Paradise?

Took the bus to Shangri La this morning. The Chinese changed the name of Zhongdian to Xianggelila some years ago and it's the capital of the autonomous Shangri La region of Tibet even though it's high up in the Yunnan mountains. So we visited the Songlanzin Monastery to get a taste of Tibet, 400 years old but more recently rebuilt after Mao's cohorts destroyed it. There are about 800 monks based there as well as a 'living bhudda' and I have to say it's pretty impressive!

The town itself doesn't live up to it's billing though. Current Chinese thinking seems to be to knock down or 'renovate' all the really old buildings and rebuild them as tourist traps. I think it's madness but the Chinese tourists are flocking in so it won't change.
Early night tonight, everyone seems to have a headache because of the altitude - it's about 3200m. And the rain's pouring down so hard it sounds like there's a shower running outside. Seem's it's the wet season! So I won't be nipping across the street for a Shangri La beer.