The next day we learned the pass was closed and that we would not be able to go up to it. We were all devastated. The mood of the city changed. The morning we had left Kashghar we learned there had been a bombing at a police station. As usual in China, there were many checkpoints along the way, but the morning we awoke in Tashkurgan, it really felt like things had soured. There was a lot of tension in the air. We ate with the Pakistanis again, learned about the current situation as security people intensified their scrutiny. The police had come by as we played at the hotel the night before, though the people at the hotel said not to worry. It was routine for them to charge in sirens blaring to check the guest registry, or check up on retaurant books to see who and when they got eggs, vegetables, meat and other supplies from.We walked around ruins of an old castle and enjoyed a beautiful view, and the local bazaar before deciding to start heading back. Out tour guide at CITS was not able to provide any alternate destinations. I asked about local handicrafts, but she really didn't care. They just seemed to want us to go to all the overpriced tourist traps that they had special deals with. All of this with the tense atmosphere combined to make us all feel a bit miserable. We were in one of the most beautiful spots on the planet, but due to some people it was really maddening. We stopped at a beautiful lake, and refused to over pay for nasty food or tourist trap prices. We left i disgust, visited a hot spring, that had been turned into a bath house, then left after looking at it for bit. Too much bad salesmanship, and people not trying to communicate, but just take you for what you are worth to them and all this bureaucratic nonsense can turn a person sour quick.Mr. Ling seemed confused, but took us slowly back. We stopped at the stone work tables and I was in thr process of bartering my boots for a traditional jacket (the guy had gone to get his jacket so I could see it), but Mr. Ling insisted we leave. The tour lady called a bunch of times on his cel phone, but she just wanted to go to more tourist traps and they refused to let us visit regular people.We decided to end the trip and just go back to Kashghar. It just felt like it was time to get out of China, withe the Olympics and even more heightened image conscious paranoia and terrorist threats only days away.Along the way, Mr. Ling I think sensing some of what we were about stopped at a Yurt where we ate some bread, drank tea and put on a music show in a beautifully decorated Kyrgyz home. The family crowded into the door and we all had a good time, though the songs felt tired as we played. It felt like our hearts had been ripped out and we just wanted to leave China. The people were very sweet and it was great to share music with them. One lady pulled out a mouth harp like Andy had. She joked that his was no good and played us some beautiful music on hers. One of the girls danced while we played. They showed us a photo that some other American tourists had taken with them and sent back. We took photos with them and I met some of the little ones outside before we left. It was a long ride back to Kashghar. The feel at the checkpoints was much more intense.We got back into Kashghar, and got a room at the Semens hotel where many Pakistanis stay. The hotel was beautiful with a lot of Uigher cultural decorations in the lobby, but like most places, the rooms were not good. There was a tv, with no power outlet (not that we were going to watch it), the fan burned out, the toilet needed to be repaired and was just as we were going to bed. It was a bad hotel for the price, but another interesting experience. We ate some Pakistani food at another cafe near by, before going to sleep.