High Big Sky - Western Yunnan

Last night I had a Yak steak sandwich. It perked me up like a kid on Christmas morning. I guess I really needed some rich and powerful protein. All day I had pedaled around a broad valley to view the seasonal Napa Lake amidst beautiful grasslands under a big sky. The area really reminds me of the American West except all of the cowboys are Tibetan and all the Cows are Yaks.

The bike I rented fit me well but the bent front rim made it a little wobbly. Not bad though. I passed Buddhist Stupas, construction of traditional buildings being built in the old world way, and Tibetans who smile every time you look at them. This part of China is mostly Tibetan and a refreshing change from Han Chinese who tend to be nice enough but not particularly warm and friendly.

Today I got some good information from a local who speaks really good English. He said China is being really strict with foreign travelers in Tibet because of the 60th anniversary of liberation. Well, I'm not going to get into the issue but I will say that some westerners are pretty well informed about what went on 60 years ago and aren't too happy about it. The real issue that concerns China, from what I can decipher, is that they don't some westerner going in and stirring up some kind of political uprising. Fair enough, considering some have been pretty vocal about Tibet. I think if this was not a concern Westerners would probably be free to travel as they please. So, in a way I think a few Westerners traveling Tibet in the past have kind of screwed up travel for Westerners of today. It took me a little while to figure this out and I can understand China's reservations on foreigners traveling there. What's too bad is that I know 99.99% of travelers just want to go to Tibet to enjoy the beautiful scenery and experience the colorful culture.

Since I've pretty much thrown out the idea of going to Tibet I've decided to experience as much of the Tibetan culture as I can within the Yunnan and Sichuan provinces. My plan now is to take a bus to Dequin and trek around the 6,740 meter Mt. Kawa Karpo. The scenery is supposed to be amazing with glaciers, waterfalls, and airy peaks. High, wild, and off the tourist track. I'll likely see a few more adventurous backpackers but don't expect to see many. The road to Dequin tops 5000 meters 3 times on the way from Shangrila. I plan to spend a few days trekking around Dequin then I'll return to Shangrila. I'll then head to Litang. From Litang I'll likely go to Ganzi and inquiry about the possibility of crossing into the Qinghai province via a high route close to the Tibetan boarder. The travel should be very interesting with local buses and questionable facilities. I'm not sure how internet access will be but I'll post when I can.

So, tomorrow I'll board a bus at 8:20 am. From what I can tell it will take anywhere from 6 to 10 hours to get the Dequin. Apparently there's road construction along the way.