KARAKULI LAKE (Near Kashgar)
The next day was our big overnight adventure to KARAKULI LAKE, a highland lake at 3600 metres, sitting below the majestic Pamir mountains between Kashgar and the border town of Tashkurgan (the border town between China and Pakistan). This place was definitely one of the major highlights during our 30-day trip.
The drive up to Karakuli Lake was absolutely amazing. Poor Ali, our driver. We made him stop the car too many times so we could jump out to take photos. Ali is a Xinjiang Uigher who picked up his Chinese through conversations with his Chinese friends, rather than through books. We loved the way he spoke Chinese and Kathleen became quite adept at imitating his accent. Three of us made the trip: Kathleen and I, and Juin, a young Chinese guy from Shanghai we met at John’s Café, of course!
Around the lake itself, small pockets of Khirghiz people living in yurts provide tourists with an interesting night’s stay in Karakuli Lake. Facilities are extremely ‘basic’, which means no heat at night (and due to the high altitude, it’s damn cold, even in July!), and no bathrooms, preferring instead a ‘natural’ environment.
The scenery here is absolutely stunning! There is no pollution, so colours are much more vivid: the sky a bright blue, blazing against the snow-covered Pamir mountains overlooking the lake. And it’s so quiet there; the sound of the quiet practically ‘roars’ in your ears! Because we had planned an overnight stay at the lake, we were able to spend the entire afternoon and evening relaxing, soaking in the incredible scenery and observing how the local people spend their time. It’s a very simple life, centered around preparing food and cooking/cleaning it, washing clothes and carpets, and caring for the animals. The women never seem to take a moment away from their work, busy from the moment they wake up, to the moment they go to bed. Everyone’s skin is dry and chapped; one can easily see that the environment is very harsh. I truly couldn’t believe how cold the night was, considering it was July, the middle of summer! Thankfully, we were given many heavy blankets in our Yurt Tent to keep the cold out.
Kathleen had a blast. For the very first time she got to ride a horse, and then the next morning – a camel. It was a fantastic experience for her! We got to try Milk Tea that was so damn salty I thought I would gag! But it does help fight high altitude symptoms. Instead of eating Yak for dinner, we actually had a vegetarian meal of vegetables and rice, and bread – really very good too! The high altitude didn’t seem to bother Kathleen a bit, but I did have a little trouble breathing whenever I exerted myself. I had to practice relaxing my breathing in order to have some control.
Well, it turned out that security precautions do exist, even up here in the mountains. Late in the afternoon, an officer came to our camp, asking us to please come to the PSB Office, a mile away. There, we were required to show identification and to register. Strangely enough, they kept Kathleen and Juin’s permission papers that they had obtained to travel to Karakuli Lake, saying we could pick them up the next morning. (Yes, the Chinese have to obtain formal permission papers before travelling to Karakuli Lake, but foreigners are okay with their passports, again – go figure)! Luckily we had no trouble picking up their papers the next morning. Our drive back to Kashgar was quite relaxing with the exception of several roadblocks before entering the city. Soldiers and police scrutinized everyone’s ID cards, even the drivers – more to come about that!
In closing, Karakuli Lake is one of the most beautiful, unspoilt places I have ever seen. Check out my photos and you’ll agree.
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