China Day 19

Might get this posted later tonight (Sunday) as starting in the plane as we head towards Chendu having left Kashgar at 7:30 for a 4 hour flight. We had our first glitch at the airport when check-in found we weren't booked on our stated flight. Luckily Lowik our guide was still with us so he tackled the phone calls to HQ and 3ventually found they had tried to put us on an earlier flight (a good idea) but forgot to let us know, rebooked the lastseats on this flight so all sorted. We've also had a bit of trouble with Mum's hearing aid charger in China as they don't like it in checked luggage so she was diverted to baggage inspection to sort it out.

We had a fairly quiet morning in Kashgar which was quite welcome. Lowik picked us up at 12 and we checked out the largest mosque in the city - there are about 350 all up - but very different to mosques we've seen in Turkey etc. They are now illegal in China and used mostly as tourist attractions.

Lowik organised lunch at another local Uighur restaurant and this was the best yet - best lamb I've ever tasted plus narm  bread and a beautiful Noodle soup - absolutely delicious.

We then headed for the weekly farm market where every Sunday all the local farmers bring their produce and animals in for both the restaurants and to buy/sell. No words can adequately describe the scene. Thousands crowd through between food, craft, hardware, clothing, shoes, restaurants and then you reach the animal trading areas where up to 100 000 farmers haggle over selling cattle, sheep, poultry,  goats, horses, yaks, camels,- probably left some out.There were some absolutely beautiful looking cattle there. All done by haggling, no auction so it was quite a sight watching/listening to this mayhem. It is the largest such market in Central Asia and the experience of being in the middle of was indescribable.

At 5 we headed to the airport where the dramas as described above occurred. Economy class for 4 hours is a bit crampedbut we'll survive.