Happy happy Kashgar

I have arrived safely, and of course within 15 minutes of landing met 3 other Americans and a Belgian, 2 Singaporeans, and a Malaysian who all speak English. I've been adopted by the American-Belgian "gang" which rocks since a) they're a lot of fun, and b) they all speak fluent Chinese since they just spent a year studying in China. One would think the latter would be uber helpful, given we're still technically "in" China, but there are surprising few people in Kashgar who actually speak Chinese. The local language is Ughyur. There are a crazy number of Americans here. Americans don't generally travel, but 6 of the 10 foreigners I've met on this whole trip have been American. And I'm the only one who doesn't speak Chinese. How can I feel so uncultured amongst my own generally uncultured countrymen? These guys are giving way too good of an impression of Americans. Folks are going to start thinking we're all worldly and culturally sensitive or something...

Kashgar is a fantastic city. It was swelteringly hot this afternoon, so we spent a good while hanging out in a coffee shop, but we did visit the largest mosque in China - from the outside only since we weren't sure if prayers were in session. Foreigners aren't allowed in the mosque when prayers are in session. It's a big concession to allow us in at all, since even Ughyur women are not allowed to visit mosque - only men. Apparently during prayers, the women all wait outside. They're supposed to pray at home. The clothing is very Central Asian. The men are mostly walking around with long beards, but no chops - kind of like the Amish beard but with a mustache. They wear the long shirts and loose pants that you see a lot of Pakistanis wear on television and rounded edge square small hats. The women are mostly in long skirts, long sleeves, and head scarves, some with only the eyes showing, and a few with something that looks like a coarsely woven, slightly intricate brown towel completely covering their hair and face. One woman who followed us closely for a few blocks this afternoon pulled her face covering aside a couple of times for just a brief second, and her face was ashen pale. As in a little bluish gray. I'm not sure if she had whitening makeup on, or if her face has truly rarely seen the light of day, but it was really breathtaking. Again, only for the briefest of seconds, and I tried not to look directly at her so she wouldn't get startled.

The women with only the eyes showing are captivating. The eye color here ranges from glacial lake blue to jade green to chocolate brown, and there is something about only seeing a pair of strikingly beautiful eyes that is stunning. I don't think I totally agree with people saying that scarves are repressive. I think it's alluring to see only the most expressive and beautiful part of a person's face - if the covering is elective and the absence thereof doesn't mean punishment including death. Of course it's difficult to tell facial expressions and mood from just the eyes, so I sometimes don't know how we're being received by the locals. Never with any animosity, but the emotion seems to range from curiosity to mild nervousness to warm welcome.

The kids are the best, but then the kids are the best everywhere. They follow us through the streets saying "hello hello" and something in Ughyur that rhymes with "hello" and ends with something sounding like "jello" in a sing-song sort of voice. Must remember to ask Yakupjan what they're saying, because it seems widespread amongst the school kids. And they all love having their picture taken and crowding around to see the screen. The cutest has been this little boy of about six with fire engine red hair missing his two front teeth. He gave me his blackened grimy hand to shake (how could I resist?) and posed for a handful of toothless photos before running off into an alley. Speaking of teeth - do not ever visit a dentist in Kashgar. I'll leave it at that.

What else - donkey carts selling melons and turnips, mud and straw coated brick square homes for blocks and blocks with narrow twisting alleyways, beautiful and enormous Chinese/Central Asian architectural doors with large round door pulls, open doorways leading to courtyards with terraces of grapevines providing shade (and seasonal treats), a huge and intricately carved teak doorway leading into a home housing a pidgeon colony in the rafters (intentionally), Ughyur nan (bread) in the shape of bagels and tasting better than a bagel, street stalls of men getting shaved and bicycles being repaired, and people everywhere. Can you tell I like the doorways? I'm taking a lot of pictures of doors and architectural details.