Pakistan Border

Trip Start May 01, 2007
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Trip End Jun 17, 2008


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Monday, August 27, 2007

When the bus rolled into Tashkurgan I thought I made a mistake leaving beautiful Karakul Lake to come see this border town.  After checking into a dorm room at the New Traffic Hotel (not sure when it was new...maybe 1980?), I wandered into the two streets that form the 4 blocks of the commercial and only active part of the city.  I thought, yeah, this was a waste.  It looked like just another ho hum town with a bunch of shops, a few markets, two big boulevards and a few run down hotels. 

Once I made it across the commercial part of town and down into the valley below the town, I realized what a beautiful place surrounds Tashkurgan.  Below the last road of town, I found a river with green fields stretching to the mountains on each side of the valley, dotted with yurts and livestock.  The mountains to the west were barren, reminding me of the San Gabriels or the White Mountains in California "Ideal", Tashkurgan shop window model
"Ideal", Tashkurgan shop window model
 .  To the east, snow capped peaks border the valley and provide a back drop for the town. 

I walked around a couple hours, also discovering ancient dwellings still inhabited around the old fortress.  I climbed on top the old fortress and took dozens more pictures of the enchanting valley, town, and surrounding mountains.  The town felt quiet and peaceful.  Here and there I found families butchering sheep, or groups of women, decked out in sequin dresses, sitting together on a curb knitting, or older children feeding cows.

Then I made my way back to my dorm room and buried myself under the down comforter.  I didn't get a very bad cold, but at that point in Tashkurgan my whole body ached, my nose was plugged and I could not warm up which is strange for me.  After a couple hours nap I felt better.  Around this time my Chinese roommates all returned and started chain smoking cigarettes and chattering loudly for what seemed like forever.  I was glad I got my nap in when I did. 
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