After a night of thick snow we rose early for the bus which would carry us to Kandze and then ultimately on to Yushu. Riding in a new bus, we quicly climbe from the Kangding valley and crossed the first snowy pass just before sunrise. Fresh white painted the Khampan stone houses and lined the rivers. Again we crossed large expanses of dry plateau, arriving in Kandze by sunset.
The evening light revealed fresh snow in the mountains surounding Kandze. Having traveled so far, we all agreed to that a day on the skiis was in order. Again we awoke before dawn in preparation, and by mid-morning we were driving across the beautiful valley. It was a clear day, and with our backpacks loaded, we anticipated this, our first day on Asian snow.
The driver dropped us off at the base of a long ridge, which would lead us up to the skiable terrain scoped in the previous evening. Our switch from truck to skis did not go unnoticed, and curious locals soon surrounded us. They pointed to our skis and poles with wonder, and fiddled with our boots in curiousity. Brian strapped on the tele skis and gave an excellent demonstration, to the enjoyment of us all. Anxious to get moving, we said goodbye to our awestruck companions, and headed up the ridge. The day was warm, and if felt great to be moving. While most of the day was spent in climbing, we stopped for a beautiful lunch, and then began a gradual retreat to the village below. After all we had a tea date with our new friends, and the dependability of our drivers return was in question.
The next day we pushed northward across expansive dry plains peppered with nomadic herdsman and small villages. The air became decidedly dryer, and settlements fewer. Small adobe houses, with large south facing windows, and mounds of drying yak doung flew by outside windows while I laughed with the other travelers.
Spending a quick night in a Yushu government Hotel gave us showers and another fantastic Muslim dinner. The next morning we left for Tawu Shulma via private car. Just outside the city we stopped to walk khora before beginning another full day of travel.
We passed through more arid planes, but the sky soon turned grey and our speed was slowed by icy roads and blowing snow. By sunset we had reached Madoi, where we joined a lively group of Chinese Government workers for dinner.
By 10 Pm we reached a very dark end of the road. "So if you don't need us anymore, we're going to leave now," were the skeptical departing words of our drivers, and although we knew we had reached the right place, our whereabouts were still a little in question.
-McNair
