The elusive Shangri-la. Here, in this northwestern Yunnan province, the name has been artificially attached in 2001 to a primarily Tibetan county, all in an effort to promote tourism in the area. We haven't discovered a fountain of youth, but we certainly encountered copious amounts of warmth and friendliness of its people.
Passing some beautiful mountainous countryside, we've been treated to amazing sights. The road has been narrow, winding, and in places really bumpy pretty much all the way from Lijiang. Before we knew what was happening, people on the bus were getting sick left and right, some had enough time to grab buckets provided, some didn't. Maybe the potholes were to blame, or maybe that questionable fried meat everyone but us grabbed at the pit stop (where the owner of the stand disappeared with a leashed dog, we heard some godawful cries, and he came out bloody handed). Who knows. Needless to say, we were super happy to reach the bus station in Zhongdian, from where we took a short cab ride to the center.
This air! And the sky! We took a deep, deep breath, dumped our backpacks at the hostel and, chasing the light, headed straight for the Songzanlin Monastery on a city bus.
taking portraits is a delicate act, it just feels strange to do so without talking to people, without getting to know them, even if just briefly...but sometimes perfect occasion arises, there's time for a greeting, a handshake, people open up and are happy to be photographed, even ask for it... those smiles, laughter, brief exchanges, they just stay with you
town square in Zhongdian
simple and delicious Tibetan breakfast of gurung bread and deep fried egg
spices and yak tails
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