Bulungkol, the Corner Lake

Karakoram Highway, August 21st 2012

Bulungkol Lake is scarcely mentioned in the internet, except of course by travel agencies. Sometimes it is written "Bulungkul". In Google Map it is "Bulunkou". In Uyghur, "Bulungkol" means "Corner Lake".

I'm not sure whether it was the road that was cornering or the lake. According the Google Maps, the road has more sharp corners than the lake. And, I felt that.

The mountains behind look like a painting, don't they?

According to my thermometer, it was 26^oC which was hard for me to believe. The more my Korean travel-mate couldn't believe it."How much do you thought it is? I asked her.

"Twenty one."

Actually what made it cold was the wind that was blowing very hard.

I took pictures while leaning on a pole, because I felt like the wind could blow me into the valley down to lake at every second. Seriously!

This is the place where there were a lot of stone vendors by the side of the road. Before we got of the car, our guide reminded us that they were fake stones. The vendors themselves were zealous traders that varied in age. They followed my every step. The younger, the more persistent. This would be worse than Tuyuq Village, I reminded myself. Cautiously, I kept my lens away from their colorful custom and stone huts.

Our driver drove us to 'the other side of the corner'. The wind wasn't blowing as hard as it was at the 'previous side of the corner'. However, you still can see how apparent it is on me. I'm not that fat, you know. That's wind inside me.

This is my Korean travel-mate whom I don't quite understand why Imam had put together with me in my car. She was actually with another group of six on a 3D2N trip. The other five went on a car that was behind us. She only joint me until Karakul Lake. Personally, I didn't mind her presence at all. I will never do as long as he or she, doesn't disturb my peace, and my itinerary. She didn't seem quite happy being separated from her fellows. Of course! She told me that she and her 5 friends were joining a package tour from Imam which started from (if I'm not mistaken) Dunhuang and all the way up to Kashgar. They should have traveled by train from Turpan to Kashgar. Unfortunately, their tour guide missed the train. Thus, they were flown to Kashgar, on the agency's cost. If I were in such a situation, I would be terribly mad. It's not about which one is more comfortable. It's about the priceless beauty of the train journey that's ripped off from me. Uuugh, that's bad.

"I heard that the scenery along the railroad is beautiful," my new companion said.

"Definitely! You have missed a great deal." I couldn't help not to say that.

So why am I putting her picture here? Because I like the way I took her picture. That's all. Aye.

After all, I think... Corner Lake a.k.a. Bulungkol, does form a corner.