Here in the western extreme of China, people speak two languages Mandarin and Uighur both completely incomprehensible to most of the team. Here, we can t even understand maps. I am dumbfounded. The other day, we cycled through downtown Kashgar on our way to Hotan. We got hopelessly lost before we left downtown.
Traffic is the very epitome of din and chaos .
Donkey carts and cyclists compete for space on the narrow side lanes while buses, trucks, and cars barrel down the center lanes. Pedestrians cross wherever and whenever they want while motorists honk at everyone and everything. No one stops at intersections or roundabouts. We got hopelessly confused, unable to read any street signs or distinguish one street from the next. Finally we stopped and asked an old bearded, bespeckled Uighur man for directions to Hotan.