In the dusty bazaar streets of Kashi, also known as Kashgar, Uighur hatred of Chinese authorities runs deep. Many here believe that more than 100 died fighting Chinese troops last spring in the nearby town of Baren.

Nose around any modest-sized station and the odds are you'll find that the chargeman's office doubles as a bashers' club, a place where shivering spotters can get warm and catch up on the gen.

He was originally a rope-dancer; she had first seen him at Venice, where he was greatly admired for his shape, strength, and agility.

There was no heat, and we shivered in the belly of the plane.