Labrang Hotel (Labuleng binguan) Xiahe

I headed back to shanghai to meet up with Lio and start our adventure. Our first stop was Xiahe in Gansu. Gansu sits north of Tibet. Starting from the east coast of Shanghai required our first of a series of long train journeys for us to reach the North West province of Gansu. We passed through two time zones, although time zones are not recognised in China and each province, officially, functions to Beijing time.

Xiahe is home to the Labrang Monastery. This is the most ...

Another **** night sleep. Think I am turning in to Margaret Thatcher, surviving on 5 hours a night. We spent the evening going through Lizzie's terribly packed backpack, which contains almost everything one could ever want in a year's trip, such as fake tan, a FULL SIZE body brush, 500 bikinis and 4pairs of shoes. We threw quite a lot away and lightened the load, despite her reluctance, so now she won't have to have physio when she gets back home.

We intended to ...

... 1504;קרא לאברא 04;ג ובו גרים 1200 נזירי 01;, זו גם הסיבה שהסינ 97;ם מפחדי 01; מהפיכ 93;ת והעיר רוויה בשו ...

els llocs humans, per mes extraordinaris que semblin, si se ls hi dona una mica de temps, tenen una capacitat proporcionalment extraordinaria de normalitzar se, perque tard o d hora, sempre, la gent comenssa a fer pix i a fer caca, i a somriure, i a fer ganyotes d incomprensio o de patiment, i a tenir les sabates gastades, una cama ranca o un ull borni. Recent abandonada l escriptura arabica, incorporem la tibetana, al costat de la xina, al bus ...

... wheels. Xiahe is at 3000m above sea level and you can climb the local mountains to about 3300m for views across the valley, into Qinhai province and over the labyrinth of temples and houses. Getting to Xiahe was once again not so easy, 16 hours of transport, not to mention the connections, negotiating the bus price and refusing insurance (an old scam). Staying here was an experience too, the freezing nights with no heating ...

... a very small city by Chinese standards. It is in a valley which is surrounded by hills and tall mountains. But even thought they are close, you can't really see them because it is so polluted and the sky is so hazy. Apparently there is a blue sky 7 or 8 times in a year. There is a really manky river that runs through the city. It is green and slimey looking (but people still go fishing!) The place is incredibly dusty. I ...

... pour l occasion. Je l avais rencontre au Laos sur la route de la plaine des jarres et c est lui qui m avait conseille cette route dans le tibet sichuanais. On a visite ensenble le monastere de Labrang pendant deux jours et puis discute autour de bieres le soir. Ce fut un moment bien sympa et relax, que ces deux jours a Xiahe en compagnie d un ami tout en attendant mon depart pour Lhasa...

Hey Hey and a Big G'Day toya da da da da Da The Lama Factory! And what a huge Lama Factory it is! Labuleng Si (Labrang Monastery) is bloody huge mate! Built in 1709 blaa blaa blaa, read the LP for the rest. Dunno how ...

Hey Hey Hey, Langmusi isn't such a bad town after all. I woke feeling just awesome, neck was still sore but 'Forest Had Run Away' and breakfast was on it's way. We headed down to 'Eli's Cafe' which had a pretty yummy menu if I may say so. If you come to Langmusi, forget about Lesha's Cafe as it was and is usually full of Israeli tour ...

... of warm clothing we decided to abandon the mountains and head back to Lanzhou on the bus. The snow the day after was even worse and at first the bus refused to start but eventually they got it going and we set off. We only made it about a mile up the road though before it broke down and we limped back to a garage for some repairs. Luckily we got to spend some of the 3hours waiting for it to be fixed ...