Looking on a map I think I quite underestimated the time it would take to get here. Last Tuesday we began the first leg of our epic journey and travelled to Urumqi to stay with the volunteers in Bagang and the volunteers from Karamay. We spent the night watching american pie and drinking rather too much wusu as a result of a miss purchase of 2 crates. Suffice to say it was really great to see the other volunteers. The next morning we woke rather early to catch a bus from Urumqi to Kashgar.

We met the other 4 volunteers at the bus station and after alot of confusion we were finally able to board the bus. There isnt much about the journey I want to remember, in short it was 28 hours cramped on a bus with constant loud music blaring from the speakers and no sleep.

We arrived in Kashgar and it wasnt long before we noticed we couldnt really see any Han Chinese. The Uyghur and Khazak population in Kashgar was much higher and almost the reverse of Kuitun. We jumped in some dodgy looking carts and were ferried to the hostel, well.. those of us who managed to say the hostel right in chinese. The Old town youth hostel was actually pretty good, lots of people were staying there from all over the world and despite the fact we were all sharing one room it seemed pretty good.

The next day we left pretty late and we attempted to get to the bus station, with some success. We booked our tickets back to urumqi for the following monday and then set out to do some exploring. It seemed like Kashgar really was a completely different place, the old town was very different to anything we had seen in China so far and everything was very colourful, unfortunately even the smells.

We returned to the hostel briefly, and then went to eat, we ended up having Daal curry which was actually awful compared to curry back home.. We then proceeded to visit a club which was the strangest place, very few women, lots of men and strange talent contests.

The next day unfortunately I was bedridden with stomach cramps and awful illness. Most of the volunteers visited a mausoleum but a couple stayed with me to keep me company and more importantly write their personal statements. We went for lunch at a cafe which served a fantastic pizza. Actually delicious, and then in the evening we stayed at the hostel for a very different dinner. The mysterious sheep who had been wondering absently around the hostel all day was dinner. We watched transfixed as a butcher slit its throat and let the blood poor into a bucket. The dying spasms of the sheep werent particularly pleasant but it only lasted a couple of minutes. Next the butcher proceeded to skin, gut and chop up the sheep into large chunks which were handed to us for preparation. Everyone got their hands dirty, we impaled chunks of meat on skewers and then proceeded to cook them on the barbeque. The food was delicious, we ate the meat with naan and it was really amazing.

The next day was our last day in Kashgar, we went to the Idgah mosque in the morning, which was fascinating. We didnt realise but it was actually sheep slaughtering day, dead sheep lined the streets and were being skinned or gutted by someone in almost every home. It was rather strange to witness the slaughter on the streets. Bloodstains were everywhere and many carcasses, almost like something you would see in a horror movie. We had a very relaxed afternoon at the hostel because everything was closed, and a few of us ended up on the roof, with a kind chinese man who taught us how to play some very strange looking instruments. That evening we left the hostel to go exploring a rather elusive Kashgar nightlife. We spent quite a while searching and ended up getting in a rather dodgy looking taxi who took us to the other side of town. He tried to charge us 5x the normal rate and I pulled the classic "I dont understand" in mandarin and got away with only paying 2x the rate (it was after midnight though). Rather tired and un-enthused at this point we went in a very swanky looking club and were greeted enthusiastically by the staff. After a while I was encouraged by the other volunteers to the dance floor (worst decision of my life). After 4 minutes dancing I realised this wasnt your average club. Suddenly out of nowhere I was grabbed by a security guard and three other burly Khazaks.... I put up little struggle until I realised their intention, and then I struggled, unfortunately to no avail. I was launched onto the stage and quickly prompted to dance. So humilating to be required to dance on a stage in front of a lot of people with zero dancing experience before in my life. After I had been suitibly embarrassed the other volunteers were put on the stage. We were then given a mike to our surprise and unfortunately I was so shocked no words came out of my mouth but "hi". Luckily We were saved by callum who grabbed the mike and started saying "jump" repeatedly... sounded more right, but they still didnt jump. Anyway after 5 minutes dancing awkwardly on stage to strange Uyghur/Khazak music we were presented with roses and allowed to leave. I now fear ever going to a club again.

Unfortunately I had forgotten that 3 hours later we would be boarding the train, we hurried back to the hostel for a short sleep before our second mammoth journey of the week.

Next entry to be written soon,

Love,

Harrison