Next we headed off to Songpan, a small town in northern Sichuan. (Tourism was so bad that the driver that had brought us from the airport to Jiuzhaigou hung around the hotel for two days to take us.) We had a great time checking out the local architecture, drinking tea, talking to friendly people (in addition to Han and Tibetan, there is also a large Muslim community here) and exploring a local slaughterhouse.
Muslim men relaxing by the city wall
Some little friends
I wish I could say no animals were harmed in the making of this blog...
A very old Tibetan man took 30 minutes to show Justin this incredible horn, and the whole town got to hear Justin try it out. He and his wife then invited us to share their dinner.
Making wool quilts
After a day exploring the town, we set off into the mountains on a three day horse trek with two local guides. This was the ultimate camping experience: the horses carried everything and the guides set up camp, got firewood, cooked food, etc. so we basically relaxed the whole time. People say Songpan is the true beginning of the Tibetan culture, and they are right. We travelled through many small Tibetan villages where the traditional dress is worn and monks roam around town.
Yakity - Yak don't talk back!
Setting up camp
I'm not the only one who needed a change of shoes after a long day
A very little cowboy
Wild strawberries, yum!
Tibetan prayer wheels
Our guides: Li Yuan Bo and Yei Feng Hao
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