Cycling Travel Notes on the Yunnan-Tibet Line　Quzika–Mangkang

The original plan for this day was to reach Mangkang, but the scenery along the way was too beautiful, and it snowed and rained in the evening, so we were unable to reach Mangkang as planned. However, staying at a Tibetan home this day became the most unforgettable experience of this trip.

Day10

Quzika→Hongla Snow Mountain→Bala Village→Tashidaji’s Home

Coming out of Quzika, it was all uphill, especially the section from the hot spring hotel to the national highway. The slope was too steep. When we went downhill the day before, we felt that the car would overturn at any time, and some teammates even got out of the car to push the car.

I probably thought of some people and things that day. A piece of sad pure music is looped, and it is difficult to climb one sad mountain after another (hypocritical record six years ago) .

The weather was very good and the scenery was beautiful. I rode slowly along the Lancang River, stopping and walking, and I was left at the end.

It’s the blue sky, white clouds and snow-capped mountains again, and the peach blossoms are in full bloom, which makes people even more happy.

Although the peach trees fell, peach blossoms still bloomed.

At this moment, you are a happy person, you see what you want to see, and you make it happen.

Continue to ride slowly. It was snowing in Hongla Mountain a few days ago. This sunny day is so happy. After passing the turn in front, Delta Snow Mountain will be better presented in front of you.

I met Brother Liu here. Like me, he liked this place so much that he rode very slowly.

We stayed on the road for a long time, enjoying the scenery on the road and taking photos of each other.

Today I was lucky enough to see the Delta Snow Mountain.

Delta is surrounded by snow-capped mountains, with nearly ten snow peaks in a row, the main peak being 6,434 meters above sea level.

The Dayongmei Snow Mountain opposite seems to be another world. What kind of elves will live there?

When we reached the pass, it suddenly got dark and the wind started blowing.

The sheep also need to take shelter.

Soon it started to snow on the mountains.

On the one hand, due to the sudden change in weather, and also because of our fascination with the scenery, we were unable to reach Mangkang as planned that day. So here is the following story.

clear eyes

It was almost 7pm after we went down the mountain with Brother Liu, and there was still a gentle slope of 44km away from Mangkang. It was unrealistic to ride to Mangkang. My previous teammates asked us to call for a car to take the six of us to the county town. Because the road book said there was accommodation at the foot of the mountain, so Brother Liu and I hoped not to take a ride without endangering our safety, and planned to stay at the foot of the mountain.

But we didn't find any accommodation after we came down the mountain. At this time, there was no dry food and water, so we went to the village to buy some food to supplement. At the canteen, through the translation of a little girl, a Tibetan grandma said she could stay with us, but the large number of young people gathering behind us made us a little intimidated, so we chose to go forward before making plans.

The gentle slope of 44km is the distance we usually need to cycle around Qingqing and buy a taro sago or barbecue. But that rainy night on the plateau was more terrifying than we imagined, with thunder and lightning, and the wind and rain increased intermittently. Not far ahead, we saw a house. We knocked on the door of the courtyard wall, but no one answered. Maybe it was raining too much and we couldn't hear it.

I finally gave in to my Virgo personality and contacted the county to see if a car could pick us up, but the responses I received were fruitless. We pushed the car to the side of the road and turned on the flash lights to ask for help. We passed several large trucks without stopping. We brought our car with us, and I’m afraid it would be difficult for a car to take us with us.

Brother Liu had been in the army and was very calm. We thought, at worst, we could find a place to stand all night. I would be wearing a jacket and raincoat. There wouldn’t be many places where I would get wet, but it would be a bit cold.

We continued to move forward slowly and stopped next to a Tibetan house with lights on. Brother Liu and I told him to go and give it a try. The Tibetan compatriots heard our greetings and stuck their heads out of the windows. We asked if the weather was bad and could we stay overnight. We only heard their firm and natural answer: yes.

It felt like the night had passed in an instant.

Except for the old man, everyone else came downstairs to greet us in a hurry and with enthusiasm. The two cyclists outside the door seemed not to be strangers, but more like friends they had not seen for many years or relatives visiting for the holidays.

A typical Tibetan three-story house has livestock pens and miscellaneous facilities on the first floor, bedrooms on the second floor, and a Buddhist hall on the third floor. The wooden stairs were very steep and there was no electricity. My young brother Nima Wangdui helped me go up to the second floor. The room was very warm. Everyone sat around the heater and the cold disappeared.

The butter tea has just been cooked in the house. It has been cold outside for so long. As soon as you enter the door, you can use the cycling kettle to fill up the butter tea. It is mellow and sweet, which really warms your heart.

Except for my brother, sister and uncle Tashi, who knew some Chinese, the rest of the family did not understand Chinese. Although there were language barriers in communication throughout the evening, it did not affect our understanding of the enthusiasm and simplicity at all.

They gave us whatever they could entertain at home. In addition to butter tea, of course there is highland barley wine, and some Tibetan foods whose names I still don’t know because of language problems. For us who have been hiking for a day, and after encountering heavy snow on the mountain and heavy rain at the bottom, we can sit by the fire. What a joy it is to eat and drink these most authentic Tibetan delicacies.

They were probably worried that we wouldn't have enough to eat, so they kept bringing out food for us to eat.

Later, the aunt opened the drawer with the key, took out a large piece of dried yak meat, opened the wrapping paper, and then sliced it into slices. When the uncle naturally wanted to pick it up and eat it, the aunt stopped him, probably meaning to give the yak meat to the guests.

You will naturally tell them that you are really good. Their reaction is probably that they don't understand what you said. It may be a language problem, or more likely, they think why you sigh like this.

Brother Liu has a great drinking capacity, and that night we felt happy, joyful, touched and extremely warm.

We talked, drank highland barley wine, and tasted the most authentic Tibetan food. It was all so wonderful.

After finishing a large pot of butter tea, we were very satisfied, but they insisted on making another pot. In short, they were worried that we didn't drink enough. I have been to many Tibetan areas over the years, and I don’t know whether it is because the commercial butter tea lacks a bit of mellowness, or because I have the filter of time here. I will never drink such delicious butter tea again.

We have photos of Lhasa hanging at home. We also took some photos and planned to develop them and send them to them when we arrived in Lhasa. Perhaps he was too happy, but Brother Liu didn’t even remember that he had brought a SLR with him all night.

I remember that electricity was only available for three hours at night here, so I gave them my cycling flashlight, hoping it would be useful to them.

I drank too much that night. My aunt helped me rest and covered me with a thick quilt. At that time, I heard Brother Liu drinking and chatting with everyone. I fell asleep quickly and slept very well. good. I woke up early the next day and before Brother Liu got up, I wrote the following text.

About riding

I was already in college when I first heard about someone riding a bicycle to Lhasa. At that time, I thought it was incredible. When I was in graduate school, Meng Ran said that if we buy mountain bikes, we might be able to ride them to Lhasa. At that moment, I thought it was feasible.

Many people think that people who ride the Yunnan-Tibet Line have stories, or some people think that such a journey is a journey of the soul, a journey of finding oneself. I don’t have any stories, and my heart is clean and does not need to be washed. At that time, I just came here for the snow-capped mountains on the plateau, the blue sky and white clouds, and the prayer flags in the Lama Temple.

If I insist on a spiritual wish, I hope that during this trip, after a journey of mountains and rivers, and a period of time, I can figure out some things and let go of some things.

What riding the Yunnan-Tibet Line will bring me is that I will see the plateau scenery I want to see. I also know that this long-term journey will continue to have some impact on me in the future. Only the future will know what impact it will be.

Of course, I have always believed that traveling cannot solve any real-life problems. Falling out of love, losing your job, any troubles you encounter in life, you still have to face reality in the end.

It’s just that now various media are encouraging people to go out, in the name of finding themselves, to stay away from the hustle and bustle of the city. They use literary or fresh words such as small bridges and flowing water, sunsets, cats and dogs in the ancient city, etc. to encourage people to go. Go out, even go out alone.

It's dangerous to go out alone.

Most of the popular travelers we see are the result of the creation of the media and companies, and those wonderful travel notes are also written by people who came back alive. Please remember the life lessons learned during the journey, just like the day we set out from Yanjing, the landlady told us that a fellow rider accidentally rushed into the Lancang River three days ago, and no one or car was found that day.

Why ride the Yunnan-Tibet Line? I am not a traveler, I just live up to my time and complete the journey I want.

Day11

Bala Village→Mangkang→ Holy Land Youth Inn

We said goodbye to Tashi's family, and everyone went away one after another, leaving some things as souvenirs. Nyima Wangdui and her sister saw us off, and they were watching us ride away on the roadside outside the house. We are going to Mangkang today.

It was a short, gentle climb and, except for the toothache, everything was easy.

There are villages and pastures along the road.

There are also working people.

After registering at noon today, I entered Mangkang County and took my first nap since riding the Yunnan-Tibet Line. I don’t know if it was fatigue or the highland barley wine from the previous night that was too strong, but I didn’t get up until almost seven o’clock. We went out for dinner and replenished some medicines and dry food. I met two classmates who didn’t know whether they were cows or sheep.

The second stage of the journey will begin immediately. After Mangkang, the Yunnan-Tibet Line and Sichuan-Tibet Line merge together. We are going to set foot on the most beautiful road in China – National Highway 318.