Day 5: Feilaisi

We woke up early today to have breakfast with Jing jing.

He will be going to Putatcho National Park (普达措) today while we will depart for Feilaisi (飞来寺). We bade each other farewell and we departed. We travelled along National Highway 214 which is about 3000km long, ending at Lhasa.

(photos courtesy of master chin)

Nice weather and nice scenery. On our way, we passed by a ski resort which is only open in winter. According to the driver, not much biz as people seldom come to Yunnan for skiing. They prolly go to Harbin. The roads are pretty winding and the mountains are tall. Very typical rugged Yunnan landscape. Before we reached Benzilan, we cross the LanChangJiang (澜沧江) to continue our journey. The branch to the right will go to Yading（亚丁）, Daocheng（稻城）of Sichuan.

We reached the middle town Beizilan (奔子栏) for lunch at about 11am. Another group of Chinese youngsters also came to the same restaurant. We have to wait for awhile for our dishes to be served. I didn’t know that I will become friends to some of these people that I didn’t even say hi to today.

We continue after journey after resting at Benzilan. This two-row-shophouses town used to be the last logistic refilling point before the horses continue onwards to Tibet as beyond Benzilan, they will not be anymore towns until the horses cross the mountain pass. The highway is now paved thanks to the influx of tourism. It used to be unpassable in rainny summer as landslides and falling rocks often forced the highway to a close.






We saw some road building teams busy resurfacing the road along the way. Not long after lunch, we came to Crescent Moon Meander (月亮湾) along JingshaJiang (金沙江).




As we travel on, not much houses seen. The air got thinner as we winded up to the mountain pass. We came across Baimang Snow Mountain (白茫雪山) as we crossed the mountain pass (垭口) at 4292m. Photo credits: courtesy of master chin and Chuen Yee.





I couldn’t find any toilet after Benzilan and have to do my small biz in the open. Stupid Chuen Yee took photo of me pissing, so bad!

After we took photos at the mountain pass, the next thing I knew was I knocked out. completely. Drizzle and food and the lack of oxygen had driven me to sleep. I found out from the other people later that it is actually kinda dangerous to sleep near mountain pass cos you might not wake up at all. Phew. I was awakened when we reach Yingbingtai (迎宾台). Yingbingtai is a platform for taking the picture of the beloved Meili Snow Mountain (梅里雪山) but sigh….the rain and the clouds blocked the view. So we just came down and took some crappy shots and continue on. I got an sms from JingJing saying that it was raining at Putatcho National Park so he got no luck today as well. He was heading back to Lijiang tonight and will be going back Hangzhou tomorrow.

We passed by the town Deqin (德钦) before going on a bit further to Feilaisi. There was a major road upgrading at Deqin so the whole town was jammed. Steam rollers + trailers + trucks + buses + vans + dusts + muds + rain + noise can make one go crazy. We left the warzone-like Deqin and rushed on to Feilaisi, managed to reach the hotel by 4pm. The road construction team has damaged the fiber optic cable – no TV tonight – we were told by the inn lady. By the way, both the restaurant/inn at Benzilan and this inn that we were staying are all owned by ladies – beautiful but married-with-kids Tibetan ladies.

We checked into our room – not bad – bed come with heater coil. Hot water will only be available after 7pm so we cant wash up. Neither could we watch TV. Yin Huan and I went out to see Meili Snow Mountain in drizzle while Chuen Yee did what he normally do best – Zzz. The rain and the cloud completely sheltered the mountain view. The government is now building a viewing platform for viewing the snow mountain, very soon they might collect entrance tix the local said.

Yin Huan and I decided to pay pilgrimage to the Migatory Bird Café (候鸟).

(photos courtesy of master chin)

It is a wooden café house, used to be the only gathering corner for all Meili lovers. Now the other café has snatched away most of the biz and we ended up as the only two customers around. We ordered two hot drinks and waited for Meili to show its face. We managed to catch some glimpses of it but the clouds again cover its face completely before long. The drizzle dampened all ur spirits haiz. We flipped through the photo albums and magazines available in the café. Meili photos taken by others were so beautiful. We didn’t come at the right time I supposed. Many people leave notes and thumb-tacked it to the window and mentioned that they could/couldnt see the snow mountain. How I wish I am one of those who could.


In Migatory Bird we met a guy that we saw in Benzilan this morning. He asked us whether we came from Guangzhou and the conversation began from there. He is an undergrad studying Spanish in Nanjing. We chatted with him and coincidentally, we are all heading to Yubeng Village (雨崩) tomorrow.

We stayed in the cafe till about 730pm, and left. Saw the competitor of Migatory Bird – Meili Wangshi (梅里往事) doing documentary screening tonight at 9pm – The disaster happened in Kawakarpo in 1991 (this is Meili’s real name known to the local Tibetans, they affectionately call it Ane Kawakarpo, which means Kawakarpo the dear granny). I have decided to come here tonight to see the documentary to learn about how the hiking team of China and Japan met their disaster while ascending the peak of Meili.

We couldn’t find the driver. Apparently he has gone out for dinner with his fellow driver friends. After our dinner, Chuen Yee and Yin Huan decided to stay put while I went to the Meili Wangshi alone to watch the documentary alone. Many people started to gather around the TV even before screening started. I ordered a glass of hot choc and anxiously waited. The PRCs as usual made hell lotsa noise and chatting noisily before the screening. Some even started smoking in the café – oh no! Luckily once the show started they kept quiet and I can hear the narration. The China guy that I met in the Migratory Bird came as well. No TV for all hotels there due to the damaged fiber optic created more viewership than usual.

The China National Hiking Team has arranged with Kyoto University Hiking Team to conquered Kawakarpo in 1991. Their mission failed when they were nearing the peak due to snow avalanche. 17 people were buried by that fateful avalanche. The Tibet Hiking Team came for the rescue the fastest speed they could upon hearing the bad news but couldn’t do much (They managed to reach Yubeng in 2 days via Highway 214, almost impossible). The bodies and remains of the team members were only found in 1998, discovered by the locals in glacier. The locals believed that Kawakarpo is sacred and shouldn’t be conquered. They were very upset when the hiking teams were going up and hence prayed that Kawakarpo stopped them. Kawakarpo did stop them, but it ended up as a tragedy.

In 1994, the same organizations planned to send another team up again before the 5-year memorandum timeline is up. This time the Tibetans marched forward and blocked the hiking teams at the road bridge by sitting on it, demanding the hiking team to retreat. In the end the hiking team promised not to ascend till the peak. The Tibetans reluctantly let them went ahead with the mission. When the team is nearing the peak, they got news from the weather stations - a rain cloud was heading towards them. The team rushed down to base camp within 1 day, exhausted themselves entirely, only to learn the next day that the cloud has drifted elsewhere. Another unsuccessful second attempt. This time they were defeated by themselves. The local government banned the hiking in 2003 altogether citing religious and cultural sensitivity.

Once the show finished I headed back to inn in pitch dark. It still drizzle. Look forward to tomorrow morning sunrise.

Day 4: Shika Snow Mountain

Some photos published in this page are courtesy of master chin and Chuen Yee

We woke up early and had breakfast in the restaurant

recommended by the driver. Didnt have a good sleep last night. Toss and turn and cant sleep well. Later then we discovered it was Mountain Sickness actually. I tried the butter tea (酥油茶) and found it salty.

We set off for Shi Ka Snow Mountain. Along the way we saw the frames for drying Chingke, plant that be used to make flour and all kind of delicacies, even wine. Satellite images of these frames caused some countries to mistake them as rocket launchers.

Bought the cable car tix and there we are, started the ascend. I must say the little village near the midway stop looked very much like the real Shangrila. We spent sometime there, snapping photos of galloping horses, pigs, and all.








Then we took the cable car up the second leg to the peak. We still have to climb some stairs up to see the scenery around. Strong wind and thin air make every step a tough step ahead. In good clear weather you can see many snow mountains from here but now...we only see clouds. The Tibetans have put the bodies of the ancestors in the holes on the faces of the mountain. Beautiful tibetan flags adorned the mountain. We didnt have time to trek down and visit the lake. In order to do that we must leave the peak by 11am and trek 5 hours down before it get dark. So we took the cable car down and went off for lunch.

Shangrila Town as seen from the top of Shika Snow Mountain.

The driver brought us to try the Mixian (米线) in the Shangrila town. It was so yummy that i craved for more. The colourful ingredients are pleasing to the eyes to start with. The tasty meat made the mixian totally irresistable. If they ever sell it in Singapore, all the bowls will be snapped up in no time.

After lunch, driver sent us to the ancient town for some walk.



We got down and Yinhuan went to shop for his shoes, which are already giving way. We wanted to find some dessert shop to rest our legs but couldnt find anything decent. Just when we prepare to go back to driver, we came across an inn, The Compass, whithout any chinese characters on them. Rather unusual in this part of the world. I walked in and asked for menu. Not as expensive as I thought. We made ourselves comfortable in the sofa, flipped some magazine. A lady sitting at another table with a baby in her hand, made a head turn and ask: Are you guy from Singapore? We looked at her in awe and nodded. She then went on to say, the owner of his place, her husband, is from Singapore too! That really caught us by surprise. The lady went to call her husband in and wow we had good 3-hour chat with him! Joe is a very friendly chap. He told us his wife came from Sikkim and they wanted to start something in Lijiang but couldnt find a less touristy spot so decided to venture northward and found this lovely paradise. A exquisite inn consists of 4 townhouse. Very unique in this part of the world. Told us so many interesting tales that got us glued to our seats till 6pm that day. There was a boy who tried to escape NS and came to Shangrila for 6 months till he fell down and broken his neck. The local Police Chief called Joe up and asked him to be the translator. After some comforting and questioning, Singapore MFA sent down a helicopter at the airport to ferry him back to Singapore at once. What a story!! He has grown close to the Police Chief since then. Joe has also helped arrange for community service work for schools like River valley, ACS and also help organised team building events for companies that flew in. He even recount to us 4WD trek right into Lhasa where camping in open desert is a must-have experience. So much so much stories from his. Do pay him a visit if you happened to go to Shangrila.

We went back to the same restaurant for dinner. Called beer again. Cant resist 5rmb beer in China - dirt cheap. Last night jing jing will be with us. We brought fruits and as usual, they sent me to get a knife from the hotel to peel off the skin of fruits. We watched Die Hard 2 that night. Another sleepless night abound.

Day 3: Tiger Leaping Gorge and Shangrila

Some photos posted on this page are courtesy of master chin and Chuen Yee

Drizzled throughout the night into the morning.


The 3 of us went to the market and bought water proofing gear (which really put into good use later) and breakfast. The chinese are really smart. The soy bean drink is all in packets, with sugar already added. So we tapao the youtiao and soy bean drinks back.

The driver was already sitting in the courtyard when we reached the Inn. We took our breakfast quickly and do a last minute pack up. Then we say bye to the inn lady and walked to the car. The Inn lady told us that the trip to Tiger Leaping Gorge （虎跳峡） for their guests have already been cancelled. My heart sank on hearing that news. The rain is going to ruin our plan?? No way!!

We started our journey at about 9am. Surprisingly a short distance out of Lijiang, there is no more rain. Cloudy sky yes, no rain. Phew. In view of Jing Jing's leg condition, we decided to choose the Lijiang route to go into Tiger Leaping Gorge which is flatter. The Shangrila trek requires some ascending and descending on narow trek across the ChangJiang, prolly not a good idea today.

The first spot we stopped for taking photograph is the temple that can over see Chang Jiang from high ground. I paid for the most expensive toilet there - 1RMB/entry. Shortly after we came to a traffic jam. According to the driver, some cars plunged into the river early in the morning. We never get to see the accident site, presumebly the car was towed away or it could be just some made-up stories.

We later reached the meander of Chang Jiang (金沙江第一弯) for some photo taking. It is here that Jing jing try on the Tibetan Red Flower Oilment and he claimed that it helped! The two sales assistant rub the oilment onto his feet and he felt the warm. 200 rmb for 2 bottles - he bought it - one for his mum - filial son indeed.

We reached a restaurant just before the Tiger Leaping Gorge for lunch. So full of people. The Hong Kong family that stayed in the same inn as us are there too! We said hi to each other. They were noisy as usual just like how they were in the Inn =) The biz is so good that we have to wait for a long time before we get served. Hungry. Pricey.

The Tiger Leaping Gorge trek on the Shangrila side is high up perched to the cliff. The road is so narrow that they restrict the number of buses that can go in at any one time, the rest wait at the holding terminal. We saw quite a number of buses waiting. No such restriction in the Lijiang side. We drove right through and 15 minutes later we are at the entrance. Bought the tix and walked in. Just when i happily walked on, the driver called me and ask me bring umbrella. I answered no need, no rain. He said you never know on the way out. That umbrella saved me. Drizzle started to come on our way out.

JingJing took the trishaw with Yinhuan into the gorge and whizzed past us. Chuen Yee and I walked. There are park rangers along the way who will warned us againt falling rocks and hurried us past some "hot spots". The trek is wide and flat, in comparison, the shangrila trek on the other side of the river bank is so high up that buses seemed like toys. The river flow was not realli that fast. We walked for about an hour, passed some interesting water falls and took photos. The water of the waterfalls is crystal clear, green turqoise in colour. It will mix with the brown colour of ChangJiang river at the confluence, such a lively mix. Certain sections of the trek has lost to the ground below. Tunnels are then built for these dangerous sections.

We reached the Tiger Leaping Gorge finally. There is a huge rock in the middle of ChangJiang and legend has it that a tiger leap from one bank to the opposite using the rock. The torrent at this constriction is furious. I bet it is about the same tenacity as the Taiwan flood. Water from the upstream hurried past the rock and created thunderous splashes 2-3 meter high. The sound is so loud that we can hardly hear each other. I took a video of the torrent. The waterfall flowing into the torrent is more tranquil in comparison. Please see the video in youtube/facebook and feel the power.

On the way back, true enough, showers came. Lucky I listened to the driver and brought my umbrella. We head straight to Shangrila. On the way we stopped at some places to take photos. There is even a rainbow across a valley! Thanks to the shower.

We reached Shangrila at 6pm. Checked into our room and we went for steamboat dinner. We ordered some beers and made merry. So yum yum and so full that we didnt have room to try the roadside stall outside. The air outside is coooold. We are at 3000m altitude. Jingjing went to look for dressing kit in a pharmacy and he found it.

We were contemplating whether to go Shika Snow Mountain or Putacho National Park. We decided to go Shika snow mountain.

Watched TV shows in our own room. Almost every channel show military propaganda tv serial. Found the English channel - The General's Daughter - not bad - at least last us through the night =)