From Kunming to Kashgar
1985
Kunming
Here are two shots en route between Kunming and Chengdu:
From Dunhuang to Turpan (Turfan), Urumchi, & Kashgar
These photos were taken around Turpan (or Turfan), which is southeast of Urumchi, the capital of Xinjiang Province (Urumchi is quite far north, and lies between Mongolia and Kazakhstan). I believe some of the shots are of the ruins of the old Chinese Han garrison of Jiaohe, although I recall that we also went to the ruins of the 9th century Uigur capital of Gaochang. I like the way my clothing blends into the setting in the next photo…
The bus trip from Urumchi to Kashgar was gruelling, but it was fascinating! The accommodation was very basic — as you can see in the photo below, which was taken in what we called The Rat Hotel (we hung our food from the rafters to keep it safe…). On many occasions, people would gather around just to look at the novelty of foreigners, as in the photo below. This was often a great opportunity to talk with the locals, one or two of whom often spoke at least some English. It was early 1985, and Xinjiang Province had just recently been opened up for international tourists.
These last two photos were taken on a day trip from Kashgar, out near the edges of the Eastern Pamir Mountains. We couldn’t see much, however, and had to turn back because of a sand storm.
