Update to Silk Road

---

Have finally tracked down a better computor. The previous message I was typing on a broken key board and feel I didnt really convay what I really wanted to say about this part of the world. The Central Asian countries are probably the most different of any other region I have visited in the past few years. The religion here being mainly Islam, has kept the countries, esspecially in the countryside, well and truely in the 19th and 20th century. The women are still definetly 2nd class citizens and yet they still have a great dignity and a wonderful sense of humour. Carol and I have spent many hours sat with the womenfolk discussing their lifestyles and family life and like women the world over, their main concerns are their family and friends and what is happening in their neighboorhoods. The males on the otherhand, are typical of most countries particularly Eastern countries. They see a pair of bare legs/ankles/shoulders and their imaginations take over.....I think most of u know what I mean. Luckily, being an older woman Im ignored by most, but Carol is pretty tired of being oggled everywhere we travel.

The more positive aspects of the Stans is the hospitality everywhere, the enormous landscapes, the horison streaches forever. The colour of the sky is an unforgettable deep blue, absolutly cloudless. There is not a lot of greenery and when u do find a tree there will be many people sheltering from the hot sun. Most of the rivers are from glaciers and therefore a grey blue colour and not the sort that u can swim in. The markets are busy noisy places with lots of sheep and goats for sale with lots of choices of spices and vegetables of all descriptions. The fruit is mainly apricots, apples and grapes and enormous melons. So every meal comes with cold melon, circular bread, honey and green tea. The meat is all mutton which took a while to get used to but is cooked either BBQ or casseroled and served with either spuds or rice. There are no fast food outlets. Most people have vever heard of MacDonalds. The Russian influence is still very strong here althou it is well over 10years since most of the Stans got their independence. So all and all it has been a wonderful experience travelling thru here but I must admit that Im looking forward to going back to China in 10 days and having Chinese food again and really cold beers. Im off to Tibet early Sept and into Nepal to meet Sarah to walk the Annapurna trail. Was going via Pakistan but they declined my visa so Im taking the new Tibetain train.

So I will update this after visiting the famous Sunday market in Kashgar in 2 weeks and make for Lhasa, Tibet. So once again love to u all and please keep the messages coming. Love from kay xxxxx

---