Wild Silk Finish Lipstick

Jun 052010

Silk Road Adventures

The Silk Road

There is something very remarkable about this story. Is not that covers part of the old route of Route Silk Xian in China to Islamabad in Pakistan. Not the fact that cross deserts, remote wilderness and the highest border crossing in the world. Also explored is that the world largest market in Kashgar or stayed with the Kazakhs in traditional yurts during a snowstorm. These are all special in their own right, but what made this a memorable trip was the group that traveled with. Four girls and will have to wait until the end to find out why so remarkable.

We started in the capital Xi'an ancient China and considered the real start of the Silk Road. I was escorting four girls in an imaginative journey Traveller Islamabad in what I believe it is a journey very difficult to get into some of the most remote corners of China and Pakistan. After meeting girls and having dinner at a restaurant very local street was sure that we would have a good trip.

Back to Xian. Xian is perhaps my favorite of the Chinese city. I love the way ancient and modern blend effortlessly into its architecture and local culture. The story is long, sights everywhere and there seems to be a surprise at every turn. But what really takes travelers to Xian terracotta warriors are. I will not write about them as I am sure others can and have described this ancient wonder better than I will give you a tip, though - find out what time the doors open to warriors and get there first. When I was there it was 8 hours. You see most of the tourists coming hours that day in a car Xian-breakfast in your hotel at 8am. The crowds start arriving around 9 to 9.30 to get there early means you get the warriors at least for an hour without the crowds.

We now turn west and leave the tour bus back. Come to the end of the Great Wall to a small town called Jiayuguan. Famous for being on the edge of the ancient imperial China, the last step under the sky is the strength they have come to visit. In ancient imperial guard was considered a very unlucky, or have upset the wrong person to be placed so far from the center of the universe. It's really not that bad! The strength is fine for a few hours, but the beauty is in the distance of the city and surrounding area snow-covered mountains. A couple of bikes and explored carefully hired local people and country.

Traders Silk Silk Road was to India and returned with Buddhism, though I am holding in India's spreading throughout the Far East. Dunhuang, our neighboring town, was a popular stop for merchants and a large Buddhist community grew up there. They built the caves Maga a spectacular series of Buddhist sculptures, murals and statues that if you were closer to tourists from China, in my opinion, one of its biggest attractions. There are over 492 caves carved into the cliff, with 2415 color statues and murals that cover a area of more than 45,000 m². Unbelievable.

The desert is hard on this part of China. Stone mountains become mountains of sand, sun heat is strong and relentless course run its daily torment. Across these deserts in search of wealth in slow and stubborn camels must have been enormous. Sitting on our bus traveling on a paved road that were in silence trying to comprehend the enormity of the walk taken by the Silk Road traders who preceded us. But once in the desert when it can be kind and the oasis town of Turpan was more than kind to the trader's going on, it meant survival.

Turpan is located in a depression which means that it is lower than sea level. A basin that retains heat, even during the winter months when night temperatures in the desert surrounding reflect the heat of summer suns. This can be suffocating in summer, but life has to Turpan desert travelers in the form of water. It comes from a unique aqua ducts old draw water from distant snow mountains. The grapes are grown everywhere, even in the alleys where the vines are trained on trellises to provide shade during heat even days.

The good thing about this trip is the variety of landscapes, culture and peoples. Urumqi is in the remote mountains and the city in the world of the sea, 2500 km from the nearest coast. We have come to spend a night at the Lake of Heaven in traditional Kazakh felt yurt tents. We had two options, we could remain in the government fixed yurt camp was very nice, next to the main road and had a sanitary block with hot water. Or we could take a boat on the lake to see if any migrants were willing to let us spend a night with them. A quick vote and we were on the boat across this beautiful lake surrounded mountains and alpine forest dusted with snow spring.

Our hosts welcomed us to the nomadic way. Not only are instinctive uproar hospitality and a safe place to stay warm as all passing travelers. We pay the same field would have been paid, but it was this much better. The group helped to cook with goat milk and a little while our local guide helped feed the horses and yaks. After dinner we sat in the yurt around a belly stove with family and finished the bottle of whiskey he was carrying. It was probably the whiskey that made me sleep through the howling snow storm of the night. 4 in the morning one of our hosts brought two young kids to a house in the snow. After calling their moms and trying to eat my hair two of the leading group and the goats huddled in their blankets sleeping. Sun was my guide and expressed concern about the snowstorm, we had to catch a plane that day and the boat could not start in the snow to take us back to the bus. We had no choice but to take the horses through the forest to the main road. Closing three horses started the group pending Peggy, the fourth member, to put on your lipstick! She never left the house without makeup, he said. The walk lasted two hours and the snow was not so bad in the forest. Ok it was cold and not the journey more comfortable, but what an adventure! We were going to make our flight in plenty of time so stopped at home for lunch guidelines with his wife and children before heading to the airport.

Halfway through the journey and so far everything is going well and the group were in good spirits. He had been very difficult coming up with long days, strange food, harsh weather and hard beds but for a pick me up to explore Kashgar Sunday market is better than any energy drink.
Kashgar is the commercial center of many different tribes Tajiks, Kyrgyz, Kazakhs, Uzbeks, Uigers to name a few and there has been a market in Kashgar for over 2000 years. West Being used to traffic jams, but a jam donkey cart is another thing all together. Tens of thousands of tribal people make the journey in Kashgar trade on a Sunday the creation of one of the world's largest and most important markets. The animal market is the biggest attraction in which many come to see the horses being put to the test. Children have a care for the horses to gallop at a short distance in a dusty track so the potential buyer can see how work. The faces and clothing of different tribes and their products makes Kashgar a photographic nirvana.

Xian looked a century ago, we had done much just over a fortnight. Terracotta Warriors, an oasis in the desert, drifting snow and old markets now what? Now we had to reach Pakistan in the higher worlds Khunjerab crossing the border to take us to the Karakoram Highway to Islamabad.

Our date coincided with the cross the opening of the passage of the season, May 1st and I wanted to be the first group through the year. I was informed by the operator who did not need a visa as the year Pakistan were free tourist visa on arrival. I knew it, knew that the operator and even the Pakistani government knew but forgot to inform Immigration officials at the border. The most beautiful black mustache I've seen told me there was a problem because I had no visa and his subordinate necessary to Islamabad phone to order out this confusion. "Waiting insisted that he drank tea and discussed the next and the world cup Football was a big Manchester United fan. Since we had the most surreal debate in the David Beckham's right foot clear all came from Islamabad to let me go in Pakistan. A change of an entry stamp was done and asked "how long you plan to stay for" ten days "was my reply" I'll to give 60 days, I'm sure you'll like it here "

The step came m./15 4693, 397 meters, but to see the mountains around you might think you were in the sea level. This part of Pakistan has the largest concentration of mountains over 7000 meters in the world, is truly impressive. We spent a week in this area and today I can not overcome the extreme beauty of this place. Looking down into the Indus River slowly raise your head pass the fruit in bloom, powerful glaciers pass through the clouds at the top of the mountains near the height of Everest.

From here the South to the Pakistani version Canberra - Islamabad. A city designed to house government departments, is clean, green and very modern. A nice change to the remote wild places that we experienced in the past 21 days and soon got bored of it. They got into a taxi and had a short drive to Rawalpindi. This was more like it. Dust, noise, people, chaos, smells and life, a good way to end a trip like this.

My group and had lived a long and not always plane sailing. This route is away from the tourist route for hotels, meals and transportation are basic and not what we are accustomed. We are out of our comfort zone for almost the whole trip, but there was no alternative and perhaps that added to the experience. So what is so extraordinary in my group of four girls? As the youngest was 67 years and most Peggy, remember the girl with the makeup?, was 72.

Story Time - Mute

About the Author

Spencer Neal has worked in adventure travel since 1997. His many adventures and passion for travel has led him to part own an online adventure travel agency Travel Light www.travellight.co.za specialising in world wide adventures for South Africans. You can contact him at spencer@travellight.co.za

Flower Flower Flowers in the track, the unmistakable signs of spring, sprouted everywhere from New York Fashion Week runways Monday.