Event Driven

So we finally reached further into the mountainous reaches of Yunnan to the sacred Meili Xueshan range.  The tallest peak has never been climbed - quite a number of attempted and have either turned back or been killed. The Tibetan Buddhists regard this as one of the most sacred peaks and thousands make pilgramages there every year.

We first watched the sun rise over the mountains and then made the winding mountain road to the bases to climb to a point to see.  I realized that it was a glacier so the ice formations around the base were quite fascinating.  Everywhere was adorned with the waving flags of the Tibetan religion, adding color to the stark white and brown of the snowy glacier.

We met a party of travelers who had walked for many days to see the glacier.  Because they were from Tibet, or 西藏 in Mandarin they did not speak standard 普通话.  It was very curious to see our group of Chinese tourists feel like foreigners in their own country.  The travelers were quite friendly and quiet as they tended to their prayer of the mountain.