It looks amazing. Full of old railroad cars, broken trucks, not so broken trucks. Different kind of shantytown structures. Many hundred. Of course it is dusty and a lot of kids running around. Most of them barefooted.

This is supposed to be our camping site! No way Jose. Nearly had I finished that thought as Igor come walking towards us with an almost happy expression on his face. Then he informs us that he has fixed the accommodation for us. We are going to sleep in a two storey house…in a hotel!

Turns out to be one of the few houses on this junkyard – and two storeys too.

When you look closer at all these constructions … one realizes that this is somehow a small functioning society. With small shops restaurants and even “hotels”.

At first glance it only looks like a mixture between a parking lot and a junk yard.

Our rooms have electricity….for the time being. This little motel or whatever you might call it has four rooms. We get two of them. Somehow our whole entourage fits in after some adjustments.

Still this feels like a remote cousin to luxury. …In one corner there is a lot of shoes, the other has a DVD player+ lot of stuff that remains a question mark. Neither would I like to know…

We have our last supper with the whole crew. A little vodka, some soup, speeches. We are not going to miss each other, but we do not part with any kind of bad feeling.

Next morning it is an early wake up call. Igor has organized for us to be first in line.

This whole operation through customs and passport control goes pretty smoothly.

After the firs, main border station we proceed, with all our gear towards the second some three kilometers away. Then one kilometer of no mans land and after that five kilometers more and we are at the main Chinese border post

Now this would be quite unpleasant to walk. Luckily Igor organizes lift for us in three different trucks. They are all heading for the Chinese side to pick up some goods.

All these formalities get done without any big problems. The Chinese customs guy looks at our luggage with disperse– does he have to go through all this!...he decides to ask what there might be in one small bag. After that it is just for to go through.

The customs building looks pompous and grand…from a distance. We are about to enter a mighty power…but a closer look reveals its shabbiness.

Few ours later our Chinese crew turns up. They can not believe that we are already cleared and ready to go….maybe we all look so innocent…

Our camp is not far from this small and not at all attractive Chinese border town.

From a distance the horses look great with their colorful cloths.

A closer look on them too makes us wonder…

We decide to move our camp a little further away. A decision not liked by our Chinese chef…well..

Our new campsite is nice and by the red river- or actually where two river meets. The meeting point looks interesting - the red muddy river sucks up the smaller and cleaner rivers waters.

After a nice Chinese dinner later that evening we are ready for hitting the bunk.

Next morning we are on our way towards Kashgar.

Our skinny horses are in good mood and we start off with good speed.

Even if this is mainly desert country…some green valleys are on the way. In fact much more than we remembered from our previous trip by car earlier this year.

This is a pleasant surprise. Water can also be found on the way…and grass. Good for our skinny four legged friends.

Our horseman is and old uigur. Comes with the traditional hat and all. It is almost a miracle that he is able to mount a horse. Then there is Abdul, our guide/translator. His English is surprisingly good. We also have another guide/translator. I have actively forgotten his name. His English was non existent , he was a lazy lair too. And he knew nothing about this area. One wonders on what qualifications he had got this job. The jeep driver is a small guy who quits after one day – too stress full job….hmmm

The truck driver , Mr. Wu is a god natured guy. Always laughing and very helpful…if he is not sleeping. Last but not least our chef…who still has a few teeth in his mouth. He is a skinny Chinese and a fairly good cook.

About lunchtime we enter old Uluchat – a shabby town with checkpoint. The New Uluchat is some hundred kilometers further on. We decide to go further before a lunch break.

A suitable place is by a small creek and touristy Chinese/Kyrgyz village….with two yurts. They look slightly different from those on the other side of the border. Not as authentic.

The owner sees an opportunity to earn some money so he wants 20 yen for the grass!After some negotiation we settle for half of it.Seems that he enjoys our company since he does not leave us and giggles all the time.

And tries to imitate the sound of camels…

As the landscape becomes more desert like we see more and more camels. When we stop for the day we have some forty kilometers behind. Ur campsite is quite high up in the mountains. Still it not at all as cool on this side of the border at night.

Luckily we did find a small creek and some grass.

Even if we do not bump in to so many people…it is still obvious that the attitude is different. A bit more indifferent and not so hospitable.

This is nature wise also a rougher country. A desert with almost no wildlife left.

There used to be wolves, foxes, eagles…not any more. All killed by humans. And somehow you can feel it. It feels like an almost dead country. Beautiful sandstone rocks and formations in different red and green shades…but still.

We decide to push this part.

Next day is climbing and climbing. Not steep but slowly. Really good that the horses had both water and grass. Around noon we have some 20+ behind us. And when we finish our day – just outside new Kansu we have traveled almost forty two kilometers. To be able to do 40 km , we also have to walk considerable distances. Which is good

Kansu, or New Kansu is a coal mining town. Wonder where Old Kansu is ?

We ride through this small town early in the morning. Just as it is about to wake up. I like that – to see how a town or city wakes up.

I buy some fresh bread from a baker and I wonder why our chef/cook never buys any fresh ingredients. We must be quite a sight - four people riding through a small town. People stare and whisper. Somehow there is a feeling of old western movies. Made in China. The altimeter now shows 2200 – that is 700 m less than yesterday afternoon. After crossing the Daban Pass. From here on it should more or less be slowly downhill.

The weather is still hot and dusty. Too much for Linda - she decided to go with Urs and the jeep to Kashgar. Urs came back and gave us fresh information about New Uluchat . A boring new town with typical communist China architecture. But they had internet and some hotels. A shower would be nice….it was some time…

Again a day with nearly forty three kilometers behind. Quite good.. After a few whiskies and some food …we study the map. And decided to make the big leap. We have some 56 km ahead. If we start early in the morning…and if we walk a lot. We might just be able to make it. To the gates of Kashgar so to say..

The internet connection, shower, hotel bed in New Uluchat is so tempting. So we jump in to the jeep and drive some 20 km to New Uluchat. A city we passed already at lunchtime.

This city really looks like a Chinese Luna park. Lots of statues here and there and even more glittering neon lights. Some houses with Disneyland facades and many more behind in good seventies grey box style.

We find the hotel. For Chinese only of course. There are no hotels here that have license to accommodate foreigners. No wonder, because why would here be any foreigners..

After some negotiations we do manage to get a room. It’s all like a soap opera. Lots of people running in an out of the small lobby. Children, old people, a policeman. Everybody has an opinion about this strange problem.

The shower is not a power shower. But some lukewarm water comes out f it. And it feels good.

The internet café is hidden in a backyard. On the second floor. No lighting anywhere and to find it is a little difficult.

Its two small rooms packed with computers. 12 per room. And lots of kids. Everybody with head phones playing games. Hollywood could not have staged this better.

After spending two hours in this hell I manage to find my way out. Both the connection and the computer itself were slow. So most of the time was useless.

As we check out early in the morning we realize that there is a problem. Big problem.

The police are not happy with the hotel owner. And not with us.

Do we have our passports? Why did we break the law?....

We have to come to the police station. Only problem, it is not open yet, but later.

Ok we will be back…Urs that is . because Kristian and I will soon be on horse back.

WE start our long day by walking. The time is 07.00 am - local time. Not Beijing time.

Very confusing this with Local time and Beijing time. Everything official runs by Beijing time – the rest by local time. Two hours difference can be confusing.

Our Horses feel ok. Lets hope that they got enough water and grass during the night. The nearby landowner wanted compensation for the grass.. I hope that the horseman took care of it. as he promised.

Just before lunch all our four horses gets some kind of adrenalin kick. They start to compete seriously with each other and walk/ trot with an amazing speed. Reminds us of the Icelandic tölt. We are all amazed. All three of us. Ahmet our old horseman has not been on horse in a couple of days.

We reach our lunch place around noon and the heat is even more intense.

After this needed brake we continue – 28 km behind an as much ahead.

We go slowly a few kilometers. Then Kristian says something about his horse. I decide to take the lead. Our pace is not at all fast…just a little faster than slow walk.

Then it happens. My horse stumbles and falls forward like in slow motion. My walking shoe gets stuck in stirrup. We fall both--- -with my left leg hitting the hard asphalt first . Then the horse over it.

After a few seconds I mange to pull out my foot, but not the shoe…

It hurts – as I try to get out of the way my horse tries to get up. But it seems like he is dizzy. He falls again and rolls over to Kristian's horse.. It gets scared and Kristian falls too.

Oh shit. After a short stop we decide to continue. Not to ride, but walk. We have 26 km to our goal. It’s too late to stop now.

At every possible waterhole we stop. And at every little dot of grass we stop and let the horses eat.

This goes on for kilometer after kilometer. Our legs hurt and as we come closer to Kashgar the traffic gets heavier. Everywhere people stare at us. It really is unreal.

Soon there is just village after village. >>Lots of people out doing their normal Friday evening business. And then comes this entourage of strangers with horses walking by . With a determined look on their faces. People stare, they talk, they ask question….and we go on like on autopilot.

Round eight pm just before it gets really dark we arrive at our final stop.

I need a big shot of whisky. Yess.