Karimibad was a place to relax as our legs needed a well deserved rest, this was lucky for us as the whole town pretty much shut down due to the end of ramadan. We managed to catch a local volleyball game which overlooked the valley in the middle of snow-capped mountains, it was a strange variation called 'shooting' which meant you had to keep your hands clasped to hit the smaller than normal ball. There was plenty of banter due to Karimibad playing the local rivals which nearly resulted in a ruck but everything calmed down and were satisfied with making noises to put the other team off.
The town itself showed signs of what the tourist industry was like as there were so many hotels but hardly any foreigners to fill them. It's been a familiar story, after 9/11, Pakistan's reputation took a massive dent which is not suprising due to all the bad press they receive. Most of the people in the tourism industry are really struggling to keep afloat and now with the floods, it doesn't look like things will get much better. So far, the hospitality shown by many Pakistani's has been incredible and the west could learn a lot from their attitude to others. It's a shame the extremists and the taliban are ruining the country for the majority.
Our arrival in Gilgit was a little overwhelming as the place was crawling with Army and Police which put us a little on edge. We heard there had been some sectarian violence the week before but the main reason was the town was a stronghold for the road leading to Kashmir. This was just a hub for our mission to Fairy Meadows to do a 4 day trek near the base camp of Nanga Parbat, the Killer Mountain.
3 hours down the KKH, we arrived at Raikot Bridge, the dropping point for our adventure. We were faced with the decision to pay a heavy price for a jeep ride about an hour up into the mountains or a 4-5 hour walk to where the road was blocked from a landslide. This is before you embark on a further 2 hours to reach Fairy Point and the first possible place to sleep. The jeep seemed like the best option at the time and it still was as we climbed the rocky road for at least half an hour before the scariest moments of our life! With no barriers and the road dipping up and down, winding around the mountain, there were a number of heart in mouth moments where the jeep travelled inches from a drop that we wouldn't like to think how far you would tumble. We felt it a blessing that the road was blocked from where it dropped us as we were both on the edge of asking the driver to stop the car so we could get out and walk!
The remaining uphill walk from the block was pretty challenging in itself but there were many more parts affected by landslides. Eventually, we arrived at Fairy Point and decided that was enough for one day instead of continuing further to Fairy Meadows which is a lot more scenic but another 3 hours up a steeper path over a mountain! We did meet some Pakistani boys (wouldn't really call them men) who were around 21, from Multan in Punjab. They tried to get Jo to cook after they made us chai because the men shouldn't if women are present. The look on Jo's face when one of them tried to get her to man the stove, to her further disgust, when she refused they looked at Alex as if to say 'sort your woman out and get her cooking' much to his amusement. Obviously, they were left cooking for themselves!
The second day was a 3 hour climb up and over a mountain through a beautiful village that grew all kinds of things but mainly wheat before reaching Fairy Meadows with a view of Nanga Parbat which was breathtaking. The intention was to have lunch and push on through to the next stop called Beyal which was closer again to the base camp but the mountains became shrouded with clouds and the propect of a wooden hut with a fire was too tempting not to stay for. The people who ran and helped around the hotel 'Raikot Serai' were so friendly and it was interesting talking to them about everything from expeditions that had reached the summit to more political topics about the country and life as a local. It was pretty surreal but one of the men who came to light our fire in the evening also helped organise our matresses, blankets and pillows. The surreal part was he looked like Osama Bin Laden and Jo was tucked in by him!
Waking up to the clearest view of Nanga Parbat on the third day was the highlight. Base camp proved to much as a 3 and a 1/2 hour round trip to a view point near it was enough, knowing we would have another 2 back down to Fairy Point after a spot of lunch and a rest back at the Fairy Meadows. Alex had sickness that night so the walk all the way back down to Raikot Bridge for our bus back was a tough slog on sugary water and a few handfulls of sultanas. Thankfully at the bottom, we met a tour group that gave us a lift back in their jeep which cut the journey time.
Of all places, the guy whose tour company it was is from Putney in London!! He's half Pakistani with family out here but years ago he brought a group of mates out to show them round and they told him he should set up a tour company, so he did. On this occasion he was sponsoring journalists to promote his company, one of the British women has written for Time Out, The Guardian and lots more respectable publications. She seemed interested that Alex has been taking photos out here so there could be potential to feature some of them in articles she is writing. We got on so well with them that we are going to cross paths with them in Lahore so Sohail (guy from Putney) can show us round. Jo's extremely happy as he has informed us that we can get the kind of legendary lamb chops you find at Tayyabs in London!! Looks like we will be spending at least a week in Lahore.
Alex & Jo
Thursday 30 September 2010
Saturday 25 September 2010
Tuesday 21 September 2010
Finally, a beautiful cup of Chai
Kashgar was unlike any other Chinese city we had been to so far and it felt as if we were in a totally different country! Due to the location in the far west of China, it borders Pakistan, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan so Kashgar was an ethnic melting pot. There was even influences from Turkey but we assume this is all down to the old silk road with traders and merchants coming from all over to exchange their wares.
Initially the place felt a bit hostile as you don't see too many foreigners and there was more staring than normal. We had accepted the staring in China as Alex pretty much dwarfs the whole population added to the fact we are a western couple anyway. After reading accounts from the Danzinger book and a bit of the history, most of Kashgar is filled with Uighur people who have their own language and are mainly Afghan descendents (we think). The reason it put us a little on edge to begin with was we didn't know how we would be received and we knew they are regarded as second class citizens over the Chinese which means they take all the shit jobs. In Kashgar, you hardly ever see a Chinese man cleaning the streets, as a taxi driver or as an attendent at the bus station. I can imagine the Uighur's feel opressed just living there so on the whole they weren't the friendlist people we had come across. Once we started making more of an effort to greet people, most became very friendly back.
The night market was very chaotic, you could still find delicacies like sheep head but we opted for a slightly safer option of liver, sausage and god knows what kebabs. The etiquette for sitting paying and eating our kebabs with the locals was unknown so it was a little awkward to begin with but you soon learn watching everyone else even if most of them are watching you! We headed to the legendary Sunday Market on Sunday believe it or not which is known to be the biggest in Asia. You could pretty much find anything you possibly wanted there but we were there to people-watch and it seemed like such an interesting place to do so because you saw the cultural diversity of the place on a massive scale. Over the few days we found our first taste of Pakistan, right round the corner from our hotel was the Pakistan Cafe where we indulged in our first curry, chapati, chai (the most amazing tea made with all kinds of spices) and then lassi (sweetened curd) to finish it off.
Our most important concern was getting to Pakistan and quite a few people we had spoke to were telling us we would struggle to get to Sost which is the first town in Pakistan for customs and immigration. There was a direct bus that didn't go daily and wouldn't leave until full, we heard stories of people waiting days before giving up and this wasn't ideal seeing we only had a few days left on our visa before the Chinese start charging £50 each, everyday you overstay!! We decided to wing it and head for Tashkurgan which is closer to the border still and leave it to fate. We weren't entirely sure the bus would go as it needed over half a bus load to not get cancelled, fate was on our side and we headed off on a full bus.
Tashkurgan was just a small stopover and we managed to hear of a bus leaving for Sost the next day, definitely nowhere near as difficult as people were making out. Now for the strangest border crossing we have made, we cleared immigration for China in Tashkurgan then had to travel 2 hours to get to the Khunjerab Pass on the actual border and then a further 2 hours to reach immigration on the Pakistani side in Sost. This was and probably is one of the most spectacular bus rides we will ever have, starting fairly non-descript through afghan style villages in desert-like terrain but after an hour or so winding through snow-capped mountains before driving through snow-covered mountains with icy roads until you reach the Khunjerab Pass (actual border) before decending through the most mountainous region on earth on the Pakistani side, everywhere you turned it was immense.
It was nice to arrive in Sost and be greeted in English by plenty of friendly Pakistani's. A tiny hotel just off the one street town was found with some guidance and an old man trying to sell Jo the Shalwar Chamise (native dress) and exchange money with Alex. We were so excited to be in Pakistan and it felt like the Pakistani's were happy with us visiting their country!
We kept bumping into a Pakistani man we met at immigration on the Chinese side trying to get further south to Gilgit to see his family. Our paths crossed again at dinner and then the next morning when he was beside a minibus heading the direction we needed. After a quick discussion with the driver, space was made for us so a quick run to the bank (the old man we met on arrival who is known as the moneychanger) and check out from the hotel meant we were ready to get going. We always manage to get lucky and meet people who help us out, he even offered to show us round his home city of Lahore when we get there but we established he will be back in China on business so his brother wil show us!
A half an hour ride ensued until we reached a collapsed bridge on the Karakoram Highway (KKH) which was a result of the recent floods. Out of the first bus, help everyone get the luggage and numerous boxes off the roof and back seats before walking across the collapsed bridge and re-negotiating the second bus onwards to Passu. We were dropped at the requested guesthouse only to realise no-one was around until after the minibus had driven off and no map to speak of. Again, more people to the rescue, this time two young policemen employed by a Chinese agency to police the highway. They walked us up the road to another place which was a far better location up on a hill overlooking the valley. Our initial disappointment of being told they had no rooms was shortlived because he didn't have any but he provided a tent, camping mat and sleeping bags. This definitely topped any camping spot view and all for £1.50 a night.
Ahmed, the guy who owned the place was really nice and we found it very interesting to finally start getting the chance to ask people about their culture. With 80% of the population being able to speak English, we shouldn't have a problem throughout the rest of the country. Much to our suprise so far, people didn't have any issues addressing Jo as we thought they might address Alex all the time especially when we only saw one woman on the street in the whole of Sost! On occasions, only Alex was spoken to but most seemed a lot more liberal than we first thought.
One of the issues we were unsure of about coming to Pakistan was if people would feel it insensitive to come after the disaster but most people want tourists coming through and spending money which is going directly into the hands of the locals. As for the disaster, some have even been joking about it's inconvienience and are just getting on with their life.
Seeing the surroundings were so beautiful and Ahmed was so informative, we decided to go on a full day hike with him as our guide through the mountains, past glaciers, lakes and villages. The scenery was incredible and we lost track of how many people we shook hands with who welcomed us to their country. Along the way we were able to pick apricots and apples from the trees which were the tastiest we had ever tried, Ahmed told us that everyone shares so you can pick fruit off any tree you fancy. We stopped off in two villages to have Chai and Bread with Ahmed's relatives who were very hospitable, we were grateful of the breaks to refuel as we knew it was 6-7 hours of walking! We had to have another 2 more chai stops as villagers had spotted us with Ahmed and invited us in, on one occasion he hurried around the corner of a dwelling not to be spotted again as we needed to finish the trek.
Near the end of the trek, we rested on what was an old fort that had been decimated in fighting between religious groups but with views over the town of Gulmit. The town was affected by the floods and almost half of it was underwater, which was a result of a landslide that blocked part of the Hunza River and created a lake. There was no denying it was a beautiful lake that will be there for good but we were astonished that it takes 2 hours to get to the other end by boat and this lake never existed before the landslide. Luckily, none of the villagers died but quite a few have had to move further inland.
After getting the boat over part of the lake with the intention to hitch a ride, we eventually got picked up by two men who knew Ahmed, later to find out they were policemen! Back at camp we ate with the policemen who were pretty dodgy characters, when we were picked up they looked like 2 del boy's with a pair of 6 x 9's in the back playing loud pakistani music. One kept apologising he was drunk and then offering us some Hunza wine which we politely declined to start with as if it were a trap to be drinking alcohol in a dry country. We have been informed Hunza wine is commonly consumed in that region!! Seeing they were such dodgy characters and they policed the region for illegal immigrants, he seemed to like the fact Alex pretended we didn't have a passport or visa. The policemen along with many other Pakistani's, have been hassling Alex about why we are not married but their way of doing things is far different from the west!
Off to Karimibad and then a trek to near the base camp of the 9th biggest mountain in the world, Nanga Parbat, also known as the killer mountain due to the amount of lives it has taken. This only applies to reaching the summit so we are not on a suicide mission, we promise!
Alex & Jo xx
Initially the place felt a bit hostile as you don't see too many foreigners and there was more staring than normal. We had accepted the staring in China as Alex pretty much dwarfs the whole population added to the fact we are a western couple anyway. After reading accounts from the Danzinger book and a bit of the history, most of Kashgar is filled with Uighur people who have their own language and are mainly Afghan descendents (we think). The reason it put us a little on edge to begin with was we didn't know how we would be received and we knew they are regarded as second class citizens over the Chinese which means they take all the shit jobs. In Kashgar, you hardly ever see a Chinese man cleaning the streets, as a taxi driver or as an attendent at the bus station. I can imagine the Uighur's feel opressed just living there so on the whole they weren't the friendlist people we had come across. Once we started making more of an effort to greet people, most became very friendly back.
The night market was very chaotic, you could still find delicacies like sheep head but we opted for a slightly safer option of liver, sausage and god knows what kebabs. The etiquette for sitting paying and eating our kebabs with the locals was unknown so it was a little awkward to begin with but you soon learn watching everyone else even if most of them are watching you! We headed to the legendary Sunday Market on Sunday believe it or not which is known to be the biggest in Asia. You could pretty much find anything you possibly wanted there but we were there to people-watch and it seemed like such an interesting place to do so because you saw the cultural diversity of the place on a massive scale. Over the few days we found our first taste of Pakistan, right round the corner from our hotel was the Pakistan Cafe where we indulged in our first curry, chapati, chai (the most amazing tea made with all kinds of spices) and then lassi (sweetened curd) to finish it off.
Our most important concern was getting to Pakistan and quite a few people we had spoke to were telling us we would struggle to get to Sost which is the first town in Pakistan for customs and immigration. There was a direct bus that didn't go daily and wouldn't leave until full, we heard stories of people waiting days before giving up and this wasn't ideal seeing we only had a few days left on our visa before the Chinese start charging £50 each, everyday you overstay!! We decided to wing it and head for Tashkurgan which is closer to the border still and leave it to fate. We weren't entirely sure the bus would go as it needed over half a bus load to not get cancelled, fate was on our side and we headed off on a full bus.
Tashkurgan was just a small stopover and we managed to hear of a bus leaving for Sost the next day, definitely nowhere near as difficult as people were making out. Now for the strangest border crossing we have made, we cleared immigration for China in Tashkurgan then had to travel 2 hours to get to the Khunjerab Pass on the actual border and then a further 2 hours to reach immigration on the Pakistani side in Sost. This was and probably is one of the most spectacular bus rides we will ever have, starting fairly non-descript through afghan style villages in desert-like terrain but after an hour or so winding through snow-capped mountains before driving through snow-covered mountains with icy roads until you reach the Khunjerab Pass (actual border) before decending through the most mountainous region on earth on the Pakistani side, everywhere you turned it was immense.
It was nice to arrive in Sost and be greeted in English by plenty of friendly Pakistani's. A tiny hotel just off the one street town was found with some guidance and an old man trying to sell Jo the Shalwar Chamise (native dress) and exchange money with Alex. We were so excited to be in Pakistan and it felt like the Pakistani's were happy with us visiting their country!
We kept bumping into a Pakistani man we met at immigration on the Chinese side trying to get further south to Gilgit to see his family. Our paths crossed again at dinner and then the next morning when he was beside a minibus heading the direction we needed. After a quick discussion with the driver, space was made for us so a quick run to the bank (the old man we met on arrival who is known as the moneychanger) and check out from the hotel meant we were ready to get going. We always manage to get lucky and meet people who help us out, he even offered to show us round his home city of Lahore when we get there but we established he will be back in China on business so his brother wil show us!
A half an hour ride ensued until we reached a collapsed bridge on the Karakoram Highway (KKH) which was a result of the recent floods. Out of the first bus, help everyone get the luggage and numerous boxes off the roof and back seats before walking across the collapsed bridge and re-negotiating the second bus onwards to Passu. We were dropped at the requested guesthouse only to realise no-one was around until after the minibus had driven off and no map to speak of. Again, more people to the rescue, this time two young policemen employed by a Chinese agency to police the highway. They walked us up the road to another place which was a far better location up on a hill overlooking the valley. Our initial disappointment of being told they had no rooms was shortlived because he didn't have any but he provided a tent, camping mat and sleeping bags. This definitely topped any camping spot view and all for £1.50 a night.
Ahmed, the guy who owned the place was really nice and we found it very interesting to finally start getting the chance to ask people about their culture. With 80% of the population being able to speak English, we shouldn't have a problem throughout the rest of the country. Much to our suprise so far, people didn't have any issues addressing Jo as we thought they might address Alex all the time especially when we only saw one woman on the street in the whole of Sost! On occasions, only Alex was spoken to but most seemed a lot more liberal than we first thought.
One of the issues we were unsure of about coming to Pakistan was if people would feel it insensitive to come after the disaster but most people want tourists coming through and spending money which is going directly into the hands of the locals. As for the disaster, some have even been joking about it's inconvienience and are just getting on with their life.
Seeing the surroundings were so beautiful and Ahmed was so informative, we decided to go on a full day hike with him as our guide through the mountains, past glaciers, lakes and villages. The scenery was incredible and we lost track of how many people we shook hands with who welcomed us to their country. Along the way we were able to pick apricots and apples from the trees which were the tastiest we had ever tried, Ahmed told us that everyone shares so you can pick fruit off any tree you fancy. We stopped off in two villages to have Chai and Bread with Ahmed's relatives who were very hospitable, we were grateful of the breaks to refuel as we knew it was 6-7 hours of walking! We had to have another 2 more chai stops as villagers had spotted us with Ahmed and invited us in, on one occasion he hurried around the corner of a dwelling not to be spotted again as we needed to finish the trek.
Near the end of the trek, we rested on what was an old fort that had been decimated in fighting between religious groups but with views over the town of Gulmit. The town was affected by the floods and almost half of it was underwater, which was a result of a landslide that blocked part of the Hunza River and created a lake. There was no denying it was a beautiful lake that will be there for good but we were astonished that it takes 2 hours to get to the other end by boat and this lake never existed before the landslide. Luckily, none of the villagers died but quite a few have had to move further inland.
After getting the boat over part of the lake with the intention to hitch a ride, we eventually got picked up by two men who knew Ahmed, later to find out they were policemen! Back at camp we ate with the policemen who were pretty dodgy characters, when we were picked up they looked like 2 del boy's with a pair of 6 x 9's in the back playing loud pakistani music. One kept apologising he was drunk and then offering us some Hunza wine which we politely declined to start with as if it were a trap to be drinking alcohol in a dry country. We have been informed Hunza wine is commonly consumed in that region!! Seeing they were such dodgy characters and they policed the region for illegal immigrants, he seemed to like the fact Alex pretended we didn't have a passport or visa. The policemen along with many other Pakistani's, have been hassling Alex about why we are not married but their way of doing things is far different from the west!
Off to Karimibad and then a trek to near the base camp of the 9th biggest mountain in the world, Nanga Parbat, also known as the killer mountain due to the amount of lives it has taken. This only applies to reaching the summit so we are not on a suicide mission, we promise!
Alex & Jo xx
Sunday 12 September 2010
Saturday 11 September 2010
A man's best friend, not in China
As a treat, we booked a fancy hotel in Yangshuo with Jo's birthday STA travel voucher, the only problem was we booked it because it was supposed to have a swimming pool but on arriving we were told that they never had one! After Jo's initial disappointment, we realised we should be able to blag another free voucher for being mis-sold the hotel. An extra 2 nights in a decent hotel brought a smile to both of our face so instead of our pool we went for a dip in the local river.
Yangshuo was such a beautiful little town surrounded by karst mountains but a few too many tourists for our liking. This didn't deter us as we hired push bikes on two consectutive days to explore the countryside. Jo was the only person who managed to get her mountain bike that clogged with mud that the back wheel wouldn't go round! After 10 mins of Alex going mad as he fixed the bike whilst getting caked in mud, we succeeded in getting the bike moving much to Jo's amusement.
Following on from the last post, we stumbled on the local farmers market and it wasn't the best place for dog lovers! There were a few stalls with skinned dogs on meat hooks hanging in full view ready to take back for a delicious dinner. The horrible part was you could see the live dogs in cages out the back awaiting the same treatment! It was weird to see but they are animals bred to be eaten just like animals we are used to eating back home.
Next stop was Xingping which was probably what Yangshuo was around 20 years ago, a quaint little village with a lot more traditional chinese architecture and locals just going about their daily lives. The most scenic bike ride ensued through rice fields and fruit plantations along with another swim in the river all to ourselves. Following this was an incredibly tough climb up a very steep mountain, it felt like a walk up a stony path to reach your Kung Fu master!! After we stopped sweating a little, we took in the 360 view which was spectacular. There were even a few photographer's with tripod's that had made the journey just for the photo opportunity.
The next day and an 6.30 start for a boat ride down the Yulong River. Unfortunately we weren't blessed with a beautiful sunrise as it always seems to be too hazy in most of China for nice sunrises and sunsets. Maybe it's the time of year. An hour and half ride up river dropped us of for a 3 hour hike back along the river with a much deserved stopoff to swim.
We couldn't beleive our luck with the view from our next guesthouse in a place called Dahzai which ended up being one of the cheapest. It was set in the Longji Rice Terraces, half an hour walk up a mountain through all the rice terraces. The area is such an incredible feat of farming, built over generations by the locals with a natural irrigation system where the water flows over one terrace, down to the lower terrace and so on. We enjoyed our time their so much we had to add an extra day to the visit. A few days earlier after debating whether we would eat a cat or a dog, Jo remarked she couldn't eat a cat as she loved them so much but I had never seen someone volunteer so quickly when we got offered what we think was a 2 month old kitten that had been cooked up by the family of the guesthouse. We got it's little leg which was rather tasty!!
When we did finally leave, it was a 3 hour mission back to Guilin to get our 19hr train to Chongqing which was a city renowned for hotpots. There always seems to be some incident on the trains and started with us having difficulty finding our beds. This time round with lots of pushing and shoving in the aisles to get through, some Chinese man was trying to push past Alex while he was waiting for people coming the other to get through and make space, this resulted in a palm to the chest and the Chinese man was sent flying backwards. Typically, it turned out to be the man whose hillybilly family we shared a compartment with! They had boxes, buckets and all sorts of shit everywhere before we actually found our beds which left no room for both our bags. Jo's managed to go on an overhead rack but when Alex started trying to re-jig the bags that must have been the hillbillies, it was met by them tapping and shouting at us. About 5 mins followed with no success in getting our bags up so Alex resorted to taking one of their cases off and having a kind of 'push of war' with the mother in the aisle. Alex's bag went up after pointing out they had taken up every inch of space within the carriage, our first encounter with Chinese 'pikeys'. In the midst of all this Jo found something that looked to come off one of their bags which she asked if we should give back but Alex threw it straight out the window which sent Jo into a state of hysterics!!
The latest hostel was very well chosen as we discovered they had a movie system through the TV in the rooms. This was perfect timing as we had been travelling a fair amount with lots of bike rides and walks so a day relaxing and watching films was an exciting change. Chengdu was the next target on the map which was where we had booked a flight to Urumqi as the alternative would have been about 3 days travel across land. It looks like a small distance when planning your route but the size of the country is vast.
Since we didn't find hotpot in Chongqing, we were reccomended a place by one of the staff at the hostel so Jo decided to make it date night and put on a frock and a bit of slap. The hotpot was delicious, you have this massive wok that sits in a hole within your table heated underneath by a gas flame. The wok has two ring compartments, one mild and one spicy that you put your raw ingredients that you chose into either section to cook yourself. Once it was ready, you fished for it with your chopsticks and dipped whatever you found into a sesame oil mix of garlic and herbs before devouring it. Apart from the fact we were sweating a bit from the heat it was giving out and the chillies and spices probably didn't help, it was the nicest meal so far. Most of the staff kept laughing at us because they couldn't communicate from the start what the protocol was so we had to watch other tables to see what you were supposed to be doing!!
Booking a train onwards from Urumqi was proving pretty difficult again as we had been trying to pre-book it for weeks. In the end, a flight to Kashgar worked out only just more expensive and the prospect of an hour and 40 flight was too tempting for the money than 24 hours on a train.
Before we left London, one of Jo's work mates suggested reading a book called Danzinger's Travels - Beyond Forbidden Frontiers by Nick Danzinger. Jo finished the book around the start of our China adventure and I have just read the section about Kashgar in Western China which is where we have just been through. It's interesting to read someone's account of places you have been / are going to so you have comparisons.
Little things we have picked up on, like the chilldren having slits in the back of their trousers as most can't afford nappies so it makes it easier for the parents if they need to go to toilet without pulling their pants down and it encourages them to go on their own. This is something we have noticed all across China. His route took him from London through Europe to South Turkey, through Iran, Afghanistan and then was the first foreigner to cross from Pakistan to Western China since the revolution in 1949. He disguised himself as a muslim to keep under the radar as he was travelling illegally after Iran.
We met a guy from Burnley of all places who was quite an interesting bloke that we had a few beers with (typical northeners) who was now a sushi chef in Melbourne to a Japanese wife who traded gems and were both extremely well travelled. He was in Pakistan 11 years ago and had nothing but good things to say about the country and the people but recommended we buy the local attire of a shalwar chamise to try blend in and also a great way of keeping cool. This was also the the same dress that Danzinger became accustomed to along his travels.
Will update you on Kashgar soon and hopefully we can start updating the blog again in Pakistan more regularly.
Hope everyone is ok.
Love Alex & Jo x
Yangshuo was such a beautiful little town surrounded by karst mountains but a few too many tourists for our liking. This didn't deter us as we hired push bikes on two consectutive days to explore the countryside. Jo was the only person who managed to get her mountain bike that clogged with mud that the back wheel wouldn't go round! After 10 mins of Alex going mad as he fixed the bike whilst getting caked in mud, we succeeded in getting the bike moving much to Jo's amusement.
Following on from the last post, we stumbled on the local farmers market and it wasn't the best place for dog lovers! There were a few stalls with skinned dogs on meat hooks hanging in full view ready to take back for a delicious dinner. The horrible part was you could see the live dogs in cages out the back awaiting the same treatment! It was weird to see but they are animals bred to be eaten just like animals we are used to eating back home.
Next stop was Xingping which was probably what Yangshuo was around 20 years ago, a quaint little village with a lot more traditional chinese architecture and locals just going about their daily lives. The most scenic bike ride ensued through rice fields and fruit plantations along with another swim in the river all to ourselves. Following this was an incredibly tough climb up a very steep mountain, it felt like a walk up a stony path to reach your Kung Fu master!! After we stopped sweating a little, we took in the 360 view which was spectacular. There were even a few photographer's with tripod's that had made the journey just for the photo opportunity.
The next day and an 6.30 start for a boat ride down the Yulong River. Unfortunately we weren't blessed with a beautiful sunrise as it always seems to be too hazy in most of China for nice sunrises and sunsets. Maybe it's the time of year. An hour and half ride up river dropped us of for a 3 hour hike back along the river with a much deserved stopoff to swim.
We couldn't beleive our luck with the view from our next guesthouse in a place called Dahzai which ended up being one of the cheapest. It was set in the Longji Rice Terraces, half an hour walk up a mountain through all the rice terraces. The area is such an incredible feat of farming, built over generations by the locals with a natural irrigation system where the water flows over one terrace, down to the lower terrace and so on. We enjoyed our time their so much we had to add an extra day to the visit. A few days earlier after debating whether we would eat a cat or a dog, Jo remarked she couldn't eat a cat as she loved them so much but I had never seen someone volunteer so quickly when we got offered what we think was a 2 month old kitten that had been cooked up by the family of the guesthouse. We got it's little leg which was rather tasty!!
When we did finally leave, it was a 3 hour mission back to Guilin to get our 19hr train to Chongqing which was a city renowned for hotpots. There always seems to be some incident on the trains and started with us having difficulty finding our beds. This time round with lots of pushing and shoving in the aisles to get through, some Chinese man was trying to push past Alex while he was waiting for people coming the other to get through and make space, this resulted in a palm to the chest and the Chinese man was sent flying backwards. Typically, it turned out to be the man whose hillybilly family we shared a compartment with! They had boxes, buckets and all sorts of shit everywhere before we actually found our beds which left no room for both our bags. Jo's managed to go on an overhead rack but when Alex started trying to re-jig the bags that must have been the hillbillies, it was met by them tapping and shouting at us. About 5 mins followed with no success in getting our bags up so Alex resorted to taking one of their cases off and having a kind of 'push of war' with the mother in the aisle. Alex's bag went up after pointing out they had taken up every inch of space within the carriage, our first encounter with Chinese 'pikeys'. In the midst of all this Jo found something that looked to come off one of their bags which she asked if we should give back but Alex threw it straight out the window which sent Jo into a state of hysterics!!
The latest hostel was very well chosen as we discovered they had a movie system through the TV in the rooms. This was perfect timing as we had been travelling a fair amount with lots of bike rides and walks so a day relaxing and watching films was an exciting change. Chengdu was the next target on the map which was where we had booked a flight to Urumqi as the alternative would have been about 3 days travel across land. It looks like a small distance when planning your route but the size of the country is vast.
Since we didn't find hotpot in Chongqing, we were reccomended a place by one of the staff at the hostel so Jo decided to make it date night and put on a frock and a bit of slap. The hotpot was delicious, you have this massive wok that sits in a hole within your table heated underneath by a gas flame. The wok has two ring compartments, one mild and one spicy that you put your raw ingredients that you chose into either section to cook yourself. Once it was ready, you fished for it with your chopsticks and dipped whatever you found into a sesame oil mix of garlic and herbs before devouring it. Apart from the fact we were sweating a bit from the heat it was giving out and the chillies and spices probably didn't help, it was the nicest meal so far. Most of the staff kept laughing at us because they couldn't communicate from the start what the protocol was so we had to watch other tables to see what you were supposed to be doing!!
Booking a train onwards from Urumqi was proving pretty difficult again as we had been trying to pre-book it for weeks. In the end, a flight to Kashgar worked out only just more expensive and the prospect of an hour and 40 flight was too tempting for the money than 24 hours on a train.
Before we left London, one of Jo's work mates suggested reading a book called Danzinger's Travels - Beyond Forbidden Frontiers by Nick Danzinger. Jo finished the book around the start of our China adventure and I have just read the section about Kashgar in Western China which is where we have just been through. It's interesting to read someone's account of places you have been / are going to so you have comparisons.
Little things we have picked up on, like the chilldren having slits in the back of their trousers as most can't afford nappies so it makes it easier for the parents if they need to go to toilet without pulling their pants down and it encourages them to go on their own. This is something we have noticed all across China. His route took him from London through Europe to South Turkey, through Iran, Afghanistan and then was the first foreigner to cross from Pakistan to Western China since the revolution in 1949. He disguised himself as a muslim to keep under the radar as he was travelling illegally after Iran.
We met a guy from Burnley of all places who was quite an interesting bloke that we had a few beers with (typical northeners) who was now a sushi chef in Melbourne to a Japanese wife who traded gems and were both extremely well travelled. He was in Pakistan 11 years ago and had nothing but good things to say about the country and the people but recommended we buy the local attire of a shalwar chamise to try blend in and also a great way of keeping cool. This was also the the same dress that Danzinger became accustomed to along his travels.
Will update you on Kashgar soon and hopefully we can start updating the blog again in Pakistan more regularly.
Hope everyone is ok.
Love Alex & Jo x
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