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Published: August 21st 2009
(It's been over 2 months since we started cycling again. We've crossed 6300km and are now at the the Northern Edge of Ningxia Province where the Tenger Desert begin...long due blog updates shall be uploaded while we wait for our final visa extention)
Leaving Dali was far from an easy affair. It took days to bid our good-byes and share our next plans to the assortment of friends and acquaintances I’d met over the one and half month break I’d taken here. The last few days were a mad scramble to revisit favourite quiet time spots and little restaurants that I had made part of my routine in this lovely town. I wish I had time to make one last solo trip to the summit of Zhonghe peak which at 4012 m is one of the highest points of the Ca Shan mountain range that borders the Western edge of Dali. My previous hike there had been a numbing 10 hour muscle grinding affair to and back through fog and rain; respite only in the beautiful scenery and exciting trudge through seldom used tracks lined with unruly shrubs and an almost pristine forest brimming with birdlife. But I took comfort
in the fact that I would soon be much higher than the highest peak overlooking Dali on my bicycle; on to where the mountains rise high and the oxygen lies thin.
We started one late afternoon past 2 o’clock and made the first fifty km to the hot springs of Xiashanhow. 60 Y for a room facing a huge swimming pool of natural hot water was so far the best deal we’ve had. A pampered start but the next day saw our muscles straining under a few short but rather steep climbs. Two months of a rather sedentary lifestyle caused my muscles to revolt a little but the warm up felt good. The road to Lijiang was a rather dull affair made a little less so thanks to the old road which breaks away from the main highway to Zhongdian and climbs for about 20 kilometres through lovely farms and quiet Naxi homesteads. Trucks are no longer on this stretch and traffic is at a blissful minimal.
We had been forewarned by all our friends and fellow travelers that Lijiang’s crass commercialism would prove to be a huge disappointment. While geared up to face it the theme park
Marriage Frame in Lijiang
Crazy about the perfect photoshoot, a Chinese bride may don her dress more than oncefeel of the old town still took us by surprise. We didn’t buy tickets though and slipped in easily to take in a bit of the biggest tourist trap of Yunnan, albeit a rather picturesque one. The streets and houses were pretty enough but lines of endless shops and the crowded alleys made us leave asap. Dali at least remains authentic and the town still belongs to the locals. We decided to go to Shu-he instead but ended up in a similar tourist theme park though seemingly only for Chinese. Defeated we decided to stay a night and stayed in a lovely boutique hotel the most expensive we’ve stayed at so far being impossible to get rooms for less than 100 Y. The owner was a really nice man and decided to give us a 20 Y rebate since we were cyclists. Along this section Baisha is perhaps the only place that is an authentic village and still remains peaceful and quiet. We stayed one evening again just to escape the ringing in our ears from Lijiang and Shu-he.
We decided to take the Eastern road to Zhongdian through Daju, Haba and Baishuiti mainly to escape the traffic on
Baisha
Home to the famous Doctor Ho, Baisha is perhaps the best and quietest place around Lijiang to stay. the main road buzzing with tourist buses making a circuit of Tiger Leaping Gorge or else making their way to Zhongdian. But we really weren’t prepared for extreme lengths the tourism department has gone through to leech the most out of tourists visiting Lijiang’s famous sights.
We left Baisha to cycle north wards along the foot of the Yuelong Xueshan or the famous Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. It was just our luck that all seven peaks were obscured by clouds due to the depression that lasted a few days. As we made our way towards what seemed like a distant toll gate we got a little worried by the hoards of tourist buses replete with microphone wielding tour guides that overtook us. We passed numerous future tourist projects marked by garish totem like structures and elaborate sculptures. If this valley didn’t have a history it looked like the government was going to create one. As we came nearer to the toll gate we realized it was going to be more than just a toll gate that let’s bicycles pass without question. True enough we were stopped and asked to pay 160 Y each, the fee for passing through what
Grand Angle
Along one of the many switchbacks is now the Yuelong Xueshan Scenic road. 80Y is for passing through the road and another 80Y for just being in the World Heritage Lijiang Ancient City area. We were mortified. We didn’t have to exaggerate the look of disbelief on our faces. When we finally calmed down we started slow negotiations reminding them we were cyclists doing much less harm to the environment than the streams of bus bound tourists and that we were unaware of the fee as this road was marked as a highway on our maps.
Someone did suggest we make a 280 km detour through Lugu Lake if we didn’t want to pay. The average intelligence of most people posted to gatekeeping posts whether for scenic areas or border crossing constantly surprises us. We did have the option of making around 60 kms to head back to the main road to Zhongdian but that too wasn’t trivial distance on our bicycles. We finally bluffed our way in by claiming to have paid to visit the Ancient Town and that we threw our tickets not knowing we’d have to produce it. I got a 50% discount thanks to my student visa and they finally relented
The Great Sacrilege
Happy faces on not so happy yaks in a not so happy remodeled terrain. Blue Moon Lagoon. and allowed the same for Cedric. So 80Y for us to cycle on a road famous for the mountains we couldn’t even see thanks to the clouds. We let them know our displeasure. Those attempting to cycle should route should know it’s possible to slip past the gates early in the morning before 6 am.
The road gently climbed upto 3200m where we reached a plateau and got a better idea of what we paid for. We were in a theme park of a giant scale. A huge amphitheatre had been built in the middle of the grassy plateau and from a distance we could hear the drums and see hundreds of dancers on a giant stage. It was a show for the tour groups. We counted at least 40 buses in the parking lot.
We left the plateau for a beautiful winding descent on an impeccably sealed road. As we rushed downhill I caught glimpses of beautiful blue waters below us. The signboards proclaimed we were on our way to the blue moon lagoon. On reaching it I can say I truly felt repulsed by what I can call travesty of the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain.
Maybe
there was once a beautiful stream running through limestone rocks for that beautiful blue but now they had gone and defaced the entire stream bed with fake concrete concentric circles made to resemble little fairy pools. I guess that was the attempt. Further downstream concrete bunds helped retain water for swimming pools of Olympic proportions. The whole area had been landscaped into a monster park. But the tourists seemed to love it.
Yaks posted in the little pools were busy ferrying tourists a few meters for photo sessions. In the midst of the melee I could spot a few bemused faces, western tourist who’d no idea what they signed themselves up for. We left the valley without lingering too long to begin a climb that soon led us back to some semblance of sanity and natural scenery for the tour buses stop at the lagoon. We were out of the tourist zone and could finally really appreciate the beauty of the area. The peaks remained hidden but as we climbed higher we could see the mountains stretch endlessly around us. We gazed into the distant horizon towards the mountains that stretched into Sichuan letting the feeling that we were
going to be in the mountains a long long time sink in.
We continued the arduous climb reaching an altitude of just below 3400m at the pass. From here we could see the reward that waited for the road leads down to a long descent to Daju valley. It’s at Daju that the Yangtze River eases down after crashing through Tiger Leaping Gorge. The waters still flow thick and fast but it is no longer the turbulent mass of swirling froth.
While I enjoyed the steep descent I couldn’t help but worry a bit for the next day’s climb for Daju lies at 1600m and all the effort of the climb seems undermined when you have to do it all over again. Cloistered in by high ranging mountains the air in Daju lies thick and heavy. If not for the stifling heat all the more difficult to bear after chilling mountain breeze, Daju is a pleasant place to stay. Houses are built far apart and there’s a relaxing languid atmosphere made all the more welcoming as the place hasn’t tried to appeal to tourists and remains an authentic Naxi village. I could have stayed another day if not
for a mosquito invasion that kept us tossing all night. Our ticking visas and the fact that we’d just started cycled again made us drag ourselves to find the ferries to cross the river and back to our road.
We took the old ferry for the sheer antiquity of it but found there is hardly what you can call a path down the steep scree slope that leads to the river. One small misstep could send us tumbling down to the swift currents from where there is little chance of being saved for apart from the boatmen there isn’t a soul around. Our bikes were rather cumbersome on the slope and we made slow trepid steps occasionally making double trips to carry our bikes and baggage. Navigating the river is a tricky affair and so the price of safe crossing rather stiff. 50Y saw us across payment collected once we were deposited on the opposite bank. The path wasn’t better and we spent close to an hour with many breath catching breaks hauling our bike up the slippery slope.
Once on a cycle-able road we saw why the new ferry might have been a better option. Though more
expensive there is a sealed road right up to the huge barge capable of ferrying vehicles as well. But we were happy to take the old boats that’re being slowly put out of business by the new barge. From Daju the road climbs again up to a few hundred meters above 3000m. Though slow and painful the ascent is on winding switchbacks that allow for many scenery gaping breaks. 36 km and we had descended to the little village of Haba. The weather didn’t hold and our Chinese cycling ponchos came in handy as we cycled through heavy rain. Haba is the starting point for the trek up to the 5500m summit of Haba peak, attainable for the reasonably fit. There are a few cosy guest houses for trekkers and we chose to spend the night there as the rain fell thicker the later the evening grew. Once more we were robbed of the chance to glimpse the peaks of the area.
After Haba the road climbs and dips through the village of Baishuitai 30 km from Haba which is the last place to find places to eat and stay till after the last pass to Zhongdian. We had
a long climb and down again to the village of Annan where the steepest road so far awaited us. We’d hope to find accommodation from the rain in Annan but there was nothing there except for a few shops. Stuffing ourselves with instant noodles we decided we’d continue the knackering climb and hope for a reasonable camping place. We weren’t lucky. After cycling for more than 12 km without finding a single flat and decent enough place to camp, we finally stopped at a forest guard lodge and asked if we could camp on their lawns. They refused, offering us a room instead. Once more the kindness and hospitality of the Chinese came to our rescue. So we spent a warm dry night and shared breakfast with them the next day. While their kindness really impressed us I had to note it didn’t seem to extend to their animals - a skinny dog chained to a leash in the rain and a caged baby monkey that looked quite miserable. I guess it’s easier to have a bleeding heart when used to a cushy comfortable life.
After bidding our thanks and farewell we continued the climb again. The forest guards
told us we had less than 15 kilometers left before we reached the pass. It felt longer but it was about right. By now I was aching to reach Zhongdian and relief sank in heavy when we finally saw the pass ahead of us. Locals nearby confirmed it was downhill and flat all the way to Zhongdian after that. The pass lay at 3700m from where we zoomed downhill ecstatic to be shifting out of 1st gear after a long time. The long descent was followed by a long fat road along the valley, a few small climbs and we were in the outskirts of Zhongdian.
It was Chinese propraganda to boost tourism in the area that made them rename the place as Shangri-La. The ploy worked and tourists came flocking in. There is a really nice ancient town built for travellers for not for it the city itself is a rather dusty ugly outpost. We met one of Zhongdian's oldest expat who gave us a lowdown on how much the town had been spruced up for travellers after being renamed Shangri-La. Kevin Skalsky moved with his family to teach in local Tibetan schools around ten years ago. That
time Zhongdian was still a crusty Tibetan outpost with little to see. Restoration work of old buildings and paving the streets of what is now a very plesant old town began in 2003. "very few old buildings remain in the old town" Kevin informed us. Many have been rebuilt in the old fashion to appeal to travellers. The result itself is rather nice and no one is complaining as locals still have a stake in the change and unlike Lijiang Old Town it is still affordable to kick back and relax without the fear of being overcharged for everything. Though Dali still remains my favourtite old town.
Kevin and family, aided by his three sturdy boys now run Tutle Mountain Gear (www.turtlemountaingear.com) and offer tours around the area. We spent a nice afternoon at their place discussing the best possible route to head towards Sichuan. A rather grim display in their shop reminded us of the few perils cyclo-tourist face. In 2003 an american cyclist had been hit by a drunk driver in his SUV. The driver crahed into the cyclist crushing the front wheel and fork of the bicyle and breaking the femur and hip bone and a
few assorted bones of the cyclist before careening off the road and killing a tibetan child. The cyclist spent close to six months recuperating, and we were informed, bought an new bike and continued his tour of the world. The bicycle now hangs from the garage walls of Turtle Mountain Gear among the many relics of adventure and travel that adorn the walls.
Two days of lounging are were are on a race again, to reach Khanding in time for Cedric's visa extension.
The road will lead us onto neighboring province of Sichuan where severe mountain ranges overflow from the wild heights of Tibet and the landscape changes as dramatically as the people who inhabit them. We will follow the the northern road through Sichuan which will take us through lofty barren heights, narrow gorges, alpine forests, yak dotted grasslands and free ranging nomads. A road that offers a glimpse of remote highland life - for this road lies just a little East of Tibet.
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josh
non-member comment
f**ing toll gate..
I had the same argument with them at the toll gate... after an hour or so they let me through for 80 also... you forgot i told you how to get around! Apparently after 6 you can get through as the workers are off at that time, or you can do some off-roading starting way before the gate... I agree... that "park" is a travesty!