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“street food that looked like some kind of roasted rodent head” |
We left Chengdu around 9.15 in the morning and travelled by bus West on the Sichuan-Tibet highway to a town called Kangding. Once in the town, it's very clear that you are near Tibet. People are wearing colourful costumes, there is Tibetan script and prayer flags everywhere.
We arrived before four in the afternoon and our first job was to locate the Public Security Bureau offices to try to extend our visas. We found the office with help from very friendly locals, trudged up six flights of stairs and found an officer to help us. Without a word of English he intimated we needed to go to another office, wrote out an address for a taxi driver and sent us on our way. We were halfway down the stairs when he came running after us, he had obviously decided that we were too incompetent to find this place ourselves. He ran out onto the street, hailed us a taxi and told the driver where to take us. Fantastic. After such a promising start however we were to be disappointed since the office closed about three minutes before we arrived.
Pretty hungry by this point, we headed off in search of food, eschewing the street food that looked like some kind of roasted rodent head we opted for potato and cheese dumplings washed down with yak butter tea. Much like the Mongolian salty milky tea, this is definitely an acquired taste, still we must have picked it up because we demolished an entire pot by ourselves.
Once out on the town square again, it was about 7pm and we came across loads of people dancing to pop music. It appears it's a kind of communal workout and everyone seems to join in. Hilarious.
The next morning we were at the PSB office as it opened for our Visa. Incredibly, instead of the five day wait we were told about at Chengdu we could pick them up in the afternoon. Whilst we were waiting we hiked up Paoma Shan hill, which was strewn with Tibetan prayer flags. There was a gorgeous view of the valley, steep terraced mountains rearing up on all sides and snow capped peaks in the distance. However you could still hear the frantic horn blowing from the town far below. Chinese drivers aren't afraid to use their horns no matter what time it is.
Once we got back down after our walk we decided to get a long overdue haircut for Cathal. This was a bit risky because Cathal doesn't speak hairdresser at the best of times and Chinese hairdresser was beyond him. So instead of the curly, scruffy haircut he normally sports, Cathal now has a Ned Flanders (of The Simpsons fame) barnet. Lovely. The fact that it was laquered within an inch of its life was particularly attractive. Check out the photo!
We leave Kangding for Litang, which is further west towards Tibet. Next despatch from what the guide book describes as Tibet's Wild West. Can't wait.
previous travel blog entry
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