The 65mi out of shangri la went like this.
After leaving the thick of the city, we found ourselves in a lush valley floor. The country road had nearly no traffic, and it traced the base of a mountain range in a very circular route. Many yaks, hairy pigs and piglets, sheep, ponies, ducks.... We saw squat houses with rocks holding down the roof that the local Tibetan minority used to live in. Now they are building big, modern houses next door to their old ones. Julie says the Tibetans have profited off of the sale of timber and pork.
After crossing the valley, we joined the main thoroughfare for chinese tourists traveling to Tibet. The road climbed a pass for 5k or so, in a series of switchbacks. Tourists passing us during this climb encouraged us - "Gi-yo" (or "put gas on it") is the cheer. One lady got out to give us each an apple as we passed. Later, I was even requested to pose for a photo with another tourist in the same car!
I can't say I noticed much while climbing. The road is the central focus when spinning up, and I can tell you it was a nice road, with a couple of patches of messy, dirt crossings. Gashed into nearly the side of a cliff, there was much serious erosion control - massive cement honeycombs, faux rock barriers.
The climb was worth it as it was followed by ~25 mi of downhill for the rest of the ride. We're talking: beautiful , fast pavement, sweeping stretches of downhill , with views of the steep black mountains that are so grand and omnipresent, it's hard to take them all in. Some mountain tunnels, some 1 lane construction works ( marked by cones and rocks), some valley inlets covered by debris ( from landslide? Washed out?).
Eventually we reached the river. Milky brown, like the colorado river, this river (called Gold Sand River?) still has gold in it.
Our destination was the town of Benzilan along the river. The village consists of houses, crops, construction works and shops. It felt like a town in serious transition. Not to be missed on the outskirts of town: a newly built, huge, formidable compound of a middle school that, from a distance, Sarah and i were musing must be the next James bond villian's top secret estate.
I imagine in 5 years this area will be a very different place.
Sent from my iPhone
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