Shangri-La Old Town at Night

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After the Monastery we returned back to Shangri-La old town and I set out on my own to explore the temple before the sun went down.  Music is playing and people are dancing in the square.     Turns out there is a huge temple on a hill right around the corner from myRead more

Shika Snow Mountain

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The mountain’s highest peak is 14,598 feet (4,449.5 meters) above the sea level, named for the red dear the range represents, it is regarded a s holy mountain for the local Tibetans. Geologically ,the mountains is known for having diverse microclimates along its range. From the grasslands we visited earlier through wooded hills, plateaus harboring ranches,Read more

Grasslands below Shika Snow Mountain

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Shangrila breakfastat the hotel: pork noodles, pickles, milk, rice porridge, stuffed buns and an egg.   The valley west of the city is sparsely populated and pretty flat. Primarily grassland, it is used primarily for agriculture. In spring crops of flowering plant light up the valley with color. At this time it was pretty barren.Read more

Shangrila (Zhongdian County)

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Chengdu I fly west to Chengdu, one of the hubs for heading up the Himalayas. I meet up with Jing and we grab some Chengdu food.   One of my favorites: Corn-fried Corn. It’s sweet corn, coated in a mix of a salted duck egg and corn starch, and then fried in oil. Crunchy, salty,Read more