China Finally 25th May

Now remember that we have a few more days here than originally planned as the problems in Kyrgyzstan (people getting shot in Jalalabad) meant that we had to change our route
So first chance to see where we are.


Everyone was a little late in getting up for breakfast as you would have expected after our epic day before. All of us hungry we are greeted by noodles, steamed buns, boiled eggs and assortments of stir fried vegetables.
Hmm! Not the choice i was hoping for but let’s give it a try.
OK did not hit the mark so will need to sort an alternative for breakfast. This turns out to be a small restaurant next to the hotel where you can get vegetable omelette, coffee and toast for an astronomical £4 in local currency (Yuan)
Next is to sort the laundry out and get a load of clean clothes back later which unfortunately turned out to be 2 days . The other thing was that the seal skin water proof socks had been put for Laundry and they had not fully dried so when removed from the bags other items had been made damp.
Oh well, at least they are clean and i can hang everything around the room to dry
Just opposite the hotel is a cafe, very modern and Western inside with an Italian coffee machine and New York Style cheese cake and for the chocolate lovers “Mud Cake”. Heaven in the coffee department and i can see this getting a few visits over the next few days.
The hotel is fine and the roads are wide but lots of electric scooters that ride where they want and you do not here them coming. Crossing the road is like taking your life in your own hands and you just confidently walk across while scooters, taxi and buses swerve around you




The traffic lights are really good and count down in red to when they will change to go and then count down in green to when they will change to stop. This does lead to people jumping the lights though especially the slow electric scooters
So with tired aching muscles Robert and I decided to go sort out a Chinese Massage which turned out to be a 20 minute walk. Three choices of massage time 60, 70 and 120 min but we could not get any information on what the whole thing involves. So what do you do, go for the middle option.
We were given a pair of flip flops and a rubber bracelet with a key on it, then had to give our shoes over the counter. She points at a door, so off we go and on the other side we are met by a young chap who is holding some pressed cotton clothes and he looks at the bracelets and then sticks them in a locker door and turns another key.
OK get changed and put your stuff in the secure locker and the cotton clothes turn out to be a pair of cotton shorts and a cotton t-shirt.
Suitably clothed he leads us through a shower area and then up to the next floor where we are shown into a room with three beds with chairs at the head of each of them. From the sign language we believe he has asked us to sit down and wait.
Two women come in and lay some sheets on the beds and ask us in gestures to lay down on our backs. Hmm! Have we got the wrong end of the stick here as they kneel in between our legs and then start gripping and releasing up and down a leg. This is then followed after a while with chopping hands up and down.
Now she bends your leg for more bony thumb treatment
Now what is she doing? Oh i see my chest bending my leg against and then pulling it back hard and quickly to try and pull my thigh joint out of the socket
This brutal treatment is done to all limbs and then you lay on the front and similar bony thumb gripping starts again on all limbs
Owe, now she is walking up and down my back to be followed by the “piece de la resistance” of putting her feet in the back of both my knees then putting the front of my feet on her thighs, then she reaches forward and touches my shoulder blades. This curves your spine and lifts your thighs off the bed. Double Owe!!!!
Finally the pulverising is over i thought, they then sit down on the chairs at the head of the bed and treat you (apparently) to a head massage and neck prodding of the same intensity as everything else.
Finally twe get the gesture “it is done” for the very expensive price of £10 for 70 minutes
Walking back we both feel really relaxed but sorry, no pictures as i did not have my camera with me. (Must remember to have my camera with me all of the time
Might have to have another one before we leave Kashgar, the only thing is Adam the camera man wants to film the whole event. Hmmmm?

7118 miles – Kashgar, China