Our flight west to Chengdu was delayed last night, leaving us with about five hours between settling into our rooms and the dreaded wake up call; this led to an embarrassing moment on bus after little sleep: universal cheers to word of a Starbucks at the next hotel. Those of us that could stay awake on the subsequent morning flight to Jiuzhaigou got a breathtaking birdseye view of the Min Mountains (basically the foothills of the Himalayas). We landed at about 11,000 ft elevation. So high that water boils at 176 degrees F! The effects of the altitude hit some of us, but don't worry, moms, we bundled up, hydrated, required sun block application, and took it easy :)
We spent our first day in the Sichuan province acclimating to the altitude and exploring a couple of the local attractions. Our first stop was the lively town of Songpan. More city walls, bustling streets, vendors of all kinds (including yak meat and dog furs), and history colored our walkabout. The Sichuan region is home to about one million Tibetans who have moved one province east (half of the 6 million Tibetans in China live outside of Tibet after recent migration). A prominent monument in the center of town symbolizes bridged Tibetan-Chinese relations. Mary is still with us, but we also picked up a couple of local guides. In the back of the bus, we lured our local guide, Li Shan, into an interesting discussion about Tibetan politics. In short, he explained that they have a saying in China, "winner is king," to describe the public's willingness to follow who is in power. When pressed about the dissent led by the Dali Lama in Tibet, he would only offer, "It is complicated. I do not like talking about politics." Mary, however, believes the Hun influence is bringing great financial enhancements and improved infrastructure to Tibet and that the Western media gives a biased view.
Our other stop was to take a small hike up to the Tzaga Waterfall. It wasn't until we breathed the fresh, crisp air when we fully realized how polluted the city air has been. The waterfall was worth the stop, but we're holding out for more at the true attraction of the area...stay tuned!
Love,
All of us in China
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