110k to benzilan

I only have 20min on this very dirty laptop computer in Benzilan. We
are on the road north towards Tibet. Chinese tourists and cyclists
make this pilgrimage, over passes, along valleys, to experience Tibet.
We won't make it all the way to Tibet -- we'll turn southwest just
short of the border.

The roads here are impressive- beautifully paved new roads cut into
very steep cliffsides. Some obvious need for serious erosion control.

There is construction everywhere here. The town of Benzilan is chock
full of new fancy residences, squeezed in between pig sties and trash
piles. Julie says a new power plant, being built on the Yangze nearby,
is boosting the local economy.

OK, will have to cut this short. But today has been pretty epic, and
the 65 miles went quickly.