From Mordor to Rivendell
Trip Start
May 17, 2007
1
15
37
Trip End
Jun 30, 2007
Dege,
China
Sunday, May 27, 2007
Pls ref to pix there. I'll move them another time]]
From tiny Manigango, we travelled towards Dege today, driving about 4 hours on VERY scary roads.
But first, we stopped at Yihun Lhatso, a beautiful beautiful glacial lake.
The pristine alpine environment was utterly breathtaking.... It feels like New Zealand, seriously.
It was so clean, so unspoilt, that it doesn't feel like China, with the notorious spitting and littering.
We were later told that this lake is considered holy, and thus i guess people kinda show a bit more respect.
There, all 4 of us took time to wander around.
I even managed to lie down on the huge rocks and get a tan!! whahahahah
Tanning in Tibet at 4,600m!!! Fantastic or what?!
(Actually, it's not too fantastic. Cos I wore my sunglasses and lay in the sun.
Now... i look like a , i.e.: PANDA)
I was soon startled by some weasley looking Chinese man yelling at me.
It wasn't very nice to have my quiet tanning session abruptly cut short, so I ignored him.
But he continued yelling.
Turns out, he invited Rob and Nimrod to join his group of friends for a picnic.
Fine, but.... he was just plain rude.
And he started hitting on me. Pfffffft......
Oh, i haven't mentioned this before, but many people do think i'm the Chinese tour guide / translator.
But in Manigango, Rob was mistaken to be my "American husband".
well, but if it helps us get more reasonable prices than the quoted touristy ones!
Case in point: When we rolled into this town, Dege, the people at the inn refused to let us get the cheapie dorms (20yuan), and insisted we take the tourist hotel rooms instead (398yuan).
I have strayed too far from my subject title:
The road from Yihun Lhatso to Dege was REALLLLLY freaky.
The tiny dirty path was winding up the side of the huge mountains, with rockfalls being a common occurance.
We also saw debris from past accidents along the way.
It did occur to me that we could just tip over the side and plunge to our deaths.
But you know, the next thought that came immediately was, "My, what a glorious way to die!".
Seriously. I would much rather plunge off the side of a 5,000m cliff and go spectacularly than any other lame way ("Felicia got hit by the MRT while texting at the train station" pffffft)
However, after about 2hours of that gut-churning ride, full of craggy peaks, scary sharp rocks and just red dirt, we started to descend into a beautiful valley flanked by pine trees.
The pines lightly scented the air while a lively creek ran alongside the road.
Tibetan-style log cabins dotted the landscape, as did yaks/horses/sheep.
The air suddenly felt much more inviting, buoyant with life and oxygen.
We felt... revitalised.
On and on we rumbled, passing through deep stone ravines as the sun disappeared overhead.
It was truly like entering Rivendell.
Got a nice hotel room for 60yuan a night with ensuite shower (freezing cold water!) and bathroom.
It feels damn good to be able to shower in like... 5days.
What I also like very much are the mountains and river that I can see from my room.
Very soothing indeed, the sound of running water.
So yeah, that was my day.
I'm in a very dodgy internet cafe now, with lots of signs prohibiting drug use.
Can't wait to get out of here.
It's Daddy's birthday today and I called back, and tomorrow's Rob's birthday.
We've got 2 bottles of Polish vodka and are probably gonna get orange juice / Red Bull / Sprite etc to celebrate. hehe
Nimrod's gonna leave us in the next day or so, cos he's heading down to Chengdu while the rest of us make it back to Xining.
I'm gonna take the train into Lhasa, if all goes well.
Considering my upcoming job, I don't really wanna get caught without a permit and need to seek consular assistance to free me.
Met a Swedish guy at the hotel, and he's considering taking Nimrod's place on our jeep, since he's going to Xining too.
Works for Amnesty International and some other NGOs.
You know, if people can survive and thrive like that, I think I can too.
This trip has really made me think of life in a very different light.
I think after working for a while to pay off all my loans/debts and maybe get sponsored to do my Masters in International Relations, or I may just give up everything and travel.
Maybe then, my dream of being a travel writer will come true....
- Feli "Mrs America" Wong
Comments
suntan @ 4,600m
that's sooooooo cool! but suntan without bikinis and sunblock -- that sounds like something sammi the samster would do. *gasp* the only feli the wong thing has to be the danger. as in dangerous mountain ride, dangerous chi-ko-pek picnickers in tibet... sigh. suddenly, i feel like going to tibet too!!!!!
you know, it's not so easy to travel alone after marriage. for me at least. one time i went to new york after 911 and he was watching some news report and got worried. next thing i knew, he wrangled an SQ ticket n was on his way to join me. personal bodyguard. however, he HATED the entire new york trip. ugh!!!!!! (travel alone better, i also say)
lotsa love - kjj
Mrs American Wong
Hmm... faking marriage? Seems to me that Marie's prediction is coming true! Feli marrys in Tibet, gives up job in SG to herd yaks and pluck cordyceps :)
suntan in tibet
in response to ms koh's entry, i admit i dont tan using sunblock but i at least wore a bikini. hmph.. but yes, sun tanning in tibet sounds cool! any aragon looking guys around? any ga-ga-ga men in tibet? *LOL*
Re: suntan @ 4,600m
hehe the sun was strong, but not enough to burn me (yet).
anyway i brought the super duper extreme SPF 130 jap sunblock with me, so i'm goooood.
Ms Koh, being loved is a privilege!
If i get flung off a cliff, no special man is gonna get an SQ ticket to fly here lor.
Re: Mrs American Wong
LOL
Americans don't pluck cordyceps lor!!
Re: suntan in tibet
i don't like Tibetan men hor..... and yah, they're probably quite 'ga ga ga', judging from the way they whip the yaks.
Sammi, do you like whips? ;)
Re: Re: Mrs American Wong
You can train them one leh! Share some best practices.. you've forgotten what winter sandwich taught you! *grasp in horrow*