Our zip through China brought us to Yunnan province. After urbanised Han China we were keen to explore the rural backwaters tucked between Tibet, Burma and Vietnam. Quick stops in Kunming and Dali, before making our way to... Shangri-La!
Modern Shangri-La may be a smart tourism rebranding but we enjoyed the rough and ready charm of its Tibetan population and characterful expats. Firmly establishing the town as our base camp, we then headed up into the holy Meili mountain range in the Himalayas.
We hiked along the dirty Mekong River and over its wobbly bridges to rest in rustic Tibetan homestays as we explored remote valleys, photographed endless prayer flags and - improbably - sampled Jesuit missionary wine.
As close as a westerner can get to the real Tibet without paperwork, cash or chaperone, we spent time by the border trying to gain insight into the relationship between the Tibetans and the Chinese. The government-installed statues of monks embracing communist soldiers could easily be dismissed as propaganda...
But images of Chairman Mao and the Dalai Lama alongside each other on the family Buddhist shrine...? The magnificent mountain views were simpler to comprehend and admire.
We trekked yet further into the high mountain village of Yubong, nestled between stunning 6500 metre peaks. A place where donkeys were briskly carrying in basic food supplies in preparation for the winter ahead.
Astonishingly beautiful, we stayed for four days exploring and soaking up the views of Yubong - our very own Shangri-La.
Modern Shangri-La may be a smart tourism rebranding but we enjoyed the rough and ready charm of its Tibetan population and characterful expats. Firmly establishing the town as our base camp, we then headed up into the holy Meili mountain range in the Himalayas.
We hiked along the dirty Mekong River and over its wobbly bridges to rest in rustic Tibetan homestays as we explored remote valleys, photographed endless prayer flags and - improbably - sampled Jesuit missionary wine.
As close as a westerner can get to the real Tibet without paperwork, cash or chaperone, we spent time by the border trying to gain insight into the relationship between the Tibetans and the Chinese. The government-installed statues of monks embracing communist soldiers could easily be dismissed as propaganda...
But images of Chairman Mao and the Dalai Lama alongside each other on the family Buddhist shrine...? The magnificent mountain views were simpler to comprehend and admire.
We trekked yet further into the high mountain village of Yubong, nestled between stunning 6500 metre peaks. A place where donkeys were briskly carrying in basic food supplies in preparation for the winter ahead.
Astonishingly beautiful, we stayed for four days exploring and soaking up the views of Yubong - our very own Shangri-La.
