30 April Departure from Ringha, Start of Tiger Leaping Gorge (Hutiao Xia) trek

We would recommend staying at The Banyan Tree Ringha for rest, reading, relaxation and meditation. It is a peaceful place, outside / remote from the main busy Shangrila (Xiang Ge Li La) city, with tasty local food and charming staff. Come soon before the city expands and ruins the valley; the plans for a shopping precinct nearby were abandoned when the developer disappeared without financing the work.

Jade Snow Mountain

The trips we recommend were tailored for us. We recommend hiring a guide if you cannot speak Mandarin. This is not cheap but worth it if you want to get the most out of your visit. Balagezong National park is our top pick. Followed by walking with the Tibetan Mastiff Langka and the mutt Nu Nu; the cycle ride around Napa Lake was also great for us as we needed fresh air and exercise but otherwise not a very beautiful lake (in April).

Mario, (Aussie Italian manager and owner of Langka), Jane (front office manager), Lobsang (young guide), Della (made her own mix of Tibetan noodles for us for breakfast), Ada, Lily (v helpful with menu suggestions in restaurant) and Tony. (a very shy 13 year old trainee) were smiley, helpful, friendly and made our stay most enjoyable. June is supposed to be the best month-but visit soon before it's too late.

On the way to Tiger Leaping gorge (TLG) we discussed Meia snow mountain; unconquerable at 6000m+. A team of 17 Japanese and Chinese tried to climb it but never returned. It was named as a Sacred place and the government will not allow climbers to try again. A similar disaster occurred in Tiger Leaping Gorge.



There was construction all along the route from Shangrila to TLG. Dusty busy main highway. Large plains with villages growing into each other, deep ravines and gorges. Road building and expansion in the name of progress to house the growing population.  As it is a long weekend (1 May holiday) we spot several packed tourist buses heading both ways. Mr Yang the taxi driver sings to us on the way or chats away to Joey; he said a prayer for us to be safe wherever we travel. Maybe we need it with the crazy driving in evidence! Overtaking on corners, 3 cars abreast in 2 lane road, undertaking, locals, pigs, yaks wandering across.. Cars approaching head on in our lane, etc. Brought Sarah out in a hot sweat with no need for exercise! Chinese could buy a driving licence until 2013 but now there is a practical test for new drivers. You must use your horn as you overtake, makes driving v v noisy. This may explain some of the crazy driving blamed on Chinese in NZ!



Spotted some very hairy yak tails hanging outside what looks like a meat/butcher shop.
We all guess why? For oxtail soup or as a duster? a: removing flies/dust or as a duster. We spot one outside a house later.

After 1 hour, we left the Tibetan area and entered the area of Yi tribe and spotted Haba snow mountain in the distance.  T



here are 20 different tribes in Shangrila (but is mostly Tibetan) Lijiang has different tribes too but is mostly Naxi. On the way, we descended huge gorges with Hydro-electric plants diverting the flow of the rivers below. Nothing but a trickle left in some parts.

Arrival at Qiaotuo meant we had to purchase a ticket for Tiger Leaping Gorge (normally ¥65 but only ¥52 as a Chinese holiday w/e. We deposited our bags at Jane's guest house (¥5 per bag for 2 days) and jumped back in the taxi. (Current FX rate is just over 6 RMB = USD1).




Before starting on the upper gorge track we visited the upper tiger leaping rock (a 13m rock mid river) with masses of bussed-in tourists.

Many do not trek in the gorge but just visit by bus, stopping along the lower road to look at the scenery.


















Some even descend by sedan chair. Must be exhausting work for the carriers (but well remunerated) and terrifying for the seated as the angle down is pretty steep.





It was busy but an informative short walk. The gorge is 23km long with the narrowest point 20m across.

The gorge splits Jade snow mountain at 5596 metres and Haba snow mountain 5396m.  The lowest point of the gorge is at 1600m.






The rock is a place where it is said that a tiger leapt across - hence the name. The timber path included (of course) a stone tiger or 2.

T

There are also middle and lower tiger leaping rocks to stop off at. Maybe one is enough? But not for someone – see later.

The upper reaches of the Yangtze is also called the Jinsha or Chin-sha in Chinese. In 1986 11 Chinese rafters lost their lives trying to raft the Yangtze along Tiger Leaping Gorge. No one has attempted it since; no wonder based on the speed of the flow even before the rainy season starts.



The start of the upper Tiger Leaping Gorge trek was closed for repairs so we had a 2.6km walk along a construction road before reaching the track.


It was quite steep (pulling on calf muscles) and we walked very slowly upwards.

A local loitered close to us to see if he could sell us a ride on his horse. Instead we fed the horse our apple cores.




As there is a new bridge being built, the pounding noise of construction spoilt the first part of the walk up to Naxi Guest house.

 The view to one side included cement works and scars from excavation. The Jade snow mountain was partly hidden behind clouds but we did start to appreciate the views. 

Spotted some interesting signs along the way but very few people.

A vegetarian meal at Naxi guest house awaited us (they grow all their own veggies on the terraces around the village and were drying their maize in the courtyard)









A last look at the mountain from the terrace with a spot of reading

 before falling into bed to warm up after sunset at 8pm.

Day 7- Potatso National Park

Started the day with another big breakfast - Deluth tried to double her body weight in a single meal.

Jo decided to slip class today as she is thoroughly enjoying the serenity of the area - and obviously fears it may the last time for quite a long time that she will enjoy such peace!

So Joey, Deluth and Sarah set off into the pouring rain to experience China’s first national park, Potatso. Opened in 2007 (over 150 years after Yellowstone and decades after the Country Parks in HK were established). 

Potatso extends over 115 square miles and is home to a great assortment of wildlife and birds (bears, squirrels, cranes etc). It has lots of lakes and tree mosses (proving that this is a unique, unpolluted area.)

Only 15 km from our hotel, we were soon boarding a bus and watching the driver swerve around corners as he groped the radio wires in order to ensure the muzak was transmitting.

Tramping China-style (often in high heels but not for us!)

We walked for a while and then waited and boarded a bus.

And then walked and bused.

On our drive home we noticed this spectacular building in a small village - apparently a printing press for the monasteries.

And then we visited the local hot baths, but decided against taking a dip and instead strolled high above the pools in the sunshine.

DAY 6: Ganden Sumtseling /SongZanLin monastery

Confusingly this monastery has lots of names. SongZanLin is the largest Tibetan Buddhist monastery in Yunnan (this is the name on the direction from Shangrila town) It was also named as Ganden Sumtseling, by the fifth Dalai Lama. Emperor YongZeng of the Qing dynasty named it Guihua temple. 

It is also known as the Little Potala palace after the Tibetan palace in Lhasa. We decided to visit as it was both no.2 and No 10 (under 2 of these names) in the Tripadvisor list of things to do near Shangri -La.

We hired a driver only (as both Joey and Deluth have no need for a translator being fluent in Mandarin) and headed off in cold rainy weather. 

The taxi driver was full of interesting information; if sisters do not want to live separately they can share 1 husband (maximum 3 sisters – but used to be 4) Same with brothers. Ok as long as the sisters or brothers do not get jealous!

The Sumtseling monastery complex was finished in 1681 and is made up of 3 main halls Dratsang, Zhukang and Jikang and 8 Khamtsen (house or monastery colleges; a training place for monks). 

There is a gilded copper roof (strong Tibetan feature) each hall is filled with wonderful frescos depicting Buddhist tales and legends, beautiful sculptures, golden figures of Buddha josses, golden lamps. We were unable to take photos inside but what was outside gives you the impression of the richness in color and frescos of the inner areas.

Sadly there was a tourist souvenir shop outside each main hall. Sarah could not resist a quick look see and came away with a very tasteful (not) prayer wheel.

To finish we strolled around the Lamuyangcuo (soul of heaven fairy) Lake outside.

The soul of Bandamlamu (goddess of the universe) resides here according to the useful “most beautiful photo” tourist info signs. Including what to do or not. 

Everything slowly at 3300m! 

We stopped several times to take “most beautiful photo”!

More great views of the temple across the water but probably better on a sunny still day when the flowers are out and the grass greener. 

We found some monks practising the Tibetan horn (Dungchen) We thought it was more of a practice session than a call to prayer. 

We tried to walkback to the start whilst Joey and Deluth took the bus, but all of us including the locals were collected on the way. (Too much strenuous exercise perhaps?)

DAY 5: 27 April Walking with Lanka and NuNu

Leisurely morning with a beautifully prepared omelette and good strong coffee for breaky.
Another gorgeous sunny day.

We have been a little confused about whether we are in China or in Tibet. The answer is both but it depends on your perspective. In 1950 the Peoples Republic of China led by Mao, began to assert a new Chinese presence in Tibet. The resistance in Tibet was soon crushed.  Tibetan representatives (having lost) negotiated with Beijing to incorporate Tibet into China. This was repudiated by the government in exile and Dalai Lama shortly afterwards. To cut a long bloody story full of resistance, death, exile and destruction short what was Tibet before Mao is now divided up. Cultural Tibet (Pre 1950) consisted of:

• Amdo (A mdo) in the northeast, is now administratively part of the provinces of Qinghai, Gansu and Sichuan (China).
• Kham (Khams) in the southeast encompasses parts of western Sichuan, northern Yunnan southern Qinghai and the eastern part of the Tibet Autonomous Region (China).
• Ü-Tsang (Ü in the center, Tsang in the center-west, and Ngari (mNga' ris) in the far west) are the central and western portion of Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR)
• Southern Tibet  -  ceded to India in 1965 after a short war.

Whether in a Chinese province or in India, Tibetan people still say they are in Tibet. The Chinese influence seems to be welcomed in Yunnan, but the locals still differentiate between themselves (Tibetan) and the Chinese (often guests in the hotel). Sarah and I are of course: “foreigners”

At 11 am we set off with the manager’s Tibetan mastiff, Langka (Blue Sky), Lobsang and Lobsang’s mutt, NuNu (Lobsang said this means sexy but a quick internet search revealed that the poor mutt is named after slang for a sex organ!).



Both dogs were well behaved and good tempered with only occasional bursts of energy to chase yak or child.
















We wound our way up a logging track and over the top of a crest to find a green pasture, filled with yak and a few cows, and a nomad’s settlement.

We had brought some barley flour and Yak butter tea balls (good for energy according to Lobsang and Mario Piazza – manager of the hotel) but this was not enough for lunch for Lobbing.

We went in to the nomad hut with the smoking chimney to introduce ourselves and eat yak butter yoghurt, home-made flat bread, home made yak cheese and finally… to drink yak butter tea.
Sarah tried her hardest to like it.

We gave our hostess all the edibles we were carrying – 2 pears and a nut bar.  (To be fair, Jo and I did not eat very much but Lobsang tucked in.) She stoked up the fire and was really welcoming.










We compared ages and shoe sizes! Although our Tibetan was limited to Tashi Delek (a greeting meaning luck or Hello) Hon (yes) and Ma Ray (No) Too Je Che (thank you) Lobsang translated for us.

There were a reasonable amount of creature comforts adorning the hut – a few bottles of barley wine and cigarettes.

From here the walk got even better as we joined a small path that wound its way through the pine trees. Sarah investigated some finer family law points for Tibetans on death of both parents (all goes to elder child whether male or female)

We jumped a couple of rivers and finally descended back to the temple, where we started, and of course ginger tea and biscuits in the lobby of the hotel.

Deluth and Joey arrived at 23:10 tired after a day of travelling; too late for photos