Visiting My Accountant in Pakistan Part 1: Kashgar, The Journey Begins
Eating my way through the ancient silk road to reach my accountant
In 2023, I hired an accountant named Shehryar for my company through the remote work platform Upwork. Not only was he good at his job, but we also got along. I really enjoyed the vibe of our relationship, so after collaborating for two years without issue, I decided to pay him a visit.
Shehryar lives in a mountainous part of Pakistan called Gilgit-Baltistan. One glimpse of the scenery convinced me I NEEDED to go.
His generous offer of hospitality, like the scenery, it seemed too good to be true. I was deeply intrigued, by this guy, his hometown, and his culture.
In addition to the thrill, the concept of this journey deeply resonated with my inclination to challenge convention. In life, we inherit a set of ideas about how to work, play and do life from our social environment. Who’s to say there aren’t other ways to do things that speak more to our core values? The act of meeting Shehryar challenged a mindset to view remote relationships through a distant, transactional lens.
Second, having grown up in post 9/11 America, I’d been conditioned to view Pakistan through the lens of the War on Terror…which basically means being terrified of the place. As I got older, I started realizing that I had developed ideas about places, without ever having interacted with people from there. Visiting Shehryar was a declaration of independence from a web of inherited ideas so that I could form opinions based on firsthand experience.
There I was, ideals in hand, raring to go.
In the modern era of on-demand consumption, I sometimes forget that I am subject to forces far greater than my own ideas. Two months before my trip, a border conflict suddenly erupted between Pakistan and India, imperiling the entire trip. Thankfully, it ended as quickly as it started, with both sides choosing to reduce tensions. I consulted with Shehryar, who gave me the green light to travel.
With that, I boarded a plane and headed to Kashgar, the first stop on the way to Pakistan.
Kashgar, located in the West of Xinjiang province in China, is one of the world’s oldest continuously inhabited cities. Famous for its Uyghur culture, delectable fruits, metalworking craftsmanship and delicious lamb delicacies, it was an important hub for multitudes of travelers on the ancient Silk Road going to Persia, India and beyond.
My goal in Kashgar was straightforward: obtain a border pass (bianfangzheng 边访证), withdraw RMB currency from an ATM, and stuff myself full of delicious lamb dishes. I’ll let my pictures tell you how I spent my day in Kashgar.
Overall, I loved the desert-like feel of this city. It felt like I was visiting another world, but with access to all of the digital services I’m used to. While tourism is definitely commercializing the vibe, i’d say Kashgar is still quite charming overall and has some room to run.
Researching Kashgar to Tashkurgan transportation, I could only find ad hoc options. According to Rednote (Chinese Reddit/Instagram), there’s no public bus, just some residential neighborhood where drivers wait until their cars are full before starting off. I rented a scooter through my Alipay app, and headed to the rendezvous point marked by a seemingly trustworthy Rednote post.
As I approached, a stranger identified me as a potential passenger and beckoned me to his car. I followed him without questioning, and didn’t think twice, because this is a totally normal way of doing things in China. In this country, you may be scammed, but you never really worry about your physical safety. After clarifying the fare (85 rmb for a ~300km journey), I loaded my stuff onto his van and we headed off!
Alright, so we’re in the car of a stranger. My belly is full. I’m headed to the Chinese-Pakistan border. Sounds like the setup for something big eh?
The five-hour ride to Tashkurgan is full of beautiful scenery, so I’ll end this post with some eye candy for you.
In the next post, I’ll share about my adventure in Tashkurgan, the last stop in China before heading into Pakistan. Stay tuned!
Wow so beautiful. Kashgar has always been on my list! Thanks for sharing
Great photo essay, I love how you use images from the streets of Kashgar to tell your story through the people and food. I prticularly liked the Coppersmith one. Really looking forward to reading all about your adventures in Paskistan and crossing the Khunjerab Pass. I’m heading out that way in May/Jun so any tips or tricks you might want to share feel free.