Now in high country

That's the end of trains. We loaded onto a bus and headed into the mountains. We went along a valley plateau, with every flat square cm under crop against a mountain backdrop on both sides. A fair bit made flat by terracing. Dry dusty looking.
We stopped in a city for lunch for a Muslim tea and soup. This part was very much Muslim country. We had become mid-celebrities at this point as very few Westerners range up here.
We drove on and up to about 2,500 metres and stopped at a Buddhist monastery built in the 14thC. It was fascinating to wander around and see the mostly indigenous Tibetan people. We are staying in the town (Xiahe) that has grown around the monastery as apparently tourism is a big item.Read more