The Sunday Market

The biggest reason we trekked out to Kashgar was the Sunday Market. It's the largest open-air market in the world and the oldest continuously-operated market in the world. Not only can you buy anything there, but there is probably an entire subsection of the market devoted to whatever you're looking for. Animals. Cars. Doors. Cell Phones. Scooters. Hats. Furniture. There are separate markets for all these things. 

In addition to the major, distinct markets set up outside the city, the entire city itself becomes a teeming marketplace. I took some footage of the street scene from our cab, as we travelled from the animal market to the massive indoor market featuring furs, shoes, spices, hats and textiles. 

We started the day by buying bananas for breakfast and then just strolled around, eating bananas and having our mind blow by everything happening around us. Our first stop was the animal market.

The cows, sheep, donkeys and Uyghurs went on for acres in a roiling mass of greetings, commerce, smoking tandoors, animal noises and barnyard smells. 

Livestock was the focus of the animal market, but everything related to animal care and slaughter was available for sale... or so it seemed to this city kid with management hands.

What can I say? Donkey carts do it for me. 

So does meat. The mutton in Kashgar was incredible.

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After the animal market, we headed to the covered market to check out the shoes, furs and textiles. The furs were genuine, good quality and inexpensive. The textiles were of variable quality, ranging from factory-made overpriced pashmina shawls to handmade local products. Ellen was delighted. The pomegranates are noteworthy only because our guide said that a drought had affected the quality so profoundly that the pomegranate market had cratered. That kid certainly doesn't look too pleased. 

A craftsmen I purchased some kebab skewers from, the Kashgar equivalent of the orange crush and molds used to make the traditional Uyghur hats. 

First, a street vendor with some very bumpy cucumbers. Then, a spice and tea merchant who happened to be one of our guide's english students. I think we made his quarter. 

I nearly bought a sweet pair of traditional Kashgari boots in the marketplace, but I decided they were just a little too bulky/Frankensteinian.