Visual Expressions...: 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.