us there so that we could visit the vineyards and the other sites while ... read more