28th Oct - 飞来诗 --> 雨崩

Woke up early today to catch the sunrise!
We will really lucky to be able to catch the sight of it ! Because, there are people who stayed at 飞来诗 for many days just to catch the magnificent view of sunrise shinning on Kawagebo Peak
The Sun is finally out !

We changed our initial plan of just going 明永冰川. We decide to travel as a gang of 7 to 雨崩 first, stay 1 night there, next day will proceed to 明永冰川. Since, we have some flexibility, we decide to extend 1 more day at this beautiful place.

We found a 面包车 to fetch us to 西当热永唐. We started our trek, it is UP HILL ALL THE WAY! OMG! But somehow, this wasnt as bad as TLG first day. I dint felt so drained, tired & giddy. Maybe, its because 导游 was carrying our day pack. This time round, we decide to share a day pack, will take turn to carry it.

This time round, the negative thoughts of "why torture myself with all these trekkings?" was absence. Really felt more energised this time!

After 3.5 hrs of trekking, we break for lunch. They say we have covered 10km! The noodle for lunch was really HORRIBLE! Its bland, no taste at all! They just use water, put the noodle it, boil till the noodle cook. Pass the bowl to us, ask us to add our own soya sauce n chilli powder to make it tasty. And it cost us RMB8?! We should have opt for instant noodles instead.

Another 8 km more, will reach 雨崩! The 2nd half of the trip was really much easier! Yeah! We did it! We reached around 4 plus, earlier than we expected. We trekked for a total of 5.5 hrs. Totally exhausted!

Wonder is running a marathon as bad as this ? Or this should be worse? Since it is at a higher altitude and uphill most of the trek.

So glad that they have hot showers! Although it is super basic here, but at least we can keep ourselves clean by showering! This place reminds me alot like nepal.

This place is really beautiful ... with a snow-capped mountain just in front of us. This is the reward for all the panting, uphill that we endured.

We assigned A Hui to help us order dishes for dinner. We are famished. We just clean out all the 7 dishes and soup that we ordered! Food taste so good when you are hungry.

We also ordered 一斤 locally brewed red wine - done by the guesthouse. Its not too bad .. quite smooth, mixed with tinge of sweet and sourness. I just had a small cup.

Went back to our room to rest by 9 plus. But I just cant get to sleep! The whole night I was just tossing and turning. Haiz ... not sure why. As the floors were made of wooden plank, I could hear when anyone walked to & fro upstairs. This is my 1st night during the whole trip I cant sleep!

Next morning when I wake up, they were telling me that there were at least 3 rats (big & small) running around upstairs. One of them even encountered one in his room on him! He has to flung it out of his bed! YUCKS !

梅里雪山

梅里雪山位于德钦县东北部10公里处，处于香格里拉深处，世界闻名的金沙江、澜沧江、怒江“三江并流” 核心区。

梅里雪山属横断山脉，北连西藏阿冬格尼山，南与碧罗雪山相接，是滇藏界山。雪峰连绵，平均海拔在6000米以上的便有13座，称“太子十三峰”。座座晶莹，峰峰壮丽，各显其姿。

主峰“卡瓦格博”，海拔高度为6740米，位于东经98.6°,北纬28.4°，藏语为“雪山之神”之意，是传说中宁玛派分支伽居巴的保护神，是藏传佛教的朝觐圣地，位居藏区的八大神山之首,为云南省第一高峰。卡瓦格博峰早在30年代就被美国学者称赞为“世界最美之山”，中日登山队连续三次攀登，均未能登顶，目前仍是无人能够攀登的“处女峰”。卡瓦格博雪峰下，冰斗、冰川连绵，犹如玉龙伸延，冰雪耀眼夺目，是世界稀有的海洋性现代冰川。

在藏民的心中，卡瓦格博峰是他们保护神的居住地。当地人认为：人类一旦登上峰顶，神便会离开他们而去。缺少了神的佑护，灾难将会降临。近一个世纪以来，所有企图征服卡瓦格博的登山活动都以失败而告终。

梅里雪山共有明永，斯农，纽巴和浓松四条大冰川，其中明永冰川从海拔6740米的梅里雪山往下呈弧形一直铺展到2600米的原始森林地带，绵延11．7公里，平均宽度500米，面积为13平方公里，年融水量2．32亿立方米，每当骄阳当空雪山温度上升，冰川受热融化，成百上千巨大的冰体轰然崩塌下移，响声如雷，地震山摇，令人心惊魄动。

那清远澄净的蓝天，映衬着高洁雄奇的雪峰，卡瓦格博峰白色的锋芒直指苍宫，左右排列的各个雪峰都仿佛受其制约着，又仿佛是其麾下不可分离的一个整体。　

梅里转山分内转、外转.

内转的路线总的说不是非常辛苦，适合一般的驴友,但遇到下雨或下雪，路上很是泥泞曲折。
外转山的线路相对较长而艰苦,要绕整个梅里雪山一周，进入西藏，再回到云南，对体力有较高要求。 外转山通常需要13天，期间需要住在无人区，适合有长期户外徒步经验的资深老驴.

27th Oct - 飞来诗

Work up @ 7am !
Need to check out of the YHA, deposit our bag with them, meeting Will n Hazel at 8 am.

Bought our bus tickets at the station at RMB41. Bump into some drivers who are looking for tourists who are intending to 梅里雪. They gave us some good tips and advice.

The bus was really good, not packed with people! We can have 2 seats to ourselves. It was really a comfortable ride, just some bumpy road along the way. The scenary was great too!

Reached 飞来诗 at around 4 plus.
Our gang of 4 people, transform to 7 of us in the mere 8 hrs bus ride. We are now like a small united nation.

• Qingmei Bohemenian looking girl from Zhejiang, she is the kai xin guo of the gang !
• A Hui Serious looking guy from HK, who speak Chinese with no Cantonese accent
• "Big Moustache" the "Father" of the group
• Will n Hazel Young british couple who have travelled for 18 mths together. Amazing!
• Me n 导游 Aytpical Sporeans

L to R: Will n Hazel, Qingmei, 导游, me, 大胡子, A Hui

Our 1st mission together was to hunt for a cheap accomodation. After some tussling with a few owners, we settled with one that is RMB27 per person (with shower). The accomodations at 飞来诗 is charged in such a way; they quote you a price on the room, if you want shower, you need to pay an additional RMB10. Interesting eh? So to save money, you can always choose not to bath!

Will n Hazel shared a double room. While the rest of us shared a dorm. Although, we know each other for barely 24 hrs, we had alot of fun chit-chatting the whole night.
Qingmei and "大胡子" are just like a pair of daughter and father. The father is contstantly nagging at the daughter on what to do and not to do. The daughter will be rebuking back at the advices. Just hearing their conversations is enough to make our day!

Things like, "大胡子" will be asking Qingmei to put on sunscreen, but she will refused as it was not easy for her to get the tan she has now. He will also constantly nag at her to put on more thick clothings.

Qingmei is really a hilarious character. She told us that her dream last time was to be beggar, standing by the street begging together with her husband - she thinks that is very romantic.

The whole night was just filled with laughter.

Nights out at 10pm, so that we can all wake up in time to view the magnificent view of sunrise shinning on the Kawagebo Peak (卡瓦格博) - 6740m, which is the highest point of Meili snow mountains.

26th Oct - ZhongDian

Nothing plan for today.

Decide to sleep late. Woke up at around 9 am (ya .. thats the best I can go!), 还是把导游给吵醒!
Have decide to change our accomodation, RMB120 per night is too expensive for budget travellers like us !

They need us to return the key by 11am. Short of time, we decide to go to this 四川小吃官 which is just across the road to have breakfast. I have a 粑粑 and 导游 have noodle soup. The noodle soup was pretty good! All this for RMB4 !

Decide to check into the neat YHA we saw yesterday at the old town. Its only RMB80 for a 标间。

Took bus # 3 to 松赞林. The bus ride was pretty interesting, till the last part, it was really bumpy! We are basically jumping up and down on the bus. Even the locals looked pretty shocked to experience such bumpy rides.

The monastry is pretty grand. Was quite surprised that we didnt see many tourists around. Thought this is a tourists spot? We saved RMB15 by using our student pass ! Was pretty irritated by one of the monks in the monastry ! Once we step in to do our prayers, he pushed us some stuff to eat and drink. Thereafter, he insist that we light the oil lamp and INSIST, PERSIST that we must give RMB10 each ?! Isnt this kind of donation voluntary ? And why is a monk forcing people ! I hate it when Im forced to do things ! Ugh ! Had lunch @ 东北 饺子馆. The 饺子 is really pale in comparsion with the ones at 山东饺子馆.

Went to to read up more on 梅里雪山, since Lonely planet provided such bad information on the place.

After our discussion with Hazel and Will, we decided that we will stay 1st night @ 飞来诗 , 2nd day we will make a day trip to 明永冰川 , stay another night @ 飞来诗, before making our way back to 中甸 on the 3rd day.

Went into this big internet cafe along the busy street of It is a big cafe with many people playing LAN games, watching movies, drama serials. Shortly after we step out of the cafe, 2 guys suddenly broke out fighting just behind the place where we were sitting! They were really fierce! If we were to leave 1 min later, we will be injured too!

Went back to the same 山东饺子馆 for dinner since we have told Hazel, Will and the spanish guy that we will be there for dinner (they wanted to try out 饺子too).
Out of the blue, a gang of 4 guys and a lady came into the shop. The moment they came in, one of the guy in the group just lift up the knife that was left on the table and bang it on the table, start to yak loudly for the boss.

The other 2 patrons in the shop look kind of worried, whispering among themselves, exchanging knowingly looks. Even the boss displayed a worried look ! Luckily, we are sitting very near to the door, can just (hopefully) dash for our lives anytime!

The guy went into the kitchen 2 times. On the 2nd time, he came out looking happy, and shortly after, the gang just left the place. Phew!
This confirmed our suspicison that they came here to collect 保护费。

The boss cooked us a HUGE bowl of noodle with lots of vege! Think I have enough of noodle and
饺子 already! Super over-dosed ah !

Went back early as we need to pack our stuff for our trip to 飞来诗, hopefully this time we will be able to pack smarter eh! Have already decided that we will leave all the other items at the YHA.

25th Oct - Tiger Leaping Gorge --> Zhongdian

Arrange a transport to pick us up from Sean's place to Qiaotou. Will cost us RMB10 each, 8 of us squeezing inside a small van (面包车). Like this. Its so nice to let the "wheels do the walking"!

Reach Qiaotou @ around 10 plus. Went back to Gorge Cafe to pick up our stuff.
Cross the bridge, saw a 面包车 which state "中甸" , quickly flag it down. *we never consider whether is the bus is from some dodgy pte company - might have flag a 贼车 ! *

Reach 中甸 at around 2 plus. Took a cab to the tibetian cafe, looking for 独客中客栈. Lonely planet have recommended this place, however, the rooms are so expensive - RMB120 for a 标间. Attempt to negotiate down to RMB100, but she just refused ! Bo bian lor .... just have to settle for this one.

Walk to the old town of 中甸, very similar to 丽江, except that it is less busier. More constructions around, think the govt is trying to refurbish it to be like 丽江古城. Chanced upon this YHA, its really nice! I like this kind of accomodation - woody feeling. And the hostel is really new, finishing building in Mar'06, they are still renovating some parts of the hostel. RMB80 for a 标间! Why Lonely Planet never mentioned this lovely place ? And there are actually plenty of accomodations inside the 古城 itself! All were not mentioned in Lonely Planet !
Time for feedback ! And that will be 导游 job ! :P

While I was @ the tibetian cafe, 导游 spotted the british couple who were at Sean's place. 导游 managed to use her charm to persuade them to head towards 德庆 too ! :)

Spotted this 山东较子馆, decide to give it a try in spite of it being dirty and messy. I wont bat an eyelid if I were to spot any rats running around in their kitchen ......

Think if my mum were here, she will freak out eating at places like this ...

The 较子 was really good ! The 刀削面 was so so only, still the ones at 丽江 were better.
We shared 15 较子 and a bowl of 刀削面, all this for RMB10 !

Desperation drives creativity ?

Our 1st night @ Tiger Leaping Gorge, was desperate to find a place to hang our dirty clothes so that at least we get to wear "dry" dirty clothes instead of wet ones ?

So this is what happen .......

Trekking pole to the rescue! Balance between 2 tables

And between the bed frame
Who say Sporeans arent creative ? :P

Tiger Leaping Gorge - Photos

It is scenary like this which kept me going.

I love the mountains and clear blue skies More Photos Sporean friends we bump during our trekking - dint expect to meet Sporeans thou

Kodak moments .. *Smile*

View of nice mountains from Halfway Guesthouse, even from the common toilets! (which stink?)