Around a hundred photos later we begin hitching from what seems to be a foreigner desert, the beauty of the town and its surroundings are mindblowing. The weather can be seen sweeping towards the town, choosing who to drench within the basin -us included- before continuing its onward journey to far off lands.

While hitching we laugh at some boys who want kisses -and possibly more- for free travel, ignore mini van drivers and their ridiculously high prices and eventually opt for a subsidised hitchiking comfy van. Well it would have been if the driver had not wanted to hurtle across Sichuan at superman speeds, neglecting the fact that he did not possess superman reflexes.

To exit Sangdui village and the bowl like landscape in which it sits, we first pass through a forest of granite boulders, part largely splattered with lakes. This is a portion of the Haizi Shan Nature Reserve strewn with rocks from a pebble to the size of a house or two, it is impressive to say the least. Reaching a whopping height of 4696m we then traverse the Tuer (Rabbit) mountain pass winding up and winding down its steep slopes catching the magnifence of the view at all angles. Deseceding into the valley the winding road competes the river for its meandering turns, the mules alongside us roll and strecth in the mud, enjoying their freedom to play. The peaks up ahead of us at this point look so soft and glossy, shading intensifies their contrast as ever increasing strengths of green and yellow luminate the forefront and darkens the crevaces. Ruins from abandoned ancient villages, heards of yaks and their heardsmen and women carrying sticks, the womens hair braided and sewn together at the end to make a colourful network from their otherwise jet black straightened cut.

Finally we can see Litang in the distance, over and beyond the grasslands supporting hundreds of nomad tents and into the dust. We pull alongside a group of mini bus whose drivers jump upon us for other 10 hour journeys. Our remark reaches nothing more profound than 'Piss off', we now use language that parallels the rudeness that we have been subjected to, plus they don't understand us so that makes it surely ok?

Theres a big sign which announces several encouraging items such as '24 hoer hot water... and wifi... sky buural tours... all foreigners welcome... cafe... food' and thus we are led by desires to a scruffy Potala Inn (again Potala as in most reverred Palace in Tibet) and meet a friendly but full of s*** receptionist. We buy the only room available, a double with shared bathroom for 100 yuan.

When you arrive somewhere relatively late and as equally exhausted you tend to make bad judgements. Before paying we should have checked the state of the toilets we would have to use, 2 stinking squatters for over 20 travellers, the hand held semi functional shower sitting inside the toilet unit. Its not the best when you can smell urine as you soap up and must lock every other user out if you are washing unless you want to become really close and personal with the stale shower curtain . We should have tested the strength of the bed which broke twice as we tried to sit upon it, the cleanlinessof the rooms (because if the bins havn't been changed have the sheets) and along with it the honesty of the owner, no food is served, they are overbooked and you have to strive to feel your welcome once you have strolled past their all encompassing billboard. Note, this is the first time I have felt the need to sleep in my sleeping bag.

We have, however, been informed of a yearly festival that hits off tomorrow. Good timing versus a bad nights sleep in an expensive uninspiring location, I am sure we win somehow.