I had been on the road for the past 2 and a half weeks and I was yet to see a genuine smile. In Xinjiang, the far west of China, it is hard to come by.
After the overwhelming warmth and chatter of Chengdu, Xinjiang seemed to maintain a stony silence like its beautiful mountains. From Kashgar, my friends and I hit the Karakoram Highway (the highest paved road in the world) with a plan to stay by the Karakul Lake and camp in a yurt by the majestic Mustagh Ata. Getting off the old, beat-up van in the middle of the Highway, we were greeted by a few yurt owners and one of them caught my eye. He was smiling! Instinctively, starved for friendly folks, we followed him.
Our choice turned out to be wonderful. I will not forget this gracious family who plied us with bread and tea and warm hospitality for the next 2 days. More posts to follow on my Karakoram adventures. Until then, smile!
