Five Days in Shangri-la (5) By dandelion

2005-10-6

Yi La grassland is one of the most beautiful grassland in China. I have read this topic on Magazine “Fashion Travel”. We brought some fruits, snacks and lunch; planed to spend the last day on Yi La grassland.

A round-trip fare of taking a taxi there was RMB40. Yi La grassland was near Bo La Sea. There was no special viewing spot, just unbounded grassland, huge mountain, a river, a bridge and some yaks. He liked to touch nature, and I had nothing to do, just looked him having fun. He was busying save those dying fish from mud to the river once and once.

Maybe, if we come here in spring, there would be many flowers and more beautiful.

We idled several hours away here, then called the driver, and were back to Zhong Dian new town. Our dinner was hot-pot of fish head. Was it funny that we saved many little fish, but ate big fish? Moreover, it was very delicious.

Back to hostel, I had a sleep. He walked around in old town. Later, he said, a local woman invited him to her home. They talked for a while. That was a typical Tibetan house, they were very poor.

When the evening came, old town showed another face to us. Many persons gathered in the middle of Four Sides Street Square. They were dancing and singing. Even you didn’t know the dance-steps, you may join in them, cause it was too simple. Of course, we wouldn’t join in them. We decided to “Pao” bar.

At the last night in Shangri-la, we indulged ourselves with “Red light & Green Wine”. In each bar, we ordered wine (or beer) and soft drink. We visited six bars .the following were our comments.

1.Qing Ke Wine Bar★★☆

This bar was opened by the hostess of Qing Ke Hostel where we lived. There were many travel and fashion magazines. I promise you could spend a whole night here and don’t fell boring. Wine was OK, but food was too few. A dog lay beside of us. He picked out meat to feed it. Later, this dog became our friend, and followed us for a long time.

2. Potala Log Cabin★★★

I’d like to recommend this bar, which was a Tibetan-style wood building. From how many visitors, most of them were foreigners; we could know its popularity.

We ordered a Tibetan cake, stir-fried beef. They tasted so well. So, this photo was my MSN’s picture for a long time. Potala Log Cabin had many kinds of food. Wine‘s price was also acceptable. Environment seemed very pleasant. Only disadvantage was that their magazines were Tibetan language.

3. Snow Wolf Bar★★☆

I liked their magazines. There were the latest “Global Movie Screen”, a whole set of “Five Thousand Year of China”. I also enjoyed their entertainment. The chess was made of cow skin; very special. We played two Chinese chess twice. The first one he won, and the second one I won. However, I was not concentrated with the chess, coz I was reading a movie magazine then. He was always keen on having fun. So, you can know what my hidden meaning is.

Their soft drink was really bad. Orange juice was made of pigments and water.

4. Red Face Bar☆☆☆

It had no magazines, no snacks, no entertainment. The most awfully, their toilet was too smelly.

5. Shangri-la Samsara☆☆☆

The wine was too few. If a wine bar has no enough wine, how it could be a bar? Although, their magazines and environment were very good.

6. North Door Street No.31★☆☆

There were some books. It seemed the host had high-class taste on books collection. We read the “The 100 wars influencing the world” and “A Research on Quality Education in China”. Tea was good, but red wine was expensive.

After this really corrupt night, we took the next morning’s flight and back to Kunming.

Shangri-la, I still left some pities there. I haven’t seen the splendid sunrise and sun set. I haven’t been to Yu Ben and Fairy Waterfall. I don’t know when I will come here the next time, at least, not in these years. My next station will be Si Chunag, I hope.

(草原)

(Potala Log Cabin)