Its a long long walk.

Some friends have a funny way of saying have a good trip! This came today from our UK mates.

The Silk Road follows the Grrreat Waaall.

Capitalists and Traders. Silk Road Kashgar to Xian China.

The Silk Road is about capitalists and traders and commerce.The Chinese traded with the Egyptians, Romans, Byzantines and the Phoneicians, as early as 250BC. Add to this the Indian continent and Africa and it becomes even more interesting.

Later in history the road became the artery for all of Central Asia linking China, India, Central Asia, Turkey and Europe.

Marco Polo travelled the route in the 12th century. (Picking up noodles (spaghetti) along the way and, as they say, the rest is history.)

The area was lawless, dominated by tribal interests ruled by cruel and vicious Khanates.

The route for all the camel trains was to leave markets of Xian and navigate the Chinese deserts, the Gobi to the North and the Taklakamen desert to the South.

The northern route was favored taking 6 months to travel from Xian to Kashgar

. Later in time a southern route emerged.

The camel trains were large somtimes up to 300 camels. The camel trains were financed by traders and financiers. The train had a master being an experienced and seasoned campaigner able to oversee the safe passage of the goods and chattels on a perilous journey, navigating tribal boundaries, bandits and thieves. Levies were paid at various places similar to customs duties guaranteeing safe passage. Trains travelled various distances, short hauls, others longer journeys.

All roads lead to Kashgar (Kashi)

Kashgar is situated in the Extreme Western corner of modern China, encircled by the snow covered ranges of the Tian Shin to the West, Hindu Kush and Pamir Mountains to the south and South West. All impassable in winter.

From Kashgar the trains either headed South to India on what is still known as the Korakorum Highway leading to modern Pakistan and onto India and Africa, or heading West, crossing the Tian Shin Mountains and onto the vast plains of Central Asia leading to Samarkan, Bukhara and Merv, Turkmenistan, Iran and Turkey.

The area is inhospitable desert country with temparatures rising to 40c in summer and minus 30c in winter. Vicious winds are common creating sa

nd storms. There is very little water in this land hence the trains followed the the mountains where oasis style towns flourished servicing the camel trains with shelter, food and water.

The "Silk Road" has many routes leading all over Asia. Today's highways follow the same routes. We head straight to Kashgar.

The city has a long history, conquered by Alexander the Great, later by the Persians who colonised the deserts of Central Asia prior to the Mongols in the 12th-14th century.

At the end of the Mongol rule it became a Khanate in the late 19th century annexed by Russia for a short spell until an agreement with the British.

In the period of the Great Game (the British believed that Russia would mount an attack on India along the Karakorum Highway in the period of the Napoleonic wars), the area came under Chinese rule with Mao's communist centralised regime. The area is now firmly a part of China and is treated as the last frontier. There is tribal unr

est in the region due to the modernisation of the City and the influx of Han immigrants sponsored by the central government.

We are aware that the area will be even more sensitive due to the upheavals of 40 million displaced persons in Pakistan due to the floods. We will tread very carefully.

I write this on the Gold Coast prior to my departure. When we were last in China all social sites were banned. Therefore I wanted to get some

information to you.

I leave on Monday the 30th August for Kashgar. Meet Citt on the 1st September enroute in Urumqui airport.

My thanks to the Prestons for the Chinese train schedules, booking forms and menu cards. To Ron for the great folio society book on the Silk Road for research purposes. Pam for her encouragement and enthusiasm. You my friends for always being there.

Malcolm

Follow us on the Silk Road. Kashgar to Xian.

Images from our journey Silk Road 2008. Bukhara Uzbekistan.

Silk Road China, Visa, Flights and Medical.

Hi filling you in with the details of my journey on the Silk Road.

Please refer to my earlier post explaining my journey with Citt.

My departure is scheduled for the 30th August returning the 15th September

Me all I need is a Chinese Visa. Book return flights and a medical clearance from my doctor!

The visa is fairly easy for China, evidence of a return flight and in my case a travel schedule and of course $40 cash.

My preferred flight due to cost is out of the Gold Coast. I am fortunate to source a flight for $93.00. I have sourced a China Southern flight via Hong Kong to Urumqi and then onto Kashgar. I am fortunate as Citt is on the same flight from Urumqi to Kashgar so we can get an airport pickup together. The KL- China flight is 15 hours.

Returning is reasonably easy just a flight from Tianjin to KL 10 hours as again the flights are Budget via KL. KL- GC.

Medical is not so easy.

I take Clexane injections for thrombosis to allow me to fly.

My prostate cancer is controlled with hormones. The good doctor gave me a 3 month injection to allow me to travel. I must consult on my return

The travel doctor completes the picture. My card reads.

Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Polio, Cholera ETEC Diahorea, Typhoid, Rabies, Flu. Add to this lot the fact I have psoriases of the skin and use cortisone ointment.

It is not so bad I always make sure before a journey I have the necessary medical precautions. . It is just not worth the thought to leave Australia and travel without safeguards.

Yep I know you are asking, why I would bother to travel? Good question.

I enjoy the thrill of visiting out of the way places rich in history with exotic peoples and awesome scenery. Rich pickings for me and my Nikon.

"Travel the path less trodden".

Note for our friends.

Citt will depart 13th for Pyongyang in North Korea for a 9 days tour. Then she will travel onto the University of East Anglia Norwich UK to start a Masters degree in Science Climate Change on the 23rd Sept. She has taken a sabbatical from the UNU.

Kellie and Richie have a little girl Lucie Hannah and she is just beautiful. 8/5/10