Into China... Part 1

aCrossing the border from Kyrgyzstan to China at the Irkishtan pass, you could see immediately a difference. The Kyrgyz border post was a little wooden hut in dusty surroundings, the Chinese border buildings were BIG, new, shiny and overmanned. The crossing took about 13 hours !! yes really. Brief diary summary

6:30 am - Arrived at the Kyrgyz side
8:30 am - Allowed through the gates to the customs control (it opens at 9am)
9:00 am - Let into building
10:00 am - Out of customs building
10:15 am - Drive on
10:30 am - Stopped, sent off bus by Chinese guards, all made to line up with bags, all bags searched by two officials, passports and names checked by girl in oversized uniform walking along the line, looking up at faces under the overhanging peak of her oversized cap, saying 'Imya?' (russian for 'name?') to check if she had found the correct person before moving onto the next passport and moving up and down the line again looking for him/her. No real problem for me and Michael - a german tourist also on bus - but locals were thoroughly checked, foods sampled, drinks were made to be drunk, packages opened etc etc
11:30 am - Back on bus and onwards to customs building, big queue of trucks ahead of us
12:00 midday - Queue that was moving slowly now stops as border is closed 12:00 - 14:00
14:15 pm - Queue starts moving agian
15:15 pm - Bus drivers negotiate a overtake of some trucks, we move foreward and into customs building
15:30 pm - Food taken away from me (apples are dangerous in China obviosuly !) but I get through first ! Probably because the customs declarations and immigration cards are in Chinese and English only, so all the Kyrgyz/Uzbeks have problems filling it in !
16:30 pm - By now everyone else is through but no bus, still stuck behind a few lorries on other side of building. It cannot move through as trucks are piled up on Chinese side queueing to go the other way, blocking the way out, gridlock.
16:45 pm - Two Chinese border guards come bursting out of the building doors throwing wild punches at each other, one is thrown againsta low wall and nearly goes over, but escapes, more punches thrown until two larger Chinese officials break them up and drag them away in diffreent directions. Bit of entretainment at least.!
17:00 pm - I see driver arguing with customs and lorry drivers to move their vehicles, some move but still our bus cannot get through
17:45 pm - Again more lorries move, still not enough to get through
18:30 pm - Bus squeezes through and heads for exit, notices some passengers missing, they are in a restaurant
19:00 pm - All aboard and off we go
22:45 pm - Arrive in Kashgar almost 27 hours after leaving Osh