[China]

This is ethnic China. Thousands of Tajiks, Uzbeks, and Kazaks converge every Sunday to what some believe to be the most exotic Sunday market in the world. I’d been traveling for six months, yet realized that the world still had some places that could re-trigger culture shock. I walked the entire day in a state of marvel. Hour after hour of sensory overload.

Fifty rows of buyers and sellers negotiating over heaps of electronic junk – parts, diodes, vacuum tubes, wiring. A football sized field filled with camels for sale. 50 pool tables in the sun. Coming upon some sort of magician making a political speech. He ends by swallowing three two-inch diameter ball bearings and then throws them up with great gusto.

A swarthy guy follows me around for about 20 minutes and I run through a crowd to escape him. Later I find that my pockets are empty.