Had lunch at the Brazilian restaurant on the ground floor of the hotel and met the owner/manager, Joao Xavier, who is from Rio. Until six months ago, he worked at Latino in Shanghai, where I'd had a great buffet lunch a couple of months ago. Then headed for the train station and boarded N946 for Kashgar. I often find train stations anxiety-producing...people rushing around helter skelter, pushing and shoving, guards barking unintelligible orders, speakers in the cavernous halls blasting unintelligible announcements. Anyhow, got on the train to find my compartment full of other people, half of whom were sitting on my bunk. All the space under the bunk had been taken up by their bags, so there was no space for mine! Well, I managed to get myself a spot on my bunk next to the window, and clean out some space underneath for my bag. One guy was a retired professor on his way to visit his daughter and her family in Kashgar. Although he couldn't speak any English, he was very friendly, and later in the evening we were sharing beer, wine and peanuts along with three other men.The scenery was spectacular - barren, desolate. Mountains of various hues rose from the desert floor. I was impressed how the desert gave way to abundant vegetation in some places, due either to irrigation or a nearby river.
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