Hey Hey and a Big G'Day to you

We rose to find Melanie much too sick to travel, especially if it meant going higher. They got themselves another room so Melanie could sleep in comfort and quiet. I finished packing my bag and Debbs and I took their tickets to the bus station. Here I returned one and sold the other to a Chinese guy going my way. Debbs and I said our good byes and sadly parted. They were great Irish Gals and a heap of fun to travel with. It was a pity Melanie had fallen ill. They were planning to head downwards, maybe back to Lijiang before heading to Chengdu.

I boarded the bus and a fellow westerner followed me.

We sat together and began asking each other the usual questions. He was French and his English was terrible. My French was worse as I don't know any French so I didn't hold it against him. I spoke and I nodded and smiled in confusion as to what he was saying. Over the seven hour journey to Deqin I came to understand him a lot better as he slowed down his speech to help me. The bus journey offered some of the most awesome views and it was well worth the seven hours it took.

Just breathtaking, some of the driving and the roads were a little scary but we made it in one piece.

Upon our arrival we found rooms at the Tibetan Hotel (another, I'm sure there is a Tibetan Hotel in every town and village around here) and sat for dumplings and noodle soup with a French girl who is here in China studying 'Tea Science'. Strange but true. What tea science is I still have no idea. I understood it to be the studying of how to and where to grow tea.

The French girl and her rather cute friend had gone to the Mingyong Glacier the day before.

It's a 12km wall of ice. They said it's a good 5 to 6 hour walk (the day) and the only problem is, the only bus goes at 2:30pm and the only bus coming back is 8:30am the following morning, so you have to stay the night, OR you could hire a van for about 200 Yuan a day and they drive you there, wait for you and drive you home again.

What fun is that? I'll take my chances and stay in Mingyong.

Deqin was a great little town. It is nestled in a huge valley and surrounded by hills on three sides. I was so happy to be out of Zhongdian. I didn't think a lot of the town at all really. Maybe my visit to the Monastery dulled my senses along with the many monks begging for money on the streets. It sounds harsh but mate, if you want so spend your life in peace and harmony or what ever you do, go and get a job and pay for it yourself, don't ask me to pay for your trip to Nirvana! We spent the night walking and drinking beer at a local little family restaurant.

They continually smiled at us throughout the evening.

Beers N Noodles to you...shane