Ganzi 2 Chendu
It was good to get back to Ganzi, one of my favourite places. Love the market town atmosphere, the friendly monks and Tibetans, the great views, the monasteries and Tibetan quarters and not the police state as elsewhere, only dislike the indifferent electricity supply. Probably deserved a lot longer but decided to take the bus next day for Chengdu. With the holidays on, not a good a good time to travel and as a good a time as any to do Sichuans main city. That night a Chendu girl at the hotel asked to join me as she wanted to return as suffering from altitude sickness. So a 6am start for a 19 hour bus ride. It was basically travelling the same roads as I came so a bit tedious and my fellow passengers a miserable lot, keeping their windows shut despite the heat and worse moaning at me when I opened mine yet happy to smoke me out. Those quiet roads were now anything but with I think every car owner in Sichuan on the roads. Before overtaking on blind bends rarely met anything but a wandering yak, now invariably a parked car with camera loving Chinese. The nomads in the grasslands put tents on the side of the roads, decorated their horses for horseriding duties and provided the city dwellers a chance to get the wild west experience, all good fun. The road from Kangding looked scenic, following thru a gorge but soon it was dark so missed out on the views.
Arrived in Chendu in the early hours but usefully the Chinese girl helped me find a place to stay. Chengdu, with its 12 million people regarded as one of Chinas most laid back cities. Spent a few hours wandering around this morning, easy enough to get around, modern and functional. But after a month in the mountains still a bit strange and “normal”, no more monks, nuns and people in colourful clothes and cowboy hats. At least none of those Tibetan dogs taking a dislike to me or even the men in blue.
Tags: Travel
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