To Kongpo Gianda: Help from the Tourist Bureau police for accommodation

April 23, 2007

With the hot water in a thermos given to us last night, we make coffee and hot cereal for breakfast. The gear and bikes are shuttled downstairs, reloaded and we are on our way.

The road is much the same as yesterday, following the river upstream. We go through the "planned Chinese Communities" Rows of Tibetan look-a-like houses. Each village seems to be color coded with different color roofs for each village--one village has violet roofs, one brown (bronze), one silver. We come across a herd of yaks walking down the road. Some are huge, each with different shaped horns, one with a very wide span. We've also started to notice a new road sign on the curves, a round blue sign with a horn symbol, instructing the drivers to beep--as if that was necessary with the way vehicles start honking at us way before they reach us.

On the outskirts of town, we see police. As we move closer into town, there's even more police. We reach the end of main street, stop and ask for a hotel; a local indicates a hotel across the street, we ride by a row of police and police cars. No one seems to care or notice us.

We circle back and ask again, this time two places are indicated, there is confusion as to where the guesthouse is, since in the courtyard, there is also a bank. Guesthouses are usually behind the storefronts, through a gate into a courtyard. A woman asks in English "Can I help you?" Another woman joins her, and we follow them down the street to another hotel, no hot water or shower. We go to a third place. Patrick finds out the women work for the police. The third place is a Chinese hotel, the women help Patrick register and use their IDs since Patrick "didn't understand" when asked for a passport and permit. There will be hot water available this evening.

We settle in and go out for lunch. We find a restaurant and a woman at the next table helps us order. She works for the Tourist Bureau (responsible for the permits). She tells us there are two internet places, but not where they are located. After lunch, we explore, ask for "internet" and two young men indicate for us to follow them. We find a place with internet, though it doesn't look like an "internet cafe" just computers. We check email (18 new messages since our last check) and the picasaweb site Nathan has posted the last DVD set (208 pictures).

We shop for supplies, and boil eggs and wait for hot water.... the water doesn't get hot, but is warm enough to shower and that feels good after all the sponge baths (or no bath at all) the last few days. We return to the same restaurant for egg fried rice. We've find once a good place for food is found, no need to risk something not as good. We pick up yogurt for breakfast and bottled water and a second ice cream bar!

We watch sports on CCTV5 with the laundry strung on a line just above the TV.