The day begins on a roadside, no bus tickets are sold to foreigners wanting to reach Litang and therefore we jump back on our hitching high horse. This is all good and well providing that the direction you are intending to hitch is not the one to the city of Lhasa in forbidden Tibet. Not noticing the T junction off Xiangchengs one road town we attempt this feat for well over an hour, passing off the more than usual quizzical looks as Tibetans not understanding Chinese (which is actually the truth). After several attempts to ask for 'Litang' in all manners of accents and ebing asked 'Lhasa?' In a stroke of luck a convoy of three cars pull alongside us and correct our mistake and following some slight hinting on my behalf it is agreed that we can join them for half of the journey despite that they are not sharing the same destination. But first we must eat lunch in Xiangcheng, finally at around 2 ½ hours after our initial departure we escape the town, only to realise that we have been ignorant of its finest feature. From across the valley we appreciate the glorious magnitude of the Chaktreng Gompa monastery rather than the partial reflection in a dirty puddle while hitchiking. Yet there is so much more to occupy your attention, valleys littered with block house settlements, the occaional ruin of an ancient watchtower and the unique ability that Chinese scenery has in being able to appear more spectacular with every turn. Another incredible drive, just like the last journey, and the one before it, except the thrill increases rather than dims and so I must believe that the beauty must increase also.

The three large 4 wheel drives each contain a different family who together have planned one epic road trip across China in 2 months. I am placed at the head of the group with the keen photographer who often stops the journey in order for all to appreciate the view. Prue is at the rear with the only English speaker. All three cars link via their car radios, warning each other of passing cows, toilet breaks and general conversation which keeps all of the company in giggles. It is a relaxing jouney slowed by the mules which block the one and only road.

We penetrate through a dramatic and scraggly gorge stopping to take photos at the delicate flowers growing there (seriously our driver is lying in the grass for a better angle), pause to appreciate a 4200m high nomadic hearding village and its most beautiful simple structures. While summitting the Kuluke mountain pass at 4500m there are frantic photos of the altitude monitor in the car and as the pass plateaus alongside the families excitment there are a bunch of small sweet grapes to munch upon. We descend upon Sangdui village where we part company with our genial crowd. We have pushed our imaginations and travel boundaries to a street corner bordered by housing unlike any other. Seriously, it is exhausting to be overwhelmed this much. Turning our heads towards the loudest of mini van drivers who is hollaring while spraying saliva at his luck of not just one, but two foreign passengers, we opt to take a stroll before leaving this new found world behind forever. We know we have to take the left turn, our friends would not allow us to make another navigation error. Our direction paves the road to a beautiful monastery set in the hillside so we brave the bitter winds and continue afoot along the roadside overwhelmed with prayer flags before being reflected in the wetland puddles.

Several monastery pics later we relieve ourselves of our backpacks to continue the hitch.