To My Homegirl

 

Swine-mate

This is a bit overdue. But alas…

I returned to Beijing about two weeks back, after a month traveling China’s western frontier. Em, after a 6 hour flight delay and a border snafu, also safely returned to Hong Kong.

I miss the road already, and it feels odd not having The Swine’s presence around 24/7. She has been a good colleague throughout the trip, as well as a good friend.

For that, thank you.

 

Xining

 

 

 

From Kangding

 

Paoma Mountain

Kangding’s most well-known landmark is one of its nearby mountains, Paoma Mountain. The snowy peak was made famous by the immensely popular song, Kangding Love Song.

Going from Ganzi to Kangding also marked the longest bus ride Em and I had this entire trip: 14 hours!! While the ride was beautiful, being on a dirty bus for 14 hours was pretty trying…

 

Bus ride

Passby Lake

 

 

From Ganzi

Ganzi

Ganzi is a Tibetan trading town, located in a stunning valley in the shadow of the nearby Chola snow mountain range.

Across the street from the Ganzi bus station, there’s a restaurant called the Daba Han Tibetan Family Restaurant. The hole-in-the-wall joint is owned by a middle aged Han couple and a young Tibetan help. A+ to them in name creativity.

From Trola

Trola

Trola Pass lies between Dege and Manigango. At 4916 meters above sea level, it’s the highest pass outside of Tibet.

From Dege

 

Dege

Dege was a charming little town nestled deep in a remote mountain valley, close to the border of Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR). Logistically speaking, it was one of the hardest places for Em and I to reach. Thanks to a bit of persistence and rerouting, we got there with no problem.

However, a half a side of yak carcass was involved in our transportation. Em almost gagged on the way (note: the woman is a vegetarian). I wonder how the Tibetans would have felt about that.

 

From Manigango

 

Manigango

Manigango is a one-lane, rough and tumble kind of town located in the middle of the Qinghai-Tibet plateau. The town is rustic and the surrounding scenery beautiful. Conditions made the town difficult to stay in, but it worked for a night as a transition stop.

It was also our first stop on the proper Sichuan Tibet highway, which means we got into the province with no problem.

 

From Yushu

Yushu was a pretty funky town. Again, we met a lot of interesting characters and found ourselves in a lot of interesting situations.

The town reminded me of Xiahe prior to the events of last year.

 

Tibet: Flora & Fauna

 

 

From Xining

Xining

Em and I have been resting in Xining for the past few days. Both of us had a bit of a bug and thought it was best to recoup before moving on to higher altitude.

I have always been quite fond of Xining. The laid back atmosphere and the interesting mix of ethnic groups make this city a fantastic little city (only 2 million people) to hang out in.

Plus, the city’s Halal restaurants are excellent.

From Xiahe

Xiahe

Zoige

As part of our detour, we had to loop our way east, into Xiahe (Gansu Province) via the “wild west” town Zoige.

Though unplanned, the detour led Em and I into a series of pleasant surprises, including the chance to interact with some fascinating personalities.

Traveling puts many things into perspective. I’m constantly humbled by the kindness of strangers.

Another Picture From Jiuzhaigou