Heading back to Shangri la we congratulate ourselves on managing to achieve an expenditure of only 900 yuan between us in 5 days, that means a mere 15 dollars each per day. Now, call us scummy backpackers but with that money we have visited two of Yunnans highlights, eaten like kings (well a fried egg sandwich is as good as it gets for breakfast) with pumpkin soups, garlic strewn eggplant plates and the lovable spicy lotus-root dish, which we still manage to attain by pointing at random vegetables in stock. We have slept in clean and comfortable accommodation, only sharing a room once and have travelled miles, thaths pretty sweet.

Steadily rising on our way back to Shangri la we cross the beautiful flower strewn meadows of the highlands... flower strewn out purely for profit of course but pretty nonetheless.

No questions asked, once in Shangri la barbeque is the priority, during which we complete our visa extension forms, smudging a little chilli onto the paperwork. Next we must find the only bank who changes dollar into yuan... this is a long winded process as the clerk counts the money twice, and confused by the two twenty and one ten notes at the end -seen as the rest is in fiftys- tries one more time before passing the cash onto her supervisor. Twice more counted, before each note is processed through a scan machine, as it ejects the notes they fly across the desk and the woman, flustered to a frenzy, has to scramble to reach them. To make sure she has successfully retrieved the notes she once again counts the dollar, no, only joking, she does it twice. To finalise the transaction she adds each unit of notes in the calculator... success.

Next to the police station where we meet the most genial of officers who worries about his many plans and lack of chance to achieve them. The resulting certificate allowed us to achieve our initial intention, apply for another month, please, as I have just changed all of my cash! What a piece of cake for an extra 30 days, not an unpleasant official or the drags of beaurocracy, and a visa the morning after.

Our bus leave 3 hours later than expected, thats a lesson in advance booking for you. There is a group of 100 Americans in Zhongdian at the moment, they are on a pilgrimage, and where better to do it hey so Ibelieve they are the ones taking up the earlier spaces! They have a peaceful aura about them and seem very content, I had to laugh though as one gentleman announced this amazing place they had been to with a great view point, amongst themselves they argued about the distance and direction of such a mesmerising holy place, they had no bloody idea. I am starting to feel like my journey is morphing into my very own pilgrimage but its possibly just the spirituality in the air, oh well at least I know where I've been.