Day 29 Friday 23 September 2011 Chinese border to Kashgar

In the morning we went outside & saw that it had snowed during the night & Puce Goose had a white covering.

We went down to the Customs Post at 9.30 which was padlocked. Eventually a guard came out & motioned that they were still sleeping.

The time zone here is rather strange as officialdom operates on Beijing time which is 2 hours ahead.

We slunk back to our filthy hotel room & sleepy until our guide arrived at 2.30pm. I had already texted him to see whether he could assist Sawut to get into China.

At some stage the hotel guard came in and wanted $18 for the room & $50 for the water & beer. We said no & that we would sort it out when the agent arrived.

This was eventually resolved after some argument & payment to him of $28. Still far to much in the circumstances but we had to get moving.

What a suitable place for the “end of the earth”. Cold, miserable people, lack of any facilities, obviously a hardship posting.  You can read what you can into this.

The guide had arrived with a tilt tray truck (only some vehicles with special permits to come to this area are allowed). At this point Customs wanted to inspect our luggage on steel trays out in the snow. Suspicious items were our data backup storage, our Tibet guide book & the historical book on the Great Game but eventually passed.

Morgan on tray truck coming from Chinese border to Kashgar

Phil went with Sawut in the tray truck & the agent & I got a lift in a passing mini bus with 7 Brazilian tourists.

After 130 kms, we reached the actual frontier post where further formalities took place. Luggage was x-rayed (no-one was watching the x-ray), passports stamped, vehicle inspection & we were through.

The tray truck had a flat tyre, the inner tube of which was unable to be fixed. The driver purchased a new inner tube which was then fitted inside a bald tyre & off they went. Meanwhile the mini bus was held up as it was required that we take 2 soldiers on board to get them to Kashgar.

Typical roadside tyre repair place: for the tray truck

The passing scenery was muddy, mud brick villages, drab grey & smoggy. A lot of maize was grown in this area & lots of corn stalks were drying up against the walls. It seems that these may be used for floor matting.

Arrived at hotel after dark, Puce Goose unloaded in hotel forecourt. We were dirty & dusty & glad of a hot shower & filling Chinese dinner. And good beer or two.