Karakoram Highway to Tashkurgan

Distance covered - 293km

We checked out early today, as we booked a local tour to Tashkurgan; since we only had 7 days to spare, a local tour would definitely save the hassle, especially in such a remote area like this. There was already a gaggle of locals waiting for the bus, and they were led by 2 young girls whom would be our tour guide for the following 2 days. 

The sun has just risen at 8.30am!

We stopped at a town for brunch and resupply. This was where I experienced the infamous horror of China's primitive rural public toilets! Well, there's no door for each cubicle, and within each cubicle there's no toilet bowl, only a small hole that leads down below the cliff with mounds of human excrement saturated with buzzing flies. And there's a cabbage patch just few feet away from it! No wonder the cabbages are juicy big!

The journey ahead.

We continued our journey and had our first toilet break at one of the lakes in this region - White Sand Lake, named as there are white sand dunes around the lake. I assume most buses do stop here frequently as there are touts waiting for us there by the moment we jumped off from the bus, selling so-called precious gems and local craft works.

View from the bus. Barren grounds with distant snow capped Pamir Mountains the the back

At White Sand Lake, seems like we are nearer to the snow capped mountains. 

The white sand dunes

It's freezing cold!

The Chinese locals are somehow a group of friendly people, especially after they realised that we were foreigners. They shared their food, cracked some jokes and kept us entertained throughout the journey, despite the fact that both was us actually were sleeping most of the time throughout the journey! 

We passed through a few border patrols but they didn't really give us any trouble. Hence, by 3pm we arrived in the Tajik town of Tashkurgan. Nonetheless, we were then told that foreigners are not allowed to visit the Khunjerab Pass. We were still adamant of visiting the highest border gates in the world, hence we beseeched the tour guides to inquire the local police again, yet the answer still remained "No". Disappointed, we hopped off the bus to our hotel while the rest of the tour headed to Khunjerab Pass.

One of the tour guides volunteered to bring us around the town as she was scared that we might get lost here, or because she has got tired of scaling up and down the pass for 5 times already in that month with other tours. 

Flooded plains

The snowy peaks behind the ruins of the Stone Fort of Tashkurgan

Green grassy plains

And the snow capped peaks...

Do you know the way to Tashkurgan Road?

Hence, we walked towards the Golden Plains nearby to have a stroll. The Tajiks are nomads and traditionally they self-sustain with herding goats and horses back then. Hence, such grassy plains are vital for the tribes to flourish and prosper, and these became a reason for dispute and war back then. However, now they have become places for tourists to bask in the sun.

On the way back, I spotted locals selling some local herbs. Out of curiosity, I went and ask the tour guide whether these are ginseng.

"These are Maka" She explained.

"Oh, what are they used for?" I further explored.

"Chinese Viagra. 1 gm is equivalent to 7 Viagra tablets," she added. "Very expensive."

And I just stared in awe, and waved no to the pedlars. 

And we had Chinese Spaghetti that night. Yum. 

Spicy Beef Noodles.