Day 51 Monday 23 October Lijiang to Zhongdian (Shangri-la), Yunnan, China

Wandered around the town in the morning, J discovering a persuasive jewellers and G buying gloves in anticipation, wisely as it turns out. Then off to Shangri-la or Zhongdian, 180km north and 2000m up at 3300m. Climbed rapidly from the Yangze valley floor to the plateau which was like going into a different country, different houses, different crops, yaks instead of cows, or they might be just woolly cows, trees turning colour and Tibetan stupas and prayer flags. Much colder, in fact the coldest we’d experienced since the ski-dome in Dubai, fortunately north face gear is half aussie prices.

We find the LPs recommend ‘hotel’ and set out to explore the old town. Like Lijiang and Dali, there is a new ugly Chinese town welded onto and engulfing the ancient city. In Zhongdian which has had its name changed by order to Shangri La to attract more tourists, the old town is just being discovered and lots or renovation and rebuilding work is in progress. Very solid timber and stone houses, stones on the wooden shingle roofs to hold them down and elaborately carved and painted eaves.
Met with our new Tibetan guide, Pu Chung (means little boy as hes the youngest in his family) and had dinner at a very authentic Tibetan restaurant, yak hotpot washed down with lashings of chumpa or yak butter tea, delicious, but definitely an acquired taste.

Weather 16.5, Mainly sunny
Distance today 194km
Distance from start 11,005km
Scary Road Index: Low