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Published: March 22nd 2008
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Day two in Shangri-la and having slept soundly not to mention warmly it was time to head out exploring. My first stop was Napa Lake (Napa Hai) a decent hours ride out of the city. It was without doubt well worth it, in fact I would go as far as to say it was my best experience of the trip so far.
Having the bike was great as it really gives you the freedom to fully explore the area. I basically just kept riding, heading for the mountains. The scenery was absolutely stunning. I like to think I'm the kind of person who calls something the way they see it. It takes a lot to impress me but this quite literally took my breath away. The lake actually dries up in the summer months and fortunately for me I caught the last few months where there is a rich array of wildlife still on view, so much so I can't even begin to make a list of it all. I was able to simply wander out into what would normally be the middle of the lake and witness all of this. The snow capped mountains rose majestically behind the remaining
Ganden Sumtseiling Gompa
water creating a mirror image on the lake, there really aren't any words to describe it, you had to be there. Apart from a couple of local farmers there wasn't a soul to be seen. This was tranquillity. I sat there for about an hour just taking it all in. Having lived in the hustle and bustle of the city for so long I was truly thankful to be able to experience this complete and utter solitude.
I rode my bike back along the road and every so often I'd pass some locals and we exchanged waves. One boy even turned his bike around and we cycled side by side for ten minutes or so.
Instead of heading back to Shangri-la via the main road I swung off down a small dirt track which lead to a small Tibetan village. People once again seemed genuinely pleased and surprised to see me. Despite the fact we couldn't communicate with each other through the use of words, smiles, handshakes and body language were enough to get our messages across. It was one of those genuine heart-warming experiences which are all too rare in daily life. This is a harsh existence that people live out here and once again it made me realise the relatively easy life I have and so often take for granted.
I really put the mountain bike to the test as I went cross country through the fields and past some bewildered looking Yaks to Ganden Sumtseling Gompa Temple (Songzanlin Si) It is according to the guide book one of the most prominent temples in South West China. I don't know a lot about Buddhism and certainly not enough to make any deep and meaningful comments about it. What I will say is this though, it was a fascinating sight to see the monks going about their daily business. Furthermore the intricate and elaborate details of the temples is quite astounding. Add to this the strange yet mesmerising sound of the monks chanting prayers and it certainly made for an intoxicating mix.
I returned back to Shangri-la as you can imagine pretty exhausted from my day of sightseeing.
I shall certainly be sad to leaving this place but if anything it's made me want to come back again and explore not only this region further but also that of Tibet too.
There are a couple of other points worth noting about Shangri-la. The first is the fantastic spectacle of the dancing that takes place every evening. If I've learnt one thing about Yunnan it's that the people here love to dance and sing. I saw it in Lijiang but that seemed as if it was more laid on for the tourists. This on the other hand seemed far more real, people were actually doing it because this is what they usually do. Those dancing ranged from the very young to the very old. The dancing looked pretty easy as I watched so much so that after a few minutes I decided to take the plunge and join in. It was at this point that I realised that I'm no dancer and having made a fool of myself I decided it was best left it to the locals and experts.
The other rather strange sight I saw whilst here was the sight of three monks getting into a red sports car, whilst a fourth chatted happily away on his mobile phone! A sign of the times I guess.
Well that it for Shangri-la, south next to Qiaotou and the start of the Tiger Leaping Gorge.
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