The first day: Youyang to Ya'an, 766 kilometers.
From the intention to go to Daocheng in western Sichuan a few months ago, to the final decision a month ago, I checked the route, read the travel notes, and made more than three itinerary plans. After many sleepless nights of excitement, apprehension, worry, and longing, Finally set off today. I took the expressway from Youyang at 9:00 in the morning and traveled 800 kilometers. It was already 8:00 in the evening when I arrived in Ya’an. This is the first stop of this trip. I stayed at the Hyatt Business Hotel in Ya’an. fully equipped. It is very suitable as a transit station.
During the National Day, the accommodation costs in Daocheng and Seda soared by more than three times, and the hotels booked 20 days in advance were not much cheaper. This is also a person's style of doing things.
Countless nights before departure, I was worried about the road conditions and weather in western Sichuan. After all, this is a mysterious and changeable land. But after setting off, I was calm, and I will be safe when I come, let's go and see. Believe in our government and our transportation department, they will ensure the safety and travel of the people.
This trip, two cars, seven adults and two children, I don't know if the 8-day full itinerary will make them unbearable, I don't know if they can adapt to the plateau, everything is unknown. I hope this trip will become a precious memory for them.
When a person reaches middle age, he no longer has any ideals to repay, and his only hobby is to walk around. Life is endless, footsteps are non-stop. On the road, people become pure, you are just yourself. To travel is to see the sky, the earth, the landscape, all beings, and yourself. I love being on the road.
The next day, Ya'an-Yajiang, 273 kilometers, was expected to take 5 hours, but it started at 7:00 in the morning and went to 7:30 in the evening.
Long Quan said that Ya'an is very congested in the morning on the eleventh day of each year, so we set off at 7 o'clock, and I couldn't fall asleep after 4 o'clock for no reason. It was only past eight o'clock when we arrived in Luding, and the rain in Ya'an had turned into bright sunshine. After breakfast, I went to Luding Bridge, and at this time, Luding Bridge was bustling with people. I spent 10 yuan for the ticket to experience the swaying of the suspension bridge. Longquan and I lined up for half an hour, and the swaying on the suspension bridge was unbearable within 5 minutes. When I came to the square, it was time for the military parade. In the solemn national anthem, watching the strength of the Chinese army made me feel excited and proud that I am Chinese.
I came to Kangding more than 20 years ago. At that time, we had to climb the high and high Erlang Mountain. I still remember the two weather scenes at the Yakou of Erlang Mountain, on this side of the mountain and on the other side of the mountain. But the current Erlang Mountain only needs to pass through more than ten kilometers of tunnels.
When we saw Xiling Snow Mountain, it was already 10 noon, and the sun was shining brightly. We took pictures while we were on our way, and we ate spicy fish at a restaurant opened by Chongqing people in the middle of the mountain. When approaching the Yakou of Zheduo Mountain, the traffic jam began. The half-hour drive took nearly two hours. When I finally climbed to the Yakou of more than 4,000 meters, I was not in the mood and did not dare to stop to take pictures. There are traffic police on duty along the way, but there are too many vehicles, and several emergency passages have been opened, but only one side is allowed to pass. On Zheduo Mountain, I also saw a doctor in a white coat. It seems that as long as you don't violate the rules, your safety is safe. The driver was anxiously blocked, so I had to replace him, and the traffic would gradually clear up once he passed the gate. It's better to go in the morning when there are many mountains and twists and turns, and the traffic flow should not be so heavy.
When I got down to more than 3,000 meters, I stopped to rest. My father had a high fever. Fortunately, all kinds of medicines such as oxygen and plateau safety were still available. I quickly helped him into the car and let him rest, but I didn’t dare to let him get out of the car again.
National Highway 318 is well-deserved, with beautiful scenery along the way, and the road conditions are good, and the curves are no worse than our Wuling mountainous area. The Tibetan-style dwellings along the way, snow-capped mountains and grasslands, streams and shallows, let us take all kinds of beautiful photos without caring about the sun's exposure. However, in order to shoot the jumping scene, I turned upside down, had shortness of breath, and felt very tired. Later, I got a headache, and none of the jumping shots were shot. Personal lessons, when you go to the plateau, you can't just care about the beauty, you have to do what you can, remember to remember.
During the stop and go, when we arrived at Xinduqiao, it was already 5 or 6 o'clock. In order to let my father go to the hotel to rest early, and for the smooth travel of the next few days, we never dared to stay any longer. Xinduqiao is very lively and has a strong commercial atmosphere. There are hotels and inns on the roadside. Many residents with horses are yelling and soliciting customers. The grasslands on the roadside are basically fenced. You cannot climb over it at will, and you may have to take pictures. money.
By 7:30 in Yajiang, it was still dark. There are many hotels beside National Highway 318, and the closer the county town is, the more cars are parked on the roadside. It can be seen that there are so many tourists to Western Sichuan during holidays. We stayed at the Yajiang Peace Ferry Hotel, which is actually a private hotel. It is relatively clean and has an elevator, which is very important for people who are on the plateau for the first time. When we went to Ruoergai in northern Sichuan in 2015, we carried our luggage up to the second floor, took two steps to rest, and were panting like a cow.
Yajiang is a small county, but it is very lively. The altitude is more than 2,600 meters, which is considered low. Fortunately, there was no Litang, the world's tallest city with a more suitable distance, otherwise Dad would be even more sad tonight. After dinner, my father also got better. He lamented that he was really old. I think this may not have much to do with age. Except for our father and daughter, they were all fine, even the two children who were bouncing around all day No response at all. Tomorrow I will arrive at Shangri-La Town, at an altitude of more than 2,900 meters. With the adaptation tonight, I think there should be no problem.
On the first day on the Western Sichuan Plateau, I was not disappointed. I will continue tomorrow and look forward to the beautiful scenery.
On the third day, Yajiang-Litang-Daocheng Shangri-La, 352 kilometers, starting after 8:00 in the morning, stop and go all the way, and arrive at 7:00 pm.
The relationship between Daocheng Shangri-La Town and Yunnan Shangri-La City is like the relationship between Youyang Taohuayuan Town and Hunan Taoyuan County. Today’s destination is here because this town is only a few kilometers away from Yading Scenic Area, and the altitude is only 2900 meters, so it is easier to adapt.
When departing in the morning, it is expected to only stay at the Litang Archway and Haizi Mountain in the world's highest city for a while, and try to arrive early. However, unexpectedly, since the first time we stopped at the 18th bend of Tianlu Road, we stopped again and again at the countless viewing platforms and parking areas on the road. The blue sky, white clouds, and grassland made us reluctant to stop. For almost a whole day, we have been tossing and turning on the plateau at an altitude of more than 4,000 meters, climbing and descending the mountain, probably turning over 4 or 5 sacred mountains. I didn't dare to let my father get off the car, and I didn't dare to walk fast or speak loudly, and I still felt tired. But sitting in the car, I was reluctant to close my eyes and rest my mind. The scenery was so beautiful, I felt that this hard-working day was actually a visual feast.
In the middle, I also cooperated with them to shoot a small Douyin video. The beautiful scenery will make people forget themselves, let the tail of youth sweep in my hand. I don’t have many posting circles, but I posted several posts in a row today. The beautiful scenery always wants to share with others, but today I met too many.
No matter there are many cars on the road, it is lively and smooth, and there are not many large trucks on this road, except for the speed limit of National Highway 318, which is perfect. Don't worry about where to eat, there are many small shops on the roadside, you only need to consider the altitude.
There are no trees on the plateau, it is all grassland, and green trees can only be seen when you approach Daocheng.
Shangri-La town is almost full of inns with complete facilities and expanding. At night, there is a lot of traffic, and it is extremely lively. The equipment for entering the scenic spot in the supermarket is all there is, but it is not much more expensive than outside.
This time in the team, my dad was highly rebellious, and I was mild. They are all fine, and I hope things will get better tomorrow.
On the fourth day, Aden Scenic Area. I thought I could rest early today, but I didn't expect to be sitting in the parking lot outside the scenic spot at this moment, and I was very tired. The original plan was that I would not enter the scenic spot with Gao Fan's father and two children, but when I arrived at the entrance of the scenic spot, I couldn't resist the temptation, so I took them on the bus of the scenic spot. And the four people who climbed the long line had already set off in front.
I took the bus for an hour, walked 700 to 800 meters with difficulty along the flow of people, and took a battery car for 5 to 6 kilometers before I arrived at the Luorong cattle farm that "passed by your whole world". She was originally a quiet fairy, but now she has lifted her veil. Under the high snow-capped mountains, the golden grass, the small stream flowing slowly... everything is like a dream, quiet, calm, neither noisy nor disturbed, beautiful alone.
The driver and I took an old one with a high anti-reflex and two noisy little ones, and walked slowly along the plank road of the cattle farm for a small circle, and took a few photos, which was a worthwhile trip. The sun on the plateau was hot and strong, and the wind was blowing and it was cool, and the jackets were taken off and taken off, making them out of breath, which seemed to be more tiring than when they climbed mountains and watched the sea. Dad took three steps, one stop and one inhalation of oxygen, and finally went down the mountain smoothly. The windows of the bus were not closed tightly, and the water bottle in the bag leaked again. I wet my pants on my legs and felt like I was wearing ice cubes. When I got out of the car, I vomited gloriously.
There were 9 people in the group, young and old, and in the end only Fangfang climbed to the five-color sea and the milk sea alone, and finally there was a representative.
Now I am sitting in the car waiting for the two of them to come out, and then I will stay in Daocheng 80 kilometers away. I originally booked a tent hotel for tonight.
On the fifth day, Daocheng County-Xinlong County-Garze County, 410 kilometers, departs at 8 am and arrives at 6 pm.
It was already 11:00 p.m. when we arrived at Yimahao Tent Hotel in Daocheng last night. This is a new hotel that only opened in August. In a village on the outskirts, the lights are dark at night, and I saw a little fox jumping on the village road. I was a little disappointed at first, but I actually saw the sunrise in the morning, and the hotel is not small, so it was a pleasant surprise.
In the original itinerary, today's itinerary is the most disturbing for me. Because of the route searched on Baidu or Gaode map, the Daocheng-Xinlong-Garze County route was closed nine out of ten times, and Xindu Bridge had to be detoured, which would take more than 200 kilometers. But occasionally it is connected. This is a provincial road 217, connecting the three counties of Litang-Xinlong-Garze, and more than 200 kilometers are along the Yalong River. Moreover, in 2018, four women in Chengdu drove down the Yalong River on this road. For several nights, I kept checking travel notes and road conditions for this route. Seda is a place I wanted to go a few years ago. If I don’t go this time, it will be too far and too difficult to come back.
When I had breakfast in the morning and was about to leave, I met another group of guests who were also going to Seda, and they were going to take a detour to Xinduqiao. But I still decided to go to Xinlong, navigating Daocheng-Ganzi County, if the passing point includes Xinlong County, the road will still be open, trust the government, trust the transportation department, the provincial road should not be closed for a long time.
After passing Litang, drive onto Provincial Highway 217 leading to Xinlong. There are more and more curves, and there are gradually big trees on the side of the road. There were no shops along the way, and at 1 o'clock, we found a restaurant for lunch in a village affiliated to Litang. Passing by Xinlong County in the afternoon, it is a small county with narrow streets and many construction projects in progress. There was a small landslide outside the city, and the excavator was digging, and we waited for 5 minutes. This section of the road has been running along the river, and there are 200 kilometers of landslides, and many local cars tend to occupy the road, which makes the drivers swear all the way and dare not delay. Although there were vehicles passing by along the way, I still felt uneasy. At the last 70 kilometers, I finally saw a road closed, but there was a temporary passage next to it. The road was uneven, but the sleeping car could walk. Long Quan said that being with her would bring good luck. When I checked the weather before I came out, it was raining every day, but it turned out that the sun was shining every day these days. I also once again affirmed the development of China's transportation, and every village is connected with roads. It is impossible that there will be no roads between counties for a long time.
Encountered two traffic checks along the way, every passenger must verify their ID card. The animals on the road are the biggest ones, and you have to be patient and let them go first.
Today I booked the Happiness Hotel in Ganzi County. This is a hotel opened by a lama, which is cheap and good. The lama at the main station has a very good attitude. He said that their hotel has never raised the price, and booking a room directly at the hotel is cheaper than Ctrip, but it is useless for people like us who come from afar.
It can be seen that Ganzi County is a relatively wealthy county. There are many small shops on the streets, and pedestrians stand shoulder to shoulder. There are plenty of goods in the supermarket, even self-heating rice and hot pot, we added some dry food, and I also bought the lip balm I wanted.
Seda tomorrow, I don't know if it will be crowded, and there are still more than a hundred miles to go.
In fact, every trip by car is like a challenge, because everything is unknown, the fear of the unknown and the yearning for the beautiful scenery make life full of meaning.
On the sixth day, Ganzi County - Seda County, 170 kilometers.
Today's trip is not far away, so we start from the hotel at 8:30. The hotel's breakfast is only steamed buns, porridge, eggs, butter tea, but the taste is not bad, and it can be full. When we set off, the lama manager of the hotel sent each of us a khata, wishing us Tashi Dele, very warm, and resolutely giving praise.
After passing the intersection to Luhuo, we gradually went up and saw the majestic snow-capped mountains, as if walking on the clouds. Then there are always curves. When passing Nailong Mountain, the S shape on the navigation is one after another, and the speed limit is 30. We slowly climbed up layer by layer. This is a new road and the road is in good condition. It happened to be noon when I arrived in Seda County, and I saw that the primary school in the city had just finished school. Isn’t there a National Day holiday here?
After lunch in the county seat, I drove 20 kilometers to the outside of Laronggou Wuming Buddhist College. According to travel notes, the Buddhist College has no food or accommodation, but today I saw that a tourist town has gradually formed around the Buddhist College, with hotels, restaurants, and parking lots, and the construction is still going on. Entering the parking lot is the bus stop, and it costs 3 yuan to get to the foot of the Buddhist Academy. When the red house full of slopes rushed towards us, it was really shocking.
My husband, Long Quan, Fang Fang, and Da Mao climbed to the top of the mountain along the plank road in the middle of the red house panting, without using oxygen. We rested four or five times during the half-hour journey. After climbing to the top of the mountain, the sun was shining brightly, my hair was wet with sweat, and the down jacket I brought out was useless. Many nuns and lamas in red clothes came in and out of the little red house, and basically everyone was chanting scriptures with a small speaker. They don't allow people to take pictures and don't talk to tourists, maybe they don't want us outsiders to disturb their cleaning. Ordinary people like us can only walk around quietly, and we feel that it is a blasphemy to them when we speak loudly. There are many tourists and believers who turn the prayer wheel in the mandala, and there are people outside who are doing pilgrimages one after another on the wooden board. We followed the person who turned the prayer wheel three times, feeling the power of this belief, and we couldn't help crying. .
Originally, we wanted to wait until night to take pictures of the night scene, but our feet hurt from walking, and it was still early, and more and more people went up the mountain, and the temperature was getting lower and lower, so we finally gave up. The hotel I booked today is in Wengda Town. There is still a 70-kilometer mountain road from the Buddhist Academy. Safety is the first priority. Avoid driving at night.
The road from Seda to Wengda is very new. Except for Big Brother Niu who dominates the middle of the road from time to time, the road is basically smooth. On the way, I also saw Tibetan monkeys looking for food from tourists on the side of the road.
Wengda Town is not big. We took a walk after dinner and saw the town government and primary school, as well as several hotels. As a three-way intersection, this should be a transit point for many tourists.
Get up early tomorrow and start heading home.
On the seventh day, Wengda - Tagong - Ya'an, 470 kilometers, passing through Luhuo, Daofu, Bamei, Tagong, Kangding, took 12 hours, and the overall road condition was good. Tagong to Kangding guided a new road, directly To Zheduoshan Airport Road, because the new road is under construction, there is a long section of the road that has not been paved with dust, and it is undulating. It is not easy to walk, but it is closer to 20 kilometers than crossing the Xindu Bridge.
Because of the long journey today, when we set off from Wengda after 7 o'clock, the sky was still not bright, and there was a light rain outside, and it was foggy everywhere. When we arrived at Luhuo, the sky cleared and the road surface was always good. There are many green trees and red walls along the road. There are many leisurely yaks on the road, and they are not afraid of cars. They often stand on the road. The old god is there. You just have to wait for it to walk slowly. Or don't move, there is no way. When we arrived in Daofu, we encountered a long stretch of colorful forest, patches of red, yellow and green shining brightly under the sunlight. Only after passing through did we realize that this colorful forest is a scenic spot in Daofu. The streets passing by all the way are flying the five-star red flag, the furnace is relatively large, and it is beautiful and clean.
It was already 2 o'clock in the afternoon when we arrived at Tagong. We didn't arrange any scenic spots today. The focus was on the road, so we could only feast our eyes in the car, but we still stopped at Tagong. The Tagong Grassland is next to the main road. There is a Tagong Temple at the entrance. There are many Tibetans leading horses. It costs 100 yuan to carry a person to the top of the slope. In fact, it takes less than 10 minutes to walk up the slope along the plank road, but almost everyone We rode a horse, and in order to find an entertainment program for our two children, we bargained for 80 yuan, and all rode up the slope. When we went to the top of the slope to take pictures, Ermao actually didn't get off his horse, he said it was too much fun.
Afraid of traffic jams, we rushed to Ya'an at 7 o'clock in the evening to send Longquan home, and we continued on our way, just to get home early tomorrow.
At 10:30 in the evening, we checked into Rongzhou Rongzhou Hotel, which is the most cost-effective hotel we have stayed in along the way, and the conditions in the mainland are good.
I will go home tomorrow, and I will start my same life again, but I believe this short trip to western Sichuan will give me endless aftertaste.
On the eighth day, Rongxian-Youyang, 595 kilometers, departed after 8:00 am and arrived after 5:00 pm.
