Ruoergai to Xiahe, China June 2016

Dag 34. Ruoergai til Xiahe, 320 km

Inden vi kørte fra Ruoergai, fik vi vasket biler. Lige overfor vores hotel var der en lille biks som vaskede biler. Ejerne havde en lille datter på ca 2 år, hun forelskede sig i mig, og ville have mig til at holde hende i hånden og gå rundt. Nuttet.

Bilvasken var spildt, for vi havde regnvejr hele vejen.

Vi kørte igen igennem det smukke græs højland, og stoppede ved nogle tibetanske telte for at tage billeder. Vi så igen mange Yak okser og nogle interessante geder med snoede horn.

                                       She took my money - Hun tog mine penge ( for smykker)

                                                 Chasing Yak - Yakken jages

                                               Strange goats - Mærkelige geder

Undervejs fandt Louis og Janet ud af, at deres bil skal have skiftet bremse klodser ( surt at BMW ikke så det, da den var til service for 2 dage siden). Så nu er der booket service til i morgen.

Vi nåede frem til Xiahe kl 14 og spiste vores frokost på hotellet. Xiahe er en hyggelig lille kloster by. Det tibetanske kloster, Labrang ligger i denne by. Et imponerende kloster med ca 1600 munke. Halvdelen af byen består af klosteret med boliger til alle munkene.

                                            The old shops in Xiahe - De gamle butikker i Xiahe

                                                    Sophie asking the way - Sophie spørger om vej

                                              Prayer wheels - Bede hjul

                                                   Labrang Monastery - Labrang klosteret

Janet, Sophie og jeg gik igennem byen til klosteret. På hoved gaden, var der de hyggeligste små butikker i gamle bygninger. Klosteret har en 3.5 km bedegang med bede hjul. Imponerende.

Janet og jeg var inde og se et af templerne, pu-ha lugten var slem, de bruger yak fedt til deres stearin lys.

Sophie ( vores guide) var ikke helt frisk, så vi måtte selv klare at bestille middag. Det gik fint, vi fik dejlig mad.

Click on the photo to see our album
Click på billedet for at se vores album

18th June, distance 320 km, driving time 4 hours

Our hotel in Ruoergai was a lovely small Chinese/Tibetan place.

I never expected a hotel to be on top of a mountain, at 3900 m altitude, in a one street village.

Got up early, looked out of our window, to absorbe the amazing view, of the grass lands. I also noticed, that there was a Tibetan lady washing cars opposite our hotel.

I went down and chatted with her, and she agreed to wash both the cars. So up again, to wake up Louis, and the washing started.

This Tibetan couple, had a lovely 2 year old daughter, who first fell in love with me, and then Susanne. She entertained us for the next 45 min, until the cars were washed. I felt that she needed something, so I bought her a small toy, a Yak teddy bear, from the lobby of our hotel, which got her all smiling again. She wanted to join us in our car, it was sad saying bye to her.

Left our hotel, and was very disappointed, that the weather had suddenly changed, and it was raining. We drove up the grasslands, to a Tibetan camp site, and took a few pictures.

                                           The Tibetan couple - Det tibetanske par

                                                        Photo shoot  - Foto session

We meet the local Tibetans, who are very friendly. Of course they were impressed with our cars, but even more impressed with Susanne. They soon conned Susanne, to buy some of their beads, and a bracelet.

As soon as we left this place, Louis found out, that there was a problem with his brakes. The electronic display, was showing that he had only 100 km left, for a change of the brake pads, panic, panic, panic in the BMW.

We called up BMW, and requested them to change the pads at the next service station. And we carried on downhill.

Fantastic views, but spoiled by the rain and the tension of making sure that nothing was wrong with Louis’s car.

                                                        Tibetan tents - Tibetanske telte

                                                        The views - Udsigten

We reached the small town of Xiahe, and checked into our hotel. Susanne, Janet and Sophie went to see one of the biggest Monastery’s outside Tibet. This Monastery was enormous and had 1600 monks, I did not get to see anything, as I had to rest my tired limbs.

We had a great dinner at a neighbouring restaurant, and we also enjoyed ourselves  with trying to order food, without our guide.

Google translate is the best invention for tourists.