Shangri-la : Part 6 - From Daocheng to Yading

24 Oct 2012 : We were ready to hit the road by 830am. The driver explained to us that he had sent his van for repair the night before. Well, we hope from today onwards, there will be no walking needed. And the vehicle will not stalled. Today, we are headed to Yading, the place nicknamed Shangri-la. The place which I believe deserve to be named Shangri-la, instead of Zhongdian. The estimated distance from Daocheng to Yading is 110km.

Since we had lots of time to spare to get to Yading, we drove a bit around Daocheng. I had looked on the Internet, and there were not much things to see in Daocheng. It is just a town. But there was a huge stupa before entering the town. So, we went there for a while. There were Tibetans performing the kora around the stupa. Also, there were renovation works going on.

I saw a motorcycle that has cool gloves attached to the handle. So that the rider's hands will not freeze.

Back on the road we go. The driver was looking for a petrol station, but there was none because it was either there was no electricity in the station or there was no diesel.

So, we told the driver to leave us in the town while he went looking for diesel. We wanted to stock up for our journey. Our biscuits were depleting. Haha! For the one hour we were there, we ate steamed buns, bribed kids with sweets to snap photos with us, bought biscuits and basked under the sun.

The steamed buns had pork and vegetables. It looks steaming hot, but we just pop them in the mouth because our mouth was cold. We did not feel the heat from the buns! Haha! 

Back on the road, we saw a nice view that is worth stopping for. We were still in Daocheng area. 

Midway through the journey, we saw a perfect blend of colours - red, yellow, green and blue.

We reached the town of Yading and it was time for lunch. I was very excited and expected to see some exceptional views. But I thought this is just the initial part of Yading. So, it will still be early to see any gorgeous views. 

The limited menu and its prices.

I was fascinated by the kettle, and was curious how did we have tea leaves coming out from the kettle. So, I opened the top, and found the answer.

The only dish in lunch I am going to put here is this plate of spare ribs. Because I am going to show you how to wash the oiliness off this dish. My friend dipped the potato in this dish in her bowl of soup. Of course, we had soup. It is our 'must-have' dish. Her bowl of soup has turned even more oily.

So, 5 dishes of (1) fungus and pork (2) stir-fried vegetables (3) mushroom and vegetables (4) soup with tomato and egg (5) spare ribs, including 7 bowls of rice and the kettle of tea came to about RMB181.

After lunch, we drove on towards Yading. Here, we stopped to buy tickets to enter into Yading Nature Reserve. The ticket costs RMB150. We drove inside Yading, and there was a booth to check tickets.

Inside Yading, the scenery was gorgeous. Below, we saw Ren Village. I was amazed by what I saw as we keep moving along.

We drove on and saw another spot that has the background of yellow pine trees.

Driving further down, we saw snow-capped mountains. There was a wooden stage, which I thought will be able to get a better view of the snow-capped mountains. The stage was draped with lots of prayer flags and we had to walk under the flags, or pull the flags aside. It was a bit of a tangle. But the view from the wooden stage was the same as below, except that there were prayer flags.

About 4pm, we reached our Hotel in Yading (4100m above sea level). We even got a banner welcoming us.

This is the view opposite the hotel. The pasture. The yellow pine trees. The horses. The snow-capped mountains. The Tibetan-inspired building. One word - Magnificent.

We checked in, and was told that there was no electricity. Since our rooms did not have windows, we had to use candles. Thankfully, the electrical circuit for the lights and the television were independent of each other. So, we get some lights from the televisions. We placed the candles in the bathroom. But we were warned that lighting the candles is at our own risk because the hotel is made of wood. Wow. At night, about 8pm, there were shouts from the hallway from the receptionist to blow off the candles.

After settling our things in the room, we were out to snap photos! I was so happy to be there. Yading truly a Shangri-la, and I have not even stepped onto the Nature Reserve. 

This lone horse was seen grazing on the pasture. Then, another horse came to graze together. But the initial horse head-butt the second horse away. *get away from my space*

We snapped photos on some piled up rocks. It was a bit unstable as I stood on them. 

Satisfied with our various photo shots, we went back to the Hotel, walking up the make-shift ladder.

My friend was intrigued by a washing machine outside the hotel.

Little kids were entertaining the request of the photographs to mess around.

We had dinner at a restaurant opposite the Hotel which is under the same owner. Dinner time - 6.30pm because if it's later, it will be cold. The dining area of the restaurant was empty and cold. 

For dinner, we had 3 dishes but the bill came to about RMB146. It is understood, though, as it is not easy to carry the provisions to the mountains.

The final view of the pasture for the day. It was 6.45pm.

No bathing that night too. Change of clothes, and snuggled under the covers. That night, it was warm. Amazing. A windowless room is a good thing.

I did not experienced high altitude sickness anymore. Thank you, Universe.