Originally Posted by mpkz

I like the report. Brings back memories. One summer I did a similar trip just with less Xinjiang but starting from Iran (flew over Turkmenistan though to Tashkent). Back then there was no phone check or interrogation at the border, just a xray of your bags, though we did have to spend hours in a waiting room while the Chinese took their 3 hour lunch break despite me staying at a guest house for truckers at the border and leaving as early as I could to try to avoid that fate. Also I remember finding the marshrutka to the border (not just Sary Tash? Don't remember exactly) in Osh bazaar unlike you (I think I was one of the only passengers on it) Remember having to hitchhike between the border posts in a truck. Met an American guy there who I decide was CIA based on his ridiculous reason for being there and speaking almost fluent Chinese and Russian. Back then you could stay in a hostel in central Kashgar (probably the same one mentioned here already) and no one warned you about taking photos. Times change... Wish I had extended my trip south towards Pakistan instead of heading to Beijing after - heard the Pamir highway in that direction and smaller towns can be beautiful. Now, like Tibet, I think it's out of bounds or at least restricted.

They also seem to have a record of Xinjiang visits, when I entered China in 2019 on a TWOV they asked me had I been to Xinjiang when scanning my passport.