Day 20 : Kargilik cont.

Day 20 : I spend a half a day in Kargilik to explore a bit more of the town. I walked around looking for a 15th century mosque that I couldn't find the previous day. So I set out on the general direction that was given to by the hotel staff in the previous day. After walking for over 40 mins I reached what look liked a mosque. A very tall, beautiful and old building, but locked from outside clearly, so as the receptionist said for 'some' reason it was closed. I enjoyed the beauty and took a snap on my cell phone and chose to walk back to my hotel to pack up and leave.

As I got back I noticed something on one of the alleyways which caught my attention again just like the previous evening. It was a Guitar hung with two traditional instruments along side. I looked at it for a while and took a snap and decided to try taking a walk in that alley. And just like the previous day it greeted me with some beautiful scenes and some of my favourite snaps of the trip to Kargilik. 

I left Kargilik that afternoon to head back to Hotan in time for the Sunday Market. I got back pretty late in the evening around 7 and was very lazy to get out, but another half of me wanted to explore. I checked wikitravel to get more details of some good place to eat, so there I found the number of this Malaysian restaurant called "Marco's Dream Cafe" run by this Malaysian Couple. I talked to the owner who runs the cafe with her husband and she told me the direction to get to the cafe. I was excited about the idea of having some different flavour to eat that day and set off in search of the Café. 

Nicely tucked away in one corner of the main peoples square I managed to find them by the direction I was given. I was greeted by the warm and friendly owner of the cafe and the first thing that struck me was the beautiful ambience of the place. I had a nice talk with the owner about how he landed in Hotan and about a lot of things like that and order some rice with some nice Malaysian Curry. It tasted heavenly, I thoroughly enjoyed the curry and their hospitality so I spend the evening there till they closed talking to them about Xinjiang and learning from their experiences. They shared a lot of tips about some of the best places to eat Polo and Kebabs, some of the best things to see around, more about the market and a lot of details like that. It was a very fulfilling day and I said good night for the day and left, with a thought of going back to them before I left. :) 

The old and beautiful mosque, since it was closed this was the only snap I could manage. 

The meeting of genres...the scene that caught my eye and tempted me to explore...

The alley that I explored...it was really old and extremely peaceful because it was so far away from the hustle and bustle of the town...

Happiness of Innocence....My most memorable snap of the day and a favourite from the trip...two of them were sitting on a skateboard..

A lone nan maker with his unsure smile....he was making nan right in the courtyard of his house...

As I walked the street I was in the lenses of local security men called Bao an in Chinese. They were a very curious and the most friendly bunch whom I came across in Xinjiang, they even cheerfully posed for a picture with me....I wonder if I made it to the PSB records as a foreigner drifting around with his camera :P

Scene from the market...They greeted me with a smile and with the obvious question of my nationality so couldnt resist to click...

From the market again...he was more curious about Shahrukh Khan when he knew my nationality.... 

A family of bread makers...when I stopped for a samsa this family's beautiful smile greeted me...another favourite from the day...

My dinner...Rice with ginger flavoured chicken curry..the best meal in a few weeks...

The couple and their 'fill-in' head chef having their dinner...I was so touched by their hospitality...I surely hope to go back to Hotan some day to meet them there... :)

Day 19 : Kargilik

Day 19 : A Day and Night in Kargilik. I decided to take a trip to the neighbouring town of Kargilik, I read about a very old Mosque there and set out to find that. After a 5 hour journey by bus and for the first time a Police checkpoint where I had to step out of the bus and get my passport checked I reached my destination. Since there was not many hotels I had to resort to the Transportation hotel, a chain of hotels right at the Bus stations in most places in Xinjiang. After trying my best to explain to the Hotel receptionist that I need a single room, I got a single room and checked in.

After that, I got back to the receptionist and asked her for directions to the mosque but she had no idea what I was asking about or talking about. A Uyghur lady there tried to help me she probably understood something, but she replied saying that the place is very very far and also something in the lines of it being closed or broken. 

So eventually I decided to stroll around town. I walked around the dusty old town which was also in the process of getting transformed with new buildings and a very "organised" town market in the middle. I took a stroll through the market and realized that it was another attempt at changing the traditional market into a more organised shopping street. At one of the junctions on the market street I noticed a dusty alley that lead into some very old looking houses and a very old lady sitting at the door of her house. I walked a few meters past that junction and something drew me to have a look at her again. She was really old and right above her head was some kind of a notice in Arabic script. I clicked a pic of her and decided to walk through that street. 

I walked through that alley and noticed that all the houses in that alley had that notice in front of them and most of the houses were locked, except for 2 or 3. From what I understood later, it looked very much like a eviction notice, so that these old houses can make way for more structured and organized market. I could see half knocked down old houses and multi storey buildings in the background. 

After a walk for over an hour I went into eat some Polo at a local restaurant a simple mixed rice eaten with simple yoghurt, one of the best tasting dinners in a couple of weeks. 

The old lady who caught my attention, sitting at her door looking at the people walk by

The crescent on top of a rusty spiral staircase next to a small mosque 

Two moons

My dinner...Polo

In the meanwhile I got Published... ;)

A link to an article I wrote for DNA India on my Journey through Xinjiang...

http://www.dnaindia.com/lifestyle/report-journeying-through-china-s-silk-route-xinjiang-1982067

Day 18 : Hotan

On reaching Hotan the previous night most surprising thing happened to me, I got down from the bus and caught a taxi to reach the hotel that was booked for me by my friend after tirelessly checking through a lot of hotels to find one that takes in foreigners. To my pleasant surprise when I got into taxi I heard Bollywood music, which made me really happy and made me feel at home. 
But that joy was replaced by a little shock when I realized that taxi driver could not understand a word of Chinese or read the address of the hotel I showed him on the mobile. Even more shocking was when he stopped the cab right in the middle of a 3 lane road and jumped out of the cab with my mobile, for a moment I thought he was stealing my phone but then when I jumped out after I saw he was talking to another taxi guy behind asking for directions. So after such an eventful ride I reached my hotel that looked a bit shady. Since I had no options that late in the night I checked in. 

Day 18 started early with a search for a bit more better hotel that might take foreigners. After searching and checking with a lot of hotels I realized either they are even more expensive or else they don't take foreigners even some of the most plush looking hotels. Some of them turned me away with a strange looking expression on their face as if they are scared. Anyways I gave up the hunt after walking for half a day. I decided to head to a local attraction called "Mazar of Imam Asim" the tomb of a saint called Imam Azim sitting at the edge of the city right in the desert. According to what I read Thursday was the special day there so I wanted to go and see for myself. 

That journey to the Mazar was the most memorable experience of the whole trip, I got to experience the generosity of Hotanese people first hand. So to get to the Mazar I took a city bus to a bus station that has shuttle buses heading to my destination. But strangely neither did I see the bus station nor could I find the shuttle bus number that takes me to the Mazar. I strolled around looking for either of that, eventually asked a local who was walking by me carrying his lunch for directions. After hearing a foreigner speaking in broken Chinese he also tried to tell me directions in his broken Chinese. Then after a brief pause with something in his mind he asked me to follow him. He walked into a workshop and was discussing something with a couple of guys there in a very animated fashion, then he gave his packet of lunch to one of the guys and got a key from him and pulled out a car that was parked there and asked me to sit. I was in two minds that a complete stranger is asking me to sit in a car in a city that I have no clue of, but still I got in. He drove me all the way to a bus stop and just at that time there was a bus pulling in. He asked me to get on it and explained to the driver very clearly where I had to go and made sure that he understood that well. When I was about to offer him some money he just said Goodbye and drove off.

The bus took me to where I had to go from there it was around a km walk according to my map, I asked for directions to be doubly sure. A lady showed me the road and said just head straight and you will reach there. I started walking through the dusty village road with Huyang trees on both sides. I got to see very modest but nicely kept houses. As I walked past I saw these 2 small kids with an old man and as I turned around with my cam he was giving me a salute while trying to get one of them to do the same.

Teaching him to salute....Loved the look on their faces...

The old man and the kids...

After that I walked in the shade of the trees slowly to my destination, I could see the signs of desert around me. Just then a motorbike went by with 4 people on that and suddenly it stopped, I noticed that the lady whom I asked for directions was on it with 2 kids. She got down and took the kids off and was telling something to the bike rider. Then she turned to me and told me to sit on the bike, I felt so bad that she got off with her kids to send me to where I wanted to go. I tried hard with my chinese to convince her to sit but she was very sure and she made sure that I took the ride. The rider of the bike took me right up to the gates of the Mazar. I thanked in him Uyghur and said good bye, when I pulled out my wallet he said "No no" with his hands and just left.

A scene right by the gates of the Mazar

Way to Mazar

Mazar of Imam Asim

Day 17 : Kuqa cont.

On Day 17, I was planning to cross the mighty Taklamakan, from Kuqa. It was a 14 hour journey by bus and the bus was at 1 in the afternoon. So since I didn't see much on the previous evening in Kuqa, I decided to step out to see something interesting in town. So I visited the Grand Kuqa mosque and decided to visit another Mazaar of a famous saint. With the route plan in mind I stepped out and since time was of essence I decided to take a cab. The cabbie was a very interesting character like most cabbies in Xinjiang. Looking at me he was very curious to know where I am from and my background and what I was doing there in Xinjiang. Since both our Mandarin was not that good conversation was not that difficult. He took me through small alleyways and streets of the old town and dropped me right in front of the mosque. As I approached the mosque I noticed a group of tourists with big cameras and even bigger lenses running around all over the streets of Old town. I later found out they are a group of Taiwanese tourists on a trip. It was a ticketed entry into the mosque, so I paid the modest amount for the ticket and got in. The taxi driver said he will wait for me to take me back to the hotel or any other place, he now turned into my tour guide and came along with me inside and showed me around.

It was amazingly peaceful inside the mosque, the chilly morning along with the shining sun was a great setting. I walked into the prayer hall and was not sure if I am allowed to take photos inside, and when I asked the taxi driver he looked around and said "Take take, no one around". So after spending a bit of time there, I quietly left the place by then the other group of Taiwanese tourists had already reached there so the peace was broken. I clicked a few pics and left.

The dome of the mosque

The Grand Kuqa mosque from outside

The mosque courtyard

Prayer hall, very old and peaceful...Beautiful carpets were spread all over the place

A design on the roof of the prayer hall, it looked like a sun to me.

Morning sun shining his grace into the prayer hall...

Day 16 : Kuqa

On Day 16 - I headed to Kuqa or Kuche as it is known with Mandarin speakers. A good 4 hour bus journey away. I paid for the ticket and was on my way to get on to the bus when the Airport styled security at the local bus station while scanning my luggage found something 'suspicious'. The item in question my favourite Deodorant. After a futile attempt to convince them that its not and IED but my deodorant, I moved on. As if that was not enough I was soon to find out that my seat is the non reclining added seat on the bus which was right next to the driver, which made me more grumpy. But as it turns out all unfortunate events have a silver lining attached to it if you look for it, in this case I had wonderful 180 degree view of the road and my journey. So even if its was not the most comfortable journey, I did enjoy the sights on the road.

After reaching Kuqa, my next challenge was to find my hotel. I was booked into 'Kuche Grand Hotel' a rather plush looking hotel on the website and the only hotel that took foreigners in Kuqa. After walking past an under construction building which was called Kuche hotel at least twice I couldn't find the actual hotel. I was getting tired after walking for a good long distance with my heavy sack. Then I finally managed to understand from local's that the actual hotel was behind it. It was indeed plush hotel and a very attractive price, my only regret was that I was staying there only for 1 night. Checked in and rested for the while and got our to explore Kuqa.

Kuqa is one of those booming small towns of China, with all the standard issues like not enough public transport and traffic snarls. It was quite a challenge to get around and the blocks were quite big that what looked small on the map turns out to be a good fair distance away. Finally I took a bus to get to the old side of town, I strolled around a little around there and when I couldnt find much interesting things except for an old small mosque, I decided to head back after having some nice Kebab for dinner. So photographically it was again not a very interesting day...

Our Bus driver, a rather serious chap....(shot from my Galaxy S4)

Long road to Kuqa....(shot from my Galaxy S4)

A group of elders spending their evening near the mosque...

Day 15 : Korla Cont.

Day 15 in Korla was a bit more fun, I decided to roam around the town to look for interesting things, since heading to the Bosten lake was not happening. So I roamed around to click whatever that caught my eye. Spend nearly a day like that, luckily in the evening the hostel owner invited a few of us guests and took us for a drive to see sunset. This time even though there was a language gap things turned out well... ;)

This was my first sight at a park when I was strolling around, the guy who is supposed to protect the law was killing time...playing cards... ;)

The region of Korla is a Mongol autonomous region, so its apt to have the carving of the Great Mongol himself...Genghis Khan...

The clock tower in the middle of the town...

While strolling in the downtown near the clock tower, this old Ustad who was nearby was very curious to know where I am from and what I was doing in Korla and all... :)

It was immediately after I clicked these pics my lovely friend from Shenzhen called me and said she booked my tickets for my return journey and insisted I go and pick it up at the station after that. If it wasn't for her I would have had a hard time getting the tickets myself, a big Thanks to her...Later in the journey I found from travellers that it is nearly impossible to book tickets to leave Xinjiang in November, because the harvest season gets over by then and many people head home for winter....

Those much priced tickets...

The hostel owner took us to this park that was full of young Huyang trees, though I couldn't see the main Huyang forest I was happy with the sight of this itself 

At the top of the hill, Nature and culture...

Huyang trees...quite a few of them...

After the sunset we headed to the square to see some dance and then to the night food market for some snacks...

A proud father and his cute child....

A cute kid at the market...

Kind of looks like serious discussion over snacks...

Couple of curious, but friendly locals.... 

Busy making a perfect roast...