Deqin - Benzilan

April 18 2013: Deqin - Benzilan

Goodbye to the wonderful people in Gujiunong. We left this stunning area reluctantly, as it has such a beguiling and peaceful aura, but it was time to pack up and move on.  It proved to be a fairly short and beautiful drive back, partly on the snowy road we had come up on two days before, then on to the town of Benzilan, a formerly artisan village renowned for making a variety of wooden bowls out of the roots of the indigenous rhododendron trees.  Now it’s just a small town with a couple of factories churning out the bowls and wooden artifacts bought by the thousand in Shangri La and Lijiang.

We checked into another Songtsam lodge in the village nearby – all are similar, yet have their own distinct flavour, and in all, the staff could not have been more helpful – or more beautiful, and that goes for the guys too.

In the afternoon we took an interesting stroll through the town – a retail opportunity at last! – and were entertained by all the sights, particularly the young monks on a day out from the local monastry drinking beer in the pool-hall! Whatever next!!

Za revolution is not over!

New and old Benzilan

watching a game of cards

And back for a much earned snifter ourselves – having gone a whole 48 hours with no booze, I promise it was much enjoyed!!