The China Journal - Day 16 & 17

In Kangding, low-lying clouds hug the sides of the narrow valley, concealing the immense mountain slopes that surround the city like Olympian fortress walls. The climate is significantly cooler, prompting us to pull out our fleece jackets we'd had the foresight to purchase in Beijing, as they become a permanent fixture of our wardrobe for the next week.

It's in Kangding where we get our first taste of Tibetan culture and yak yoghurt. Buddhist monasteries dot the mountains and slopes surrounding the city, and bright, colourful prayer flags can be found in abundance. Tibetans dressed in clothes with brightly patterned motifs flash friendly smiles and seem genuinely happy to see a few foreigners in their midst. And everywhere, it seems, are constant reminders that the people here are subject to someone else's control, that they are living in a land that is there's but at the same time is not.

We also get our first taste of the effects of altitude, as the steep climb to the recently-opened Zhalim hostel leaves us breathless. The friendly staff and the promise of pizza for dinner, however, make it worth our while. Our coincides with St. Jean Baptiste Day, so we spend our evening drinking beer with a couple from Montreal, Louis et Maude, as well as French Laura, who joins us for the next week in our journey through the frontiers of Western Sichuan.