China General Tips by filipdebont

Fondest Memory: Coming from Kyrgystan, we entered China via the Torugart pass. According to our Travel guide, the scenery along this pass must be very beautiful, however the weather was very bad, so bad luck for us because we did not see a lot of the environment. The border post is at 3752 m (= altitude) and pretty windy. In fact , it is forbidden to photograph this gate, but of course as you all know me as a bit of a naughty boy, well if they tell me that something is forbidden then that is a challenge for me to try it. So I sneaked behind the truck, out of sight of the two guards, and yes I did it, but I was very lucky, few seconds after I had made the picture, one of the guards came looking for me and told me to go back to the other side of the truck and join the group. I told him I had to go to the toilet . . . . This gate was the first official border check. There were two more border checkpoint. At the second post they checked our passports if we had the right visa. So be sure for 200% that your visa is ok, because if not, they send you back. So it happened for one of our travel companions (his visa was expired for three days) , no discussion possible, so return to Kyrgystan. We tried to negotiate, we tried to bribe the frontier guard, no way , return to start for our friend Tom. That must have been like a nightmare for him, send back to Kyrgystan, knowing that you’re alone, not speaking any Russian, having no Kyrgyz money and it is a pretty long ride back to Bishek. And at the third border post our passport was checked at least 10 times, first there was one who looked if we had the required visa, a second looked again for the same (I think), then there was one who put an entry stamp in it, and then there were 4 or five who checked if we had an entry stamp, and then before we could leave the building they checked again for the entry stamp. So finally after one and half hour we were back on the bus, so we could start our journey in China, no way after 50 m another check of the passports. I know that there are a lot of Chinese in China, but if that is the way to give them all a job, I don’t know . . . . . .

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Fondest Memory: Locals reading the latest news at the wall-papers.

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Fondest Memory: This boy's mother was so proud that we wanted to take a picture of her son, he was really dressed up to visit the Sunday market.

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Favorite Thing: Visit Kasghar, one of the most important cities along the ancient silk road.

Fondest Memory: A first impression, when you enter Kasghar, the roads borded with lots of silver poplars.

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Fondest Memory: Look at the signboards above the shops. Here is a signboard of dentist. His shop-window was also a bit bizar, there were pulled theeth, fake golden theeth and different kinds of theet protheses in the window. I believe it advisable that you visit your local dentist for check-up before coming here . . .

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Fondest Memory: Sometimes I think it is a pity, when you meet someone in a foreign country, that it is impossible to make a conversation because of the language problem. When you look at this men, well I believe he has so much life-experience, i think if we would understand him that he could tell us so much fascinating stories.

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Fondest Memory: Travelling along the famous Karakorum highway.

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Fondest Memory: Enjoy the scenery near the Karakuli lake.

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Fondest Memory: Meeting the colourful youth of Kasghar.

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