I wake up feeling well rested and go across the road to eat breakfast (in disguise). Sitting in the back, facing away from the road only those that come inside will see I’m not Tibetan.
I scope out the checkpoint again after breakfast and find it’s currently unmanned. I pack my bag quickly and walk past it in disguise.
The view from the main street of Jitang, around the corner from the second (final) checkpoint.
After twenty minutes walking, I flag down a truck which will take me half the distance I want to go for the day (albeit a little expensively). I take the lift anyway, wanting to cover as much ground as is possible.
Parts of the road are very rough and work is in full swing to build a better highway.
We pass more amazing scenery on the way and I take a note to come back here to do some trekking one day. Along the way we pass Bangda airport on a plateau at an altitude of 4500m.
The drivers eventually bring up the topic of the Dalai Lama. I happen to have a picture of him on my laptop, which was locked up in my bag. I tell them how far in my bag it is which ends the conversation thread.
Half an hour later, they bring it up and the guy sitting next to me is almost pleading to see the picture. I open the bag and show them the picture on my laptop. They take the laptop, say something in Tibetan and touch it to the top of their heads. The driver places the laptop in front of him and drives half looking at the road, half at the laptop. When we speed over a pothole, I decide to put the laptop away to ensure a safer drive.
I’m dropped off at Bangda, a town that acts as a junction between the southern route of the Sichuan Highway and the Sershu Highway. There are several hotels, restaurants and one hostel here with English signs, but I decide against staying here since there’s still plenty of daylight and plenty of road to cover.
« Jonda to Jitang, via Chamdo (Eastern Tibet) | Home | Bangda to Raog (Tibet) »