Danger Travelling in Kashgar?

"I definitely do not want you go to there.  It's not safe, especially this year.  Haven't you heard what has happened there recently?  I think it is best if you stay here or go somewhere else for the October Holiday.  It is not wise for you to travel to Kashgar right now."

These are the words of our school principal three days before we left on our trip to Kashgar, a place most recently known for violent attacks and unrest.  Understandably he was worried, and we were flattered by  how much he actually cared.  Were it not for the fact that we had already bought our airline tickets and our friends from Shanghai were already headed there, we might have reconsidered.  Instead, we were in the uncomfortable position of going against our boss' wishes, somewhat hiding a few of these "controversial" details from our families, while wondering if we really were in that much danger.

As it turns out, the danger was very little and the experience was one of the greatest we've had since arriving here in Xinjiang.  On the way back to Urumqi from Kashgar we took the 24-hour sleeper bus to save some money which gave me time to write down a few things that had been festering in my mind:

1. This trip highlighted for me how much Chinese don't trust the Uyghurs and vice-a-versa...and neither group can really give me a good reason why.
2. The more I observe each group of people in Xinjiang, the most diverse part of China, the more I see the similarities between them as opposed to just the differences.
3. As I travel through China, I am convinced with every trip that Xinjiang is by far the most visually captivating, culturally pleasing, diverse part of China.  

Over the next couple of weeks I want to go a little more in-depth on some of these issues while sharing with you stories and pictures of our journeys around Kashgar, the westernmost part of China and a truly unique part of the Silk Road.  I hope you enjoy.