The Bizarre Bazaar of Kashgar

So you wanna buy a camel? How about two? Well, you came to the right place! Our small group of intrepid tourists departed Kashgar's main bazaar on the backs of motorcycles that had been converted into transports (on our way back into town, we managed to get six people on the back of one of these contraptions!). Apparently, this type of private transport is only marginally legal in Kashgar. Within minutes of climbing aboard, we were told to hop off quickly, as there was a police vehicle across the street. So we got off and walked alongside the one-cylinder trikes for about a block before being told the coast was clear and we could re-mount safely.

Upon finally reaching the "old" bazaar, we were able to see what all the fuss was about. There were hundreds upon hundreds of sheep for sale, plus a number of cattle and goats, and even some camels, as the leading photo indicates. What caught us completely by surprise, however, was that Kashgari sheep have big ol' butts. That is to say, they have an "extra" butt perched atop their more natural, sheep-like butt. Although one could speculate quite inventively as to the purpose of such an appendage, in local use it was clear that these extra cheeks were lumps of fatty tissue that, during butchering, provided the chef with a large quantity of cooking fat. Mmmmm. All right, so it tasted more like gristle than yummy lamb goodness, but the locals seemed to really dig it, so who were we to turn up our noses?

The livestock bazaar was a festive place, with hundreds of sellers and buyers along with a scattering of tourists (sellers and buyers didn't bring cameras, making our fellow interlopers easy to identify, few though they were) all poking and prodding verious parts of slightly uneasy sheep. Routine inspections included what looked to Michael suspiciously like a proctology examination, if a little quickly delivered and without the benefit of latex gloves, vaseline, or a table to clutch onto. We would have lamented the indignity on the sheep's behalf, but please consider that this examination was very likely to be the high point of their day. Poor sheep.

Regardless, the sheep could be bought, shorn, butchered, and cooked right there at the bazaar. Stay tuned, as tomorrow's blog entry will reveal our lunch at this bustling livestock supermarket!