Breakfast spread at the restaurant of
the Zhongtian Hotel was substantial. Apart from the Garden Hotel in Kuerle this
was the most impressive. The only difference was that the latter had more
Continental variety. This Chinese feast had a lot of vegetable, boiled, cooked
and pickled. Thus, there was Fried Rice, Porridge, cabbage, lettuce, celery,
spinach, radish, carrot, cucumber, mushroom, boiled egg, sesame balls, cakes,
hard bread and eggs to order. We took time over the breakfast since the drive
was a long one and, like yesterday, would find no place to stop for regular
meal. The only thing lacking was tea and coffee.
We were to take the G3012 to Kashgar
from Akesu. As we experienced it during the day the G3012 was closed for most
of its length; there were many diversions to take the G314, which itself was
under repair in many places. Thus, it was not a stretch conducive to speed as
we had yesterday. The road was bumpy in a few places too. However, we got into
Kashgar by 3 pm, when the fuel tank was almost about to yield. There were no
hassles filling up fuel. The friendly fuel station attendant wanted to know how
easy it was to drive the RH car in China. I gave him the special bookmark as a
souvenir.
Yingchu had arranged accommodation in
Xiyu Holiday Hotel within the city. It had private parking facilities. We
checked in and sought the restaurant. It was a Continental restaurant and the
staff spoke English, which was a relief. We were seated by a window and the dry
heat penetrated the thick window glazing and made it uncomfortable for us as
the lunch wore on. The menu was rather elaborate and so were the prices! Instead
of trying anything fancy we ordered two fried rice dishes, one with Ham and the
other with Abalone, and a Noodle dish with beef. For the first time in a couple
of weeks we were served water, else it was either green or black tea, mostly on
demand. The food was good; it vanished faster than it took time to prepare, for
we were ravenously hungry.
With Yingchu we decided to visit the Grand
Bazaar and the Id-Kah Mosque after some rest to wait out the blazing Sun. In
the meanwhile, I went with Yingchu to get the car water washed. The car was
covered in a thick layer of dust and grime. The Car Wash was a short distance
from the hotel and was operated by a family of three; the young son chipped in
too with his mother to wipe dry the car after it had been expertly hose down by
the father. Even by 6.30 pm, when we got out of the Hotel, the Sun was fierce
and the heat was intolerable. Local people went about their businesses as
usual. It was only visitors like us who were getting fried. The city of
Kashgar, or Kashi for short, is an ancient city and has been inhabited for over
2000 years. The city was an important hub along the old silk road. It was from
Kashgar that the northern (via Turpan) and the southern (via Yutian) routes
diverged to the East. The city has a population of over 3.5 million and it can
be felt on the roads, where taxi drivers (in smart uniform), women on scooters,
men driving electric hand carts, public transport and swanky private vehicle
jostle to get ahead of each other.
We took a taxi to the Eastern Entrance of the
Grand Bazaar. It is more known as the Sunday Bazaar, for it is on that day that
one can get the best bargain. It is reputed to be the biggest market in Asia,
and most definitely in China. As I got in through the carved gate of the Bazaar
the strong smell of spices hit me point blank. The Bazaar has abundant
varieties of all kinds of commodities, durable and perishable. There are almost
exclusive alleys for clothing, handicrafts, carpets, footwear, hardware,
electrical and electronic goods, dry fruits, spices, musical instruments, hats,
capes and stoles, etc. There were even vendors selling CDs of Hindi movies –
Chennai Express seemed to be a hot favourite. (We were asked by many
shopkeepers, once they came to know that we are from Hindustan, if we knew Shah
Rukh Khan!) The local people, I understood, flock to this market to source
their wares. Even retailers from other villages and cities could be seen
bargaining for the right price. I bought a pant piece for Yuan 35 (INR 350),
which will certainly cost over INR 1000. The market offered goods from various
parts, as was the tradition during the heydays of the Silk Road. The opening of
the Khunjerab Pass and the Tourgat border has resulted in more merchant and
tourist activity in the recent past, which in turn has increased commercial
activity in the Bazaar. People started coming from faraway places to buy things
from Kashgar for sale in their own countries. It is said that the annual sales
in the Grand Bazaar totes 125 million Yuan. A walk through the Bazaar was a
wonderful experience to feel the folk custom and culture of the Xinjiang Uyghur
people. The shopkeepers are so hospitable that were only too keen to explain
and make you experience their products. Within the Bazaar large number of
battery operated handcarts convey huge bags from and to the shops. The Bazaar,
for the number of people it serves, is neat and clean.
From the Grand Bazaar it was another taxi ride
to the Id-Kah mosque, which is the largest in China. It was built around 1442
(it incorporated structures that belonged to the 10th century). It
is one of the holiest places of worship for Muslims around the world. The
street around the mosque is extremely colorful and busy. Stall selling small
electrical and electronic items, bakeries, kebab shops, food stalls, homemade
ice cream shops, etc made for a very congested but thoroughly enjoyable walk.
We picked up a few sticks of chicken and duck kebabs and returned to the hotel.
Thus, the last city on the China leg of the journey had been completed. The
experience was thoroughly enjoyable, mostly due to the effervescent presence of
Yingchu. She was calm and composed at all times. She always explained anything
that you asked of her without any hesitation; questions were never brushed
away, however controversial the topic was. She sourced us the best
accommodation for the price we wanted and helped us flavor local cuisine and
experiment with them. She even got us hooked to the chopsticks. Most
importantly, she was like a team member during the entire two weeks, eating
what we ate, drinking what we did and even humming Hindi songs! Three cheers to
her and the NAVO team, who made this a memorable trip for us. We had a lot of
misgivings, but they were all belied.
Tomorrow morning another NAVO guide will take
us to the Tourgat border to exit China. I have also arranged another on the
Kyrgyzstan side. We have decided to leave Kashgar by 9 am. There are two
customs points on the Chinese side. Most importantly, there is a time
difference of two hours between the two borders – we will gain two hours as we
move to Kyrgyzstan. From now on it is going to be a journey from +8 GMT to 0
GMT. 25 of the 75 days have been completed, and we hope that the rest of the
experience is as pleasant as it has been till now. The prayers and good wishes
of our families and friends back home, I am sure, will ensure that.
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