So F.Y. and I finally made it to China. After depositing a friendly German, an old polo shirt and two metres of tarpaulin in Sost, Pakistan's dusty little border town, I climbed into an old landcruiser with 6 Pakistani "business men" and a balding Japanese dude for the trip over the pass and on to Tashkurgan, China's not-so-dusty, and somewhat larger border town.
Before I left Pakistan, I took a few days to see some of the top end. Tom ze German and I had one final Hoorah trip up to the top of the Khunjerab pass, which is the official border between Pakistan and China. You're allowed to cycle up to it, and the Pakistani officials are pretty relaxed about the whole affair, (we even camped out on their front lawn on the way up). But with iron-fisted Chinese regularity, you are forbidden from cycling down the other side into China, but we decided to take the two day trip to the top (4700m) anyway, and despite Tom coughing up chunks of bloody lung the whole way, it was a pretty good little trip.
After that, we went our separate ways, Tom to conquer K2 (or at least get to base camp), and I for a couple more days up the Chapursan valley, a small valley in Pakistans North West that heads towards Afghanistan and Tajikistan (perfectly safe. really.) Although the weather was not the best, the people and the scenery really made it a great little side trip. The road was poretty rough, but along the way were lots of tiny villages harvesting wheat and offering completely selfless hospitality. Apparently the trekking in the surrounding mountains is absolutely amazing, but that'll have to wait till the next trip.
The difference between China and Pakistan is evident the moment you cross the border. Mainly because the bone jarring potholes on the pakistan side are replaced by smooth chinese asphalt! The Pakistani mentality of our driver did not stop at the border however, as he attempted to cruise down the 146km to Tashkurgan in neutral to save petrol...
After three customs checks, luggage x-rays, an x-ray of my abdomen, and much interest in the price of my bicycle, we were finally in china!
Tashkurgan the border town is a bizarre mix of Han chinese, Tajik and Kyrgyz people, with chinese supermarkets, kebab and fresh naan cooked in the street, and shops selling everything from rakes to kettles and pots the size of a 4man jacuzzi.
From there the 300km ride to Kashgar was mainly downhill, with a night in a Yurt with a Tajik family by Lake Kara kul under the mighty Muztagh Ata ("Ice Mountain"). Kashgar again is a strange mix of 'typical' chinese and central asian, with an old city full of Tajik Muslims, and a new city of big imposing chinese communist looking buildings, and of course a "peoples park" with a suitable large and imposing statue of the chairman.
It does also boast however, coffee (very overpriced, and very underquality...), 2 camera stores (neither of which have a circular polarising lens for my camera) huge internet cafes (thank you Warcraft...), and great kebabs (only after sunset, its still Ramadan). On top of all these goodies, Kashgar is said to boast the largest animal market this side of the Pamirs, every Sunday. I'll fill you in on the action as soon as i've seen it.
Woohoo!!!
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