Spontaneity is fun!

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Geo: 30.034, 101.95

Day 3: Hailuogou to Kangding

So today was mainly spent at the top of a glacier, or to put it more accurately, at the top of apparently the world's lowest altitude glacier. This mornings sunrise never occurred- excessive cloud cover being to blame, however it did mean an extra hour in bed- so every cloud right has a silver lining right (haha, go on,laugh!).

Anyway, today started by being handed tickets and shepherded onto a bus to go to the glacier. All was going well, despite the sheer drops, hair pin bends, partially constructed roads, plenty of cement mixers to share the poorly constructed roads with and a driver who would have made a great F1 driver! I was feeling only marginally safer than yesterdays journey! Suddenly we stopped on a steep bend an were told to get off the bus. Eventually it turned out that a cement mixer was blocking the way and we couldn't move until it had finished. So an hour, and several monkeys later (they can open crisp packets!!), we were on the move. I was slightly concerned by how tame these monkeys appeared and how keen to eat anything people were willing to throw at them- chocolate, crisps, bread...you name it, they ate it.

Anyway, an hour after we finally arrived at the cable car station and took what must be one of the most beautiful cable car rides to the top of this glacier. This was unlike every other glacier i've ever seen- more rocks than ice but beautiful non the less. We hiked down to the glacier, had an ice ball fight and went rock scrambling. In this time I realized that few foreigners ventured here; I took more pictures with random people than ever before, told people that i'm from England about 1000 times (it felt like it!) and got told I was beautiful by at least 7 different people (I stopped counting after the 7th incase my ego became too big!). Someone remind me again why i'm leaving this country?! There was also a beautiful Tibetian shrine at the top- another reminder of how close to Tibet and how this is a minority area.

It was at this point that I decided to try and make it to Kangding. Without having done any research I wasn't too sure how much of a possibility this was. I made my way down the mountain and found a driver who said he'd take me - perfect I thought! What I didn't realize was that he would drive super quickly, overtake the multitude of construction vehicles on hairpin bends and pick up 4 other passengers so it felt like being in a cattle cart (or what I imagine a cattle car to feel like!) It was at this point I realized how much construction is going on in this province- I mean everywhere. No road is untouched, bridges and dams are popping up ever few hundred meters and houses are being re-built almost constantly. Anyway, we arrive in Luding (a town famous for the Red March) and the driver tells me to get out. I'm pretty puzzled as we're still miles away from where he told me he would take me. He then points to another car/taxi and I bundle in with a bunch of local people still pretty unsure where i'm going to end up. Still all worked out well and I made it to Kangding - google it, its interesting!

Just a final little congratulatory self pat on the back- I have not spoken a word of English today. I've not met anyone who can speak English so i've travelled, booked hostels, debated English vs Chinese economic development and chatted to many people all in Chinese. Cathryn and Yuyang I cannot thank you enough for how much you've both taught me!

Still can't figure the picture thing out! I'll keep trying.


Goodnight/晚安！

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