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On our second day in our return to Kashgar the rest of the group headed off to somewhere we were not allowed to visit. So for the whole tour we missed out on two places but were looked after very well and given a private guide of our own. I still have no idea whet we missed out on or why we...

More Kashgar.

More photos of our walk around Kashgar. Like most of the tour we were just dropped off and given a sufficient amount of time to have a good look around and then meet back at a pre arranged time and location. The tour guide kept in touch with others with WeChat whereas I just headed off on my own...

This area appeared to be original older buildings that were under preservation/restoration.

More of Kashgar. Only a facade of a mosque rather than a functioning one.

Today we spent time in what we were told was Kashgar Old Town. It was a re-creation of the older town but most of the buildings were not original. This is not uncommon in many of the old town areas of China. Regardless it was still a colourful area full of interest.

Our hotel in Kashgar. Excellent buffet diner and breakfast.

Afterwards we visited a local home for dinner and some folk dancing show. Then we were on our way back down the Hwy to Kashgar.

Sadly that was as far as we ventured along the Karakorum Hwy. It was one of the few disappointments of this tour. To come so far and not at least get to the Pakistan boarder. One day I would love to do the full trip but the odds are very low that it will ever happen. After breakfast at the...

Our overnight hotel on the Karakorum Highway was in Tashkurgan. We had reached a height of just over 4,000 mts along the route and then descended into a long green valley to the town. Tashkurgan was a significant stop on the old Silk Road and was named after the nearby fort that stood guard over...

From the lake we continued to climb further up into the mountains. There were a number of police checkpoints and surveillance posts, cameras etc along the way. We were quite close to the Afghani border at this stage.

Our first destination for the day. (from Wiki) Karakul Lake. At an altitude of 3,600 m, it is the highest lake of the Pamir plateau, near the junction of the Pamir, Tian Shan and Kunlun mountain ranges. Surrounded by mountains which remain snow-covered throughout the year, the three highest...

Climbing higher from the river valley in the mountains.

After and early lunch we reboarded our bus and headed off into the mountains. As I previously mentioned I knew little of the actual trip itinerary and I almost deliberately held back from inquiring about the specifics which would have required translation as the tour guides only spoke Mandarin...

From the station we headed off for another enjoyable local meal. Innovative child seat on a local scooter.

Breakfast on the train and then a few more hours that morning on board as we headed to our next destination. Kashgar. Photos of the station and the landscape approaching Kashgar. Arrival at Kashgar station. At each station the full train compliment splits up into their individual tour...

I was so fortunate to visit an area that has always intrigued me. We have been busy travelling and have now found the time to share this trip.

Another bus ride through the desert to rejoin our train. On this night we were invited to the lounge car by our tour guides for warm beer and the worst wine (and I have had a few) that I have ever tasted. It was undrinkable even after a few beers. They managed to find a few cold ones for me...

The last lot of canyon pics.

More canyon photos. There were warning signs and raised platforms throughout the canyon in case of flash flooding during storms. As I was on my way out a thunderstorm was brewing and the sirens sounded to evacuate.