Silk Road adventure

[goldie]

Copied over from the 'S' thread ...

I'm going to be doing this route next year, starting in May, backpacking and travelling solo for the most part.
Aim to take around 4-5 months in total, heading back west overland to Istanbul.

Voy - I'd love to hear your stories. And that goes for anyone else who has good advice to offer.

My route isn't firmed up yet, but I plan to start from Beijing (to take a trip out to the Great ?Wall) then go to X'ian for the terracotta warriors (maybe) and work my way north through the Turkoman (spg?) desert. Want to spend time in China with the Uighars, meeting up with a few sufi groups there. And Kashgar is a must. Hopefully there'll still be some left!

Next to Afghanisatan's Wakhan Corridor - but that will depend on finding company along the way as it's a 4WD trip down the 250-odd stretch between the Pamirs and too expensive to do on my own.
Haven't decided whether or not to cross through the north of Afghanistan into Iran ot to go further north to the Fergana Valley - I guess it will depend on the situation at the time. But maybe Balkh, and certainly Samarkand.
There's also an area near Tashkent I'd like to explore ...

[Voy]

Taklamakan Desert. brutal.

I know your reasons are not "historical" - but try and find and read Peter Fleming's books on the area. also Ella Maillart's ( she went with him.. but IMHO, his is MUCH better) - also Mrs MacCartney's.

the problem is - I was there over 20 years ago - so I fear it is all too much changed for anything I say to be much use.

Turfan is worth it tho - easy train ride down from Urumqui - and from there you can get the bus on towards Kashgar.

[goldie]

Thanks, Voy. I'll try to read up on Turfan. And will seek out the books you mentioned.

Yes, the world is changing at an ever-increasing rate - it's like going downhill on a snowball! I've been back to one particular oasis in the Sahara 3 times now and you'd swear 30 years (rather than 5) had passed between my first and last visit.

[happytraveller]

Wow, you are an adventurous one Goldie !

[goldie]

Ah - the whole world is getting much less 'adventurous' than it was, HT.

The most hair-raising time I've ever had on my travels was in a rickshaw in Khartoum, when the driver took me down a one-way road in the dark and we had buses roaring towards us every few seconds.
The most uncomfortable was on the two overnight buses I took across southern Pakistan - but only because the space between seats was so small - and I simply can't sit with my feet tucked up under me like everyone else was doing.
Neither of the above are what you'd normally imagine to be 'adventurous' - merely unlucky

[siduri]

I am so, so, so jealous! Green with envy!!
Goldie, your trip sounds simply fantastic. I've once discovered that the whole travelling thing is not for me, I rather want to stay for at least a month in one place to get to know it.
But the Silk Road is one of my dreams...sadly I'm moving further away from it now. But seeing you doing it gives me hope that I can still do it in 20 years time :-)

I've read the book of Ella Maillart "Turkestan solo" and totally loved it. Amazing woman. She also travelled with Annemarie Schwarzenbach, to Afghanistan and they both wrote a book about that journey. Both books are very nice reads, too! And if you can't be bothered, there's a movie.

When you want to go and see the Great Wall it's worth it to pick the less touristy part. We went on a full day hike. At some ungodly hour in the early morning we drove to a more remote part and then hiked for hours on the wall. It was an organised tour by the hostel but very much worth the money. There were no other people, except our little tour group.
I've seen foto's from other people who went to a more popular part that was actually totally crowded.

[goldie]

Thanks, siduri. Did the part of the wall you went to involve much climbing? I can walk forever on flat ground but loads of steps have me puffing these days.

BTW - what dates are you going to be in Istanbul?
I shall arrive there on 3 December en route to Konya. Could stay a day or two if it means I can catch up with you again.
Am flying back from Istanbul on 20 December, but will be there on the night of 19 December.

[siduri]

The part of the wall we walked on was great but the hike was strenerous. It goes up and down all the time and I mean really up and down!
On my old website there are 2-3 pictures, so you can get an idea:
home.wanadoo.nl/dagmar.w/Chinagallery.html
Pitty, but we'll miss each other in Istanbul. We arrive the 22nd :-(

[goldie]

Thanks, Siduri - pics are great! Sorry I'll miss you in Istanbul - have a great time.

[deyana]

I'm envious too. Goldie, you really are adventurous! *sigh* wish I could go too, sounds like the perfect trip.

[goldie]

It's a matter of trust, Deyana. I like meeting people and that comes across so I don't, as a rule, have problems.
Also, having spent more years then I'd have liked living in a house with crumbling internal walls, no central heating and only a shower rigged up in a bathroom with no internal ceiling I'm used to 'roughing it'. I learned to drive in a 1940s car, so old decrepit bangers don't worry me either.
Never realised I was in training for such trips, but it's all come in very useful

[deyana]

All that roughing it in the past, does come in as a useful experience doesn't it, Goldie? I've driven plenty of old cars myself in the past, I feel quite comfortable in them.

[goldie]

Yay! I've just bought my ticket my London-Beijing plane ticket! Flying out 13 May.
By the time you're all getting pissed up a Swiss alp "I shall be (saying) 'ni hao' to a Chinaman". ;D ;D

[Voy]

something just hit me.. given your timing. take serious serious sunblock. after a European/N amer. winter - the sun in inland deserts is brutal - and your skin ain't ready. I got serious sun poisoning on my arms.. nasty little hard bumps that hurt - and when they went away left little white scars.. long sleeve shirts/long pants/hat with brim. please!

Dunhuang. yes.
Hami

oh - see if you can get Mildred French's book ..
jealous jealous jealous.

in Kashgar - i hear the old chini Bagh has been up g raded from the Paki truck driver hostel it was when I was there ( we stayed in the Russian consulate )

[goldie]

Thanks voy. I'll certainly take the sunblock - but for face only, as I tend to cover up well in loose garments while travelling.

I'll look up your other suggestions, too. Anything you can add is most welcome.

[Voy]

wish I could be more specific.. but all the relevant books and maps and stuff are in Maine..

[WildlyTravelled]

the trip sounds awesome!
I went to the wall twice, once in a touristy place and once in a non touristy place

[goldie]

I spent yesterday on the internet, researching more stuff. It began by looking up a Uyghur islamic music group (Dolan Maqam) I heard four years ago, to find out exactly where they lived.
Found one youtube entry for them, which gave their village's name, then found out how to ge to that village, 180km from Kashgar.

But there were some other amazing youtube clips featuring other Uyghar music/dance groups. I think I'm in love! ;D

[pepecura]

Goldie, did you know that Uyghurs are a Turkic ethnic group ?

I'd love to hear your observations about their culture.

[goldie]

Yes, I know about their Turkic bacground, Pepe. I was excitied to read that some of their vocabulary is the same or similar, too; 'guzel' (beautiful) for example, and 'dunya' (world) (which is really Arabic, but never mind). It means I have a very tiny start already.

[goldie]

Yes, I know about their Turkic background, Pepe. I was excited to read that some of their vocabulary is the same or similar, too; 'guzel' (beautiful) for example, and 'dunya' (world) (which is really Arabic, but never mind). It means I have a very tiny start already.