After a few days catching up on sleep and getting our filthy washing finally clean, we leave Shangri-la, our oasis in the north (of Yunnan) and set out in the drizzling rain to make tracks for Sichuan Province. Yunnan Province as a whole has exceeded itself time and time again by giving us countless breathtaking sights, delicious Chinese cuisine, showed us the generosity of the people and showed us the Chinese way of life. Today however, we have set our sights on hitching to Xengcheng, a town just across the Sichuan border, an 8 hour expedition. With backpacks and pac-a-macs we catch the number 1 bus to the bus station and walk north along a road we only hope is the one bound for Sichuan. We stop for an early breakfast on the roadside shop comprising of steamed bread, a fried egg and of course washed down with a hot cup of green tea. Tiring from the workers staring at us from the other tables (I haven't got used to it yet) and waiting for the miserable drizzle to stop, we keep walking north until we eventually tire from our backpacks and take cover in an abandoned building site. Taking in turns to slow cars down to ask where they are headed we wait for over an hour and a half before we hail a green Toyota landcruiser owned by two non-english speakers destined for Xengcheng!!

The road was incredibly long and bumpy. Pots holes filled with newly fallen rain and the muddy sludge catching the wheels momentarily wasn't helped by the hasty pace at which the driver insisted upon setting. Hours passed with many cigarettes exchanged yet little communication, we pulled up for lunch at a basic roadside kitchen and welcomed into a cosy room to sit by the wood fire heater to warm our cold hands and feet as we wait for lunch to be served. Insisting they foot the bill we are once again bewildered by the generous hospitality these simple horsemen exude.

With an hour of being back on the road we stop abruptly to help a fellow 4WD vehicle get its engine started. Only after driving onwards less than 15mintues the same 4WD conks out once more. Unknown whether our driver knew these guys or whether it's this generous hospitality I keep going on about, we stop again to help out with the situation. Over the next 5 or 6 hours and very few kilometres we stayed with this 4WD, sometimes without moving for 2.5hours at a time. Amusing ourselves by finding roadside places to pee and trying not to get caught, taking walks along the road to gaze at the jagged rocky mountains across the valley and also by squeezing into the back seat with one of the Chinese lads who was endlessly intrigued by our photos of snow, we passed the time. A new lesson was learnt today; Hitching is a great way to save money and experience not only the real China but feel the thrills of adventure, yet NEVER forget that patience IS a virtue and must be summoned in circumstances like when an 8 hour journey escalates into an epic 14 hour escapade.

Arriving after dark, and a few hours being squished against the widow on the car (we ended up taking the 3 people from the temperamental 4WD the rest of the way to Xiangcheng), we entered the glorious countryside valley which engulfs Xiangcheng. The dotted villages nestled in the towering valley are small, with a new bold style of architecture we have not yet laid eyes upon. A small stream of rapids rushes alongside us as we ogle at the charmingly dilapidated bridges connecting road to town. The sudden change in architecture and even landscape to some degree is astounding crossing a mere Province border. It is an exciting prospect that over the next month in Sichuan Province we will endure new sights, smells and tastes to urge us onwards and provide us with a little more of the puzzle to uncover or maybe merely scratch the surface of the magnificent picture that IS china.

Upon arrival in Xiangcheng, we hastily said goodbye to our Toyota boys and checked into the cleanest room we could be bothered to find.. Think of grubby walls, smelly bathroom, and stained carpet… but the deciding factor was the clean beds (which ended up being mega compfy). Not too bad for 80yuan ; $13AUD between us considering the other putrid rooms we came across for similar price!

The town itself did appeal to my senses in the slightest. Although it was reasonably small it felt busy and overcrowded. The streets were noisy from the endless car horns and the buildings in the town center were grim and dirty. It's a shame considering the scenic drive entering and exiting the town.

The next morning I woke to the delicious smell of coffee which was placed under my nose from Becks, soon to be told however there was no hot water!! Looking forward to a hot shower since the night before I was a little grumpy and feeling rather DONE with roughing it. I was in need of a few creature comforts… J Today we leave north for Litang, a small Tibetan town sitting at an astounding 4015m above sea level. A place inaccessible by public bus accused of intriguing traditions and Tibetan ideologies.