I arrived at 4pm and went straight to the Qinibagh Hotel. It is in the old British embasy complex. Posh building in the front and backpackers in the back. It is an old 3 star hotel they have let run down a little but it is still OK and it is close to all the sights. It also doubles as a brothel.
After checking in I went for a walk to get the lay of the land and check out something for dinner. There are heaps of places around here cooking meat on a stick so I will be fine here.
Kashgar really is a melting pot of cultures. The only thing Chinese here is the money. Everything else is a mixtury of cultures. In the Silk road daysthe caravans would come from Rome and Persia and cross the mountains to here. From here it is China all the way, so the smart men settled here and became middle men. The architecture is middle eastern, the people dont look chinese. Nothing about the place suggests China.
While I was out I had a mission to get a bus ticket to Osh in Kyrgystan. Johns cafe was closed. So is CITS. Both could get the ticket but they closed so I went to the bus station myself. I couldnt buy the ticket till tomorrow, it will cost 473y and the bus leaves at 11.00am Monday and arrive in Osh Tuesday PM.There is a place in the hotel trying to start up a travel service and internet and hang out and the owner Jack Xu said he could get the tickets, so I paid him and left it to him.
Sunday is the famous Kashgar market day. The place is huge, about 6-8 city blocks. They have the same tourist **** as any market anywhere in the world, except here most is mass produced. There was very little hand made stuff, and all of course, was overpriced. I bought a Cashmere shawl for 50y with starting price 180y. I spent a few hours down there while a huge dust storm raged through the town. Stuff at the markets was blowing everywhere, I was covered in dust and the market roof was starting to come off. I had seen enough and decided to head back via a few sights on the way.
I came back, with a slight detour, past the waterfront, Renmin Sq and the statue of Chairman Mao. Less than 5 min after I had walked under the scaffold of a building it collapsed onto the road. I was about 100mtr up the road and heard it go. I got a pic of the aftermath. With stuff starting to blow off the rooves I decided to head home for a while cos it was getting dangerous.
The afternoon quietened down so I spent it walking around the old town. There is not much of old town left now and more and more is being demolished. They have been doing that here for over 3000 years.
Jack came back with my money. They couldnt issue a ticket cos the power is out after the storm so I will have to get it tomorrow.
I got up early to go and get the ticket but the lazy *****es at the station must have slept in. There is still a lot of dust in the air from the storm yesterday and you can taste it. I suspect that will always be the case cos the place is surrounded by desert. I went back to the bus station to buy the ticket and catch the bus. Buying the ticket was easy, they didnt want to see passport or visa just 470y. The bus leaves at 10.30 Beijing time. At 10 they came and told me the border is closed cos of snow storm. Dont know how long it will be closed. I met a Japanese couple and we are going to try a taxi between the 3 of us. The best info we can get is the border is cloesd due to snow, not the busses, so a taxi will be no good either. The Bishkek bus was moved and parked so I asked an old bloke who seemed to know what was happening and he said no bus today try tomorrow. The old duck at the ticket window said the same thing so I went back to the hotel for another night. I saw Jack and told him what happened and he said his friend said it was all over Kyrgystan. I watched the news and it was lead story. Tomorrow not looking hopeful either.
Yesterday I was walking around in a T shirt, today jacket, beanie, scarfe and gloves.