Day 325 - Gemma finds a new admirer

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The day started with a 1,000 metre climb up a very windy road to a lookout point that looked out on to the Holy lake called Yamzho Yumco, meaning turquoise lake. It is an amazing view especially with the 7,000+m mountain as the back drop. At this height of 4794m we can see for miles as most of the other mountains around us are of similar height.

Our destination for today was Gyanze or Gyantse. We had to head back onto the main road as the road from the lake to the town is under construction and there is no way to get past the workers. So taking a short cut we just drive off the main road and head for the mountains that are separating us and Gyantse. We find ourselves traveling past sand dunes and very arid landscape, which reminds us of our Africa days.

The highlight of today was when we pulled off the road again and stopped to visit a Watermill. It is here that they crush the cooked barley seeds into a flour which they use as a staple of their diet, it tastes a little like, no not chicken but popcorn. The place was excellent and we had a very helpful, non English speaking, but very active gentleman show us around and how it worked. We ended the tour off by trying some of the Barley Beer, which is very fizzy but actually tastes quite good in the sun. Ed was even told he could go but he had to leave Gemma behind. We could have stayed there all afternoon and it was an excellent experience in seeing a 5th generation business in working order, even if they are drinking the profits.

Gyantse the town is not much to look at, well the new Chinese area anyway. The Old Town however is very traditional with Tibetan style houses and way of life still keeping strong.

Our afternoon/evening is spent wandering the streets of the old town, which is great as the Chinese have not touched it (yet), and playing open air pool. We also have a flaming experience at a restaurant with Sweet and Sour Chicken, though cut short by Ed’s fever and cramps coming back with a vengeance.

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