Day 71 Sost to Tashkurgan 7th Sep 09

We got ready and left for the bus stand at about 0900hrs, we went and bought water and cookies before we went to the bus stand. When we entered the Natco office we saw that the Chinese lady we met at Sost already sitting there. The pic at the bus station asked for our tickets and wrote down the bus no.1588 and told us about the bus going to the customs or something. So we waited since its still early.

The Chinese lady asked us where we stayed the night and we told her Asia Star and she was also staying there. She complained that the room is very dirty and there is bed bug. The bed bug bite her the whole night that she couldn’t sleep properly. We told her ours is also dirty but luckily there isn’t any bed bug. About 10mins later the pic asked us to get to the custom office to get our bags checked first. Ohh so that is what he was saying before.. Wahahhahah we didn’t get it.

So we headed to the customs and saw the 2 guys we saw before at Karimabad.. We put down our bags and waited for any signal to proceed to the customs. Ramli chatted with the 2 guys while I chatted with the Chinese lady. The customs office was filled with trucks from china and most of them are 50ft long. We are wondering how the driver manage to drive all the way here as the roads are mostly still under construction and very narrow.

Ramli later came over and told me that the 2 guys aren’t both Japanese. 1 is Korean whom have been travelling for 5 months now starting from Bangkok and will continue till he reach South Africa. The other is a Jap who has been travelling for 2 months and will continue till he reach Etopia. They will should have an interesting journey ahead of them and we wish them well. The Jap guy whom who spoke to later has been saving for this trip for 8 years… Whoa…!!

Anyway we waited at the customs office since 0930hrs till about 1100hrs before it was our turn. First it was the baggage check by the anti narcotics officers whom was lenient to foreigners and didn’t give any chance to the locals. The bags of the locals were cleared inside out and any suspicions on any items they would take it out and open it to check. Even packs of cigarettes are opened up and a cigarette will be picked out randomly to break into half to check if there is any drugs inside.. That is really thorough so now we know why it took so long just to clear 2 buses of passengers before us.

We thought the customs check and than it will be over, but we were wrong. We haven’t got our passport stamped! After checking the bags we got to go over to the immigration department and queue again for our turn. There is only 2 counters so you can imagine how long it took. And seems that the officers are just using the computerize system so it took even longer just to clear about 10 foreigners before us. What to do we have to wait… The Chinese lady was getting impatient and kept yawning loudly as if to catch the attention of the officer… While still queuing Ramli said to me : “The more he travel it make him appreciate Singapore more!” This is true!!…

Finally after all the waiting we were on the bus and on the way to Tashkurgan at 1215hrs. Our seats are between a few Chinese workers and you can imagine how we felt…. Our ears will be hurting when we get down the bus. But actually along the way we didn’t hear them talk so much but the thing that annoyed us so much is their smoking in the bus which did not have windows!! There are only small sliding windows with a width of about 20cm and length of 60cm the most at the middle of the bus. Both of us was really furious covering our mouths and nose… And it doesn’t help that a few of the Pakistani on board also join in after… The ventilation is really bad and you could see the bus all filled up with smoke. It is so funny that no one made any fuss about it as if it is normal!! At one time the bus had to stop at a check point and Ramli got so frustrated that he got down the bus just to get a breath of fresh air for that few mins while I continued to cover my nose and mouth and sat there…

But other than this annoying part, the view along the journey was fantastic! We pass the Khunjerab National Park which we had to pay USD4/pax which we don’t understand cause we aren’t really walking in the park and just driving thru. But I think it is somehow worth it.. All along the way we could see snow capped mountains surrounding us and rivers running thru the valleys. We finally got to see big yaks grazing on the mountains and even the golden marmots… We haven’t seen a marmot before but when we saw this animal we knew it was it. It look like hamsters but a bigger version, really fat with golden fur

running around the fields in groups or alone… They are soooo cute!!

Khunjerab Check point

The Chinese Check point surrounded by snow capped mountains

We pass the Khunjerab pass and arrived at Pirali at 4100m which is the Chinese security checkpoint at about 1700hrs. There were a few vehicles in front of us waiting for their turn to have their trucks, bus and passengers with luggage to be checked. So again waiting and waiting… At first a Chinese officer came up the bus and counted how many passengers is on the bus and than he took our temperature and went off.. We waited for another 20mins and got the signal to get down and wait to have our bags checked. All around the checkpoint are snow capped mountains and the wind was blowing all the time while we were waiting with our back packs… It is soooo cold!! And doesn’t help that these stupid Chinese workers just jumped our queue to get to the front… Idiots!!

While queuing I saw the Chinese lady was trying to get to the Eco Friendly and very modern and clean looking toilet.. But when an officer saw her walking towards there he shouted at her to stop at proceed behind to a small hut… Hmmmm and when another man wanted to go he shouted to stop and said one by one!! Ermmmm wonder what is the matter.. When the Chinese lady went in he went over beside the hut to make sure no one goes in after.. When the Chinese lady came over to the queue then we knew why… The toilet had no door!! Wahahaha that is why the officer said one by one…

Finally our turn came to have our bags checked by the officers, they knew we are from Singapore and seem very interested and asked me a few questions like how many percent of the people in Singapore are Chinese and if they go to Singapore will it be easy for them cause they can only speak mandarin… Told them no problem since most of the people in Singapore are Chinese.. They took their time to check our bags, cameras and laptop. And for story books they had to keep flipping thru and thru not sure what they are looking for.. It took them about 15mins to finish checking and we have to head out to the cold to wait for the rest to finish so that the bus could cross the check point.. And all the time the wind is blowing and Ramli could even see some snow falling which I didn’t notice and told him it is dust.. whahaha Our finger tips are all numbed standing out in the cold.

I had to go to the toilet as we still had about another 4 hours ride to Taskurgan, and when I got to the toilet it was not how I expected it to be.. I knew there isn’t a door but I didn’t know they don’t even have toilet bowls or tap or even water!! … There are only planks laid out with 4 individual openings for you to deposit what you need to deposit.. Below the openings you could see all types of poo below it… Luckily it wasn’t so smelly otherwise I would have just left without depositing some “water”.. I wasn’t as disgusted but was rather amused at why we had to use this back ward toilet when there is such a modern and clean looking one in front?? Is it just for show to make the Chinese look more professional than the Pakistanis? Hmmm only they know… But I guess Chinese would get 1 point for his cause at least they had a toilet at the check point aren’t like the Pakistani they didn’t have a toilet at their customs office and I had to borrow the toilet from a nearby hotel earlier. I deposited what I had to and quickly put on my pants before anyone comes along.

I got out and walked towards the customs shed and picked up what seems to be snow on the ground just to have a feel of how snow felt… ERmmm it wasn’t what I imagined.. It is like crashed ice for Ice Kachang and it is so cold that it doesn’t melt in your hands..I held it and pass it to Ramli while he walked pass me go get to the “open” toilet…

About 15mins later our bus was ready to go after all that checking and was told that there is another immigration office nearer to Tashkurgan which we have to go thru the same waiting procedure again.. Sighh….

Passing the Chinese Gate

After a total of 8 hours we were finally at Tashkurgan waiting for our passports to be stamped to clear immigration. We had to fill up the immigration form and the health declaration form before we could get to the counter. After our passports are stamped we had to go for a body check. And when they say body check they really mean body check.. The lady officer had to search every part of your body while asking you to take off your clothes and pants to expose yourself… It was embarrassing and doesn’t help that it is the “time” of the month for me !! But she didn’t make it so awkward cause while she was checking we were chatting about the weather and how much extra clothes I had to put on etc…Hmmm but when I asked Ramli how his body search was he said he didn’t have to expose himself which was weird and unfair !!

After all the “search” and checking we finally got on a bus to go to the Traffic Hotel to rest for the night.. We parted ways with the Chinese lady as she didn’t want to stay at Tashkurgan and wanted to get to Kashgar the same night in a private car with the some Pakistani guys that she met on the bus.

Finally we arrived at the 4^th country of our trip! We checked in the double room which costs Y120/night = SGD22/night and went out looking for dinner as we didn’t had much to eat along the way except apples and choc cookies. We went to the restaurant at the hotel as there isn’t much choice cause according to Chinese time it is already almost 2300hrs. We ordered hot plate beef and fried mushroom with cabbage and rice for dinner. It didn’t take them took long like how the Pakistanis or Indians would prepare their food. There is complimentary Chinese tea so we didn’t order any drinks cause we need to stinge a little since the hotel room is expensive but it is really nice room with a tv, flask to make hot water for complimentary tea and clean sheets. We enjoyed our dinner very much as the food is really tasty and finally some Chinese style cooking which is Halal!!

Went back to the cold cold room to rest for the night..