We arrived back to Kashgar from Tashkorgan around midday the next day. We were sorry to say goodbye to our driver Mukhtar who had been so good to us and we were concerned to see that his ancient four wheel drive car had broken down just as he was leaving our hotel. But like most of our experiences in this part of the world, the local people were amazingly helpful and we were pleased and relieved to see that a number of the hotel staff immediately came to his aid and were pouring over the private bits of the motor. Finally, with a huge bang and a roar, the old vehicle came to life and chugged off farting smoke down the broad Kashgar road.

At the outset we were a bit disappointed with the city that we had read so much about. Our initial reaction was that it was a modern, if a somewhat boring place to be - not the wild frontier trading hub we had heard so much about. But then our first impressions were after a long and disappointing 23 hour rail trip from Urumqi - and we landed right in the modern area just before heading off once again on a long trip to Tashkorgan. It's frightening how dismal things can look after a long and tiring trip. Even our very lovely Barony Hotel had looked just ordinary.

That afternoon, it was pleasant to have the time to wander around and familiarise ourselves with the city. We found a bread street stall near our hotel and bought some wonderful crusty bagels at just one Yuan each. We were intrigued that the street seller was especially wary of us, particularly me. We expect he may have just been suspicious of foreigners. But by the end of our stay in Kashgar, and having bought many of his bread rolls - he became very friendly and took a great deal of effort to show he was selecting his best bread for us. The bread in far western China was fabulous and miraculously our Turpan butter and jam had survived the long journey to Kashgar. Simple but delicious food.

To our relief we found a Bank of China that would cash our travellers' cheques - just before it closed for the long afternoon break. It was only one block away from where we had turned back two days before. Of course the locals' directions had been spot on. We had just not walked quite far enough.

Walking around the city centre later in the day, we looked out for a local restaurant for our dinner that night. Our hotel was some two kilometers from the city centre so we wanted to ensure which ones would be open. It was quite comical. In one cafe we were having a lot of trouble trying to make ourselves understood. The restaurant owner was unbelievably helpful and summoned a Chinese fellow who, although he could not speak English, made a call on his mobile phone to his English speaking friend who then spoke to us, translated the message in Mandarin back to the owner of the phone, who then translated it back in Uighur to the restaurant owner who assured us they would be open. Amazing.

Dining in Kashgar at the local restaurants was great fun. We found another charming restaurant, Intizar that was recommended by the Lonely Planet guide. On our arrival the restaurant was simply packed with local people and we wondered if it would be at all possible to find a table. Immediately however, we were courteously led upstairs to the top level where there were waiters who spoke some English as well as English menus. This restaurant had the biggest menu and servings we could imagine. We ate copious quantities of delicious barbequed mutton, skewered chicken, a curious but delicious egg and tomato dish and the very best eggplant we have ever tasted. Spices revealed hints of turmeric, cumin, five spice powder and chili. And, we also found good local red wine and as usual good Chinese beer. It was wonderful to sit up on the top floor of Intizar eating great food with the locals, watching the busy streets with a melting pot of exotic peoples passing by.

Our visit to the Old City the next morning was a real delight. We were fascinated to find a wonderful sprawling ancient city full of Uighur shops interspersed by a labyrinth of crooked dusty lanes and passageways leading to decaying clay and mud brick houses. The city streets were alive with the clanking and clattering noises of tradespeople hammering out copper pots, iron cook wear, wood works and jewellery. Traders were selling everything from carpets to fine glassware and once again we saw a huge array of knives - heaps of very sharp and nasty looking things that our Australian custom officials would have a field day with.

I was interested in some of the jewellery, in particular a pair of ornate gold earrings. "This is gold of course?" I asked. "No", said the stall holder's off-sider. "It is Iiiimmm-itation". Impressed by his honesty and English speaking skills I immediately bought the earrings. To Alan's disgust I didn't even bother to negotiate. And true to form, Alan the Compulsive Rug Buyer bought yet another rug. We had no idea where they were all going to fit in our home back in Australia but it did not stop him from returning to the Old City later that afternoon to buy one more....

Wonderful wafts of food led us to street stalls selling fabulous flat breads, spicy samoosas, hot smoky mutton kebabs and grilled skewered half chickens. A gastronomic and sensory delight. That was until we watched in amazement the bread makers ensuring the bread had a good hard crust. Ladles of street drain water were carefully sprinkled over the loaves before they were baked in large smoking hot tandoor styled ovens. Well at least they were well sterilised, we reasoned.

Butchers displaying an array of mutton meat cuts and what looked like chunks of camel meat covered the footpaths with their stalls. Grilled mutton with cubes of fat from the tail is considered quite a delicacy in local cuisine. Meat is very popular in far western China and it seems it would be difficult to be a vegetarian in Kashgar.  

We were fascinated to see many veiled but elegantly dressed women wandering down the main streets then gliding off into tiny cobblestone lanes and disappearing into ramshackle ancient brick and wooden houses. How did they keep so beautifully dressed in such dust and rubble, we asked ourselves. It all looked so incongruous, almost surreal.

On the other hand, we were saddened to come across a few women sitting in the streets begging, completely covered in dull brown hijabs and neck to knees clothing. Interestingly, most of the locals passing by offered them money and so did we. We guessed they must be have been widowed women. It was a sobering sight.

Interspersed between the shops, the babble of people, mosques, the ubiquitous donkey carts and a tangle of electric bikes there was a curiously large number of dental surgeries. Poor victims in some sort of vice type grip were getting some fairly serious treatment done and right in full view of everyone in the street. I must say we were impressed with the "before and after" photos that were plastered over the surgery shop fronts. It seemed you could have a fully rotten mouth transformed at the drop of a hat, or tooth, into the PERFECT MOUTH.

Late in the morning we took the opportunity to visit the Bazaar, where the famous Sunday markets are held. The bazaar was mildly disappointing, probably because we really did not want to buy anything at the time and probably because it was not a Sunday. Endless market stalls sold a staggering array of pashminas, scarves, gold threaded materials, dinner wear, teapots and teacup cups, as well as a frighteningly large display of serious daggers and knives. 

On our wanderings through Kashgar looking for a shop that advertised lapis lazuli, we met Abdul Karim, a friendly and vivacious dental student. This young man was so helpful and friendly that we ashamedly felt a bit suspicious as to his motives. Adbul took us everywhere trying to find this particular shop before phoning a friend who told him it had changed address. We thanked him and bid him farewell, very appreciative of his helpfulness. Within minutes however our friend zoomed up beside us in a shiny new van. Abdul had borrowed a car and was offering us a lift to where the new shop was. He did not ask us for any money and we were amazed at his generosity. Sadly, we didn't find any lapis though.

And this was typical of everywhere we went in Kashgar. The minute we produced a map people came from everywhere to help us, despite us not being able to speak Uighur or Mandarin.

We thoroughly enjoyed our stay in Kashgar and also our visit to the friendly town of Tashkorgan. We fell in love with this part of the world and would strongly recommend it as a great destination for travellers wanting to visit a far and distant China.