Kashgar, China - what was supposed to be our destination

So here we are in Kashgar - after a 4 day journey which went quite smoothly. How great to be in a "luxury" hotel ChiniBagh after last night invading the Khyrgustani family's house - paying brutally for it and having only a few bites of bread and yak cheese, and no bathroom but the bright jagged and dusty stones under the freezing cold of the full Moon. Sweet Muneera. I'm coming up with a story, weaving a past life tapestry of me as a Hunza girl falling in love with a XinJiang girl who came to visit and perhaps brought me back to China with her...but I couldn't stay, I missed the apricot valley too much.
We walked around the block to the old Id Ka Mosque from the 1400's. There was a 20 yuen admission (nearly $3) just to walk in, but it was lovely and peaceful, poplar lined and yellow archways. The to the KahLa (public bathroom - not a pretty site and required admission fees too!), into the handicrafts music store where a guy demonstrated the local violin which sits raised on the left knee facing out at arm's length, elbow holding it in place. There was even a double bass version, way cool. Talking calculators were passed over so we could type a price in, hillarious, really. At the little supermarket near the hotel I bought Colgate watermellon toothpaste (thinking of Daniel whom got me into the wonder of buying foreign toothpastes), a red bean bread, Nutri-Express drink, Piko chocolate bar, coffee ice cream bar, and this cute Pooh bear notebook entitled "you laughter is the suns i keep look for each day your voice is music to my ears your smile helps light my way" all for a dollar and a quarter - 9 yuen. Some of my Chinese is coming back. At least I can say, "hello, thank you, goodbye".
To the Pakistani Cafe for dinner. Beijing-Pakistan photo exchange happening, as a young Chinese girl asked a Pakistani guy how to eat the food. The Pakistani's speaking amongst themselves thought I was Russian, but weren't sure because I didn't speak. It was a far cry from the Hunza people who whispered guesses as we walked up the Karimabad hill - first Peshawar, then they guessed I was from Kabul! I spoke in Urdu to the Ughyur ladies in the kitchen and told them it was delicious. Sweet people everywhere, no hassles, no real out friendliness either - except maybe the boys outside of Id Ka Mosque trying to sell their golden butterfly pins. It's cold. Can't wait to use my watermelon toothpaste,now is the time!