As we left the passport office and stepped out into the rain and mud, we were grabbed by several men and pushed into a beaten up Russian Lada. A young guy jumped into the front and with a mix of Russian, English and our phones, we agreed on 6000 taxi fare($87) for the 350 km […]
The Evil Empire
The Evil Empire Visiting an Uyghur family in the old neighborhood of Kashgar the morning after we arrived, we were being plied with fresh fruit and breads as is the usual Muslim tradition. As we sat in the living room, attempting to communicate with the father, there was a parade of family members that had […]
West China, the Chinese government and the Uyghur communities
Under Surveillance As our driver pulled into the parking lot at the Buddha caves an hour outside of Turpan,there were at least twelve huge tour buses in a single line collecting or dispersing the huge groups of mostly Chinese tourists. Each group had a different color baseball cap and held a Chinese flag. Obedience […]
Traveling on the old Silk Road
The subway in Beijing is modern, monochromatic and hospital clean. The policing at each station mirrors U.S. airport x-ray machines and security . Electronic subway maps on the ticket machines with a choice of languages almost make it possible to buy a ticket. Enter your departure and destination stations, use Yuan paper money and there […]