Today, we embarked on a long yet wonderful bus ride to the town of Zhongdian, also known as the famed Shangri-La. This is what I thought rural China would look like. We entered an amazing panorama of canyons, mountains, and simply amazing landscapes. We took a brief stop to view the first bend of the Yangzi River, the largest and longest river in China. The initial view was only a preview to the splendor of Tiger Leaping Gorge. At Tiger Leaping Gorge, the Yangzi narrows considerably, creating some of the most spectacular views and powerful rapids I have ever seen. We hiked down a path of approximately 800 steps to behold the Yangzi and all of its glory. The sound of the water was like a continually churning freight train and we were continually getting sprayed by the water despite being about 50 feet above the riverbank. Our guide indicated that she takes tour groups on a two day hike through the cliffs around the gorge and the Yangzi. It will be on my itinerary next time.
After our hike into Tiger Leaping Gorge, we continued on our journey to our hotel in Shangri-La through some of the most spectacular scenery I have ever seen. Streams, hills, cliffs, and yaks were seen everywhere. We stopped at a roadside market and got our first taste of Tibetan culture as we were greeted by children in traditional Tibetan outfits.
After checking into our hotel, a group set out to the old town section of Shangri-La around 7:30 PM. At this time, Tibetans perform traditional dances in the town square. This is something you simply don’t see in the States as the sense of community here is incredibly powerful. From 7:30 until 9:00, there is communal singing and dancing. Anyone can join in so I demonstrated my two left feet to my new Tibetan friends. After clearly showing I was not the next incarnation of the Tibetan Fred Astaire, we did some shopping in the old town market and returned to the hotel.
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you can't have two left feet, because you can swing dance.
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