We enjoyed several half - day walks around the gorge with steep ascents and descents. Village life surrounding the gorge has mantained a subsistence approach, Homes had corn in the fields and drying on rooftops, vegetable gardens, half finished sheds, guest houses or homes, being built from locally quarried stone; horses, pigs and chickens. A week could easily be spent wandering along paths in the area.
We caught a bus and were in Shangri-La within 3 hours. The landscape and style of housing has completely changed and has a very definite Tibetan look. There are yaks in the flat fields which are high plains and mountains surrounding the plains. The houses are large with small windows and double storied, with painted or carved wooden decorative detail. Some are made of rammed earth and others of concrete.The town itself has lots of large new builldings and is spread out. There is an ancient city which we hope to explore tomorrow and a National Park too.
