didn't necessarily grow a surplus for the visitors who were beginning to arrive now that the road had improved. Still, it seemed more than a coincidence that Rick and I each had this idea simultaneously, so we set off for town first, beginning our counter clockwise circumambulation. Sure enough, the veggie stall was closed. Neither of us was surprised. We continued along the main road and within a couple of minutes we encountered a young man whom Rick had met earlier in the day. "Where are you guys going?" he asked. I recognized his American accent. "Just for a walk, Jason," replied Rick in his usual friendly tone. "Mind if I join you?" "Not at all," I responded. It always felt good to share some of the lesser known paths and walks with visitors. We carried on through the village on the road that neatly bisected the shops and houses. Dusk was upon us but it was still easily light enough to see the way. Within minutes a Western woman walked towards us. She immediately recognized Jason and excitedly exclaimed to him, "How are you doing?" "Great, Sandra," he replied. "You can't help but enjoy a place like this." It turned out that they had met the previous week in Kashgar. She asked if she could join us and we all responded affirmatively. Rick happened to mention to her about my plans to go to Santa Fe in New Mexico, perhaps to study Chinese medicine. "You may not believe this,"