Shangri La – Qiaotou
Reluctantly, I crawled out of my warm bed, and it was late before I eventually donned
my little backpack and headed to the bus station and Qiaotou. The bus took
approximately two hours to reach Qiaotou.
Once there, I wandered around the small town before starting my trek. The entrance
fee to the gorge was 50 yuan and, once past the ticket office, signs to the High Trail
were visible. In addition, mountainside guesthouses advertise themselves on large
stones along the trail. I came upon the first Inn roughly an hour and a half later. The
scenery was exceptional from the start, and I felt thrilled and privileged walking along
the trail without a soul in sight.
According to my info, a three-hour trek remained to the next inn and I opted to stay
at Naxi Family Guest House. The guest house was a traditional Naxi home run by an
amicable Naxi family. The rooms had excellent vistas, were wonderfully comfortable
and offered electric blankets.
Tiger Leaping Gorge - Naxi Family Guest House – Tina's Guest House
I surfaced to excellent views of Jade Dragon Mountain from my bedroom window.
What a privilege! Breakfast consisted of fried noodles with veggies and a walnut
pancake. By 9h00, I was ready to start the hike and strolled along the path sporting
high mountains along both sides and the river far below. The day's hike took me past
small settlements high up on the hill, where people went about their daily chores,
feeding livestock and collecting wood for the fast-approaching winter.
Now and again, one came upon a lodge where trekkers could stop and have a cup of
tea, provided free of charge.