Change of plans in Xinjiang

When I left London, I planned to drive around Xinjiang and the Taklamakan desert. Due to the Uygur and Han Chinese riots, the rules were changed stopping all independent travel within Xinjiang province for foreign vehicles. I could hire a guide but I didn’t want to travel that way and it would be out of my budget.

So three days in Kashgar, one day for Chinese drivers licence and bike safety check, one day for temporary fix of bike and one day for a quick look around, then off to the border.

Kashgar is an interesting place as it was a major town on the Silk Road and is populated with a majority of Uygur (Wiger in English), who have more in common with Central Asians than Chinese. The old town is Uygur dominated with a maze of mudbrick houses, Uygur restaurants and markets. The Chinese machine is replacing all houses with new concrete and brick, no choice, so the cities atmosphere will soon disappear.

As seems to be the standard in the world, a major incident is referred to by a date, the incident I am referring to is the riots in Urumqi between the Uygur and Han, everyone refers to it as the ‘5th July’. As a result, there are no international calls, fax or internet in Xinjiang province – frustrating for me but even more for the locals who have to live with isolation.

A tip for the Police, Army and Border people – it’s OK to smile!