Tiger leaping gourge

Zhongdian or sangrila...
So arriving in Zhongdian marks the return to the more heavily traveled tourist trail.
The town is alot bigger than those of the last few days. There is a new part on one side and when you enter the old part you get the impresion every building is used as a souveneer shop or hostel. Walking a bit further in though you reach where people actually live and is like a plesent little vilage which ends as the hills start to climb. We went to watch the locals dance in the square of the new town,
this is a popular evening activity with tibetans and isn't put on for tourists.
Tibetan dancing is fairly simple, a bit like line dancing from the states.

Got an afternoon bus to QiauTou, a small town at the start of the poplar treck in the Tiger leaping gourge.
We searched for a pub, you know drinking establishment with maybe music.
Well they don't know here, following loud music only yeilded more brothels not a pub in the town, so back to the hostel for a pint.

Walked for two days in the tiger leaping gourge.
It really beutiful and the deepest in China, really deep.
Slept in a guest house on the trail mid way and at the end so no roughing it necessary. The trail runs high above the tourist busses which crowd the lower route,
on the second day we decended all the way to the river, which is really powerfull and impresive, kinda cool.