The Naturalist's Penal Colony - Shangri-La

Shangri-La is not a place let people comfortable on body, but a place let people relax and enjoy on spirit. So here becomes the top destination for China city tour. The French man Soss Constantine has been in China for 10 years, his Chinese is fluent as well as French. Sometimes, he speaks Chinese is faster than Chinese people, absolutely a word-TB. Under his convene, a hiking from Hapi Village to Niru start quickly. Who together with him is his French friend – Daming who specially comes to Shangri- La for holiday. Daming had stayed in China for 3 years, and then he always find chance to back to China. Niru is 160 kilometers away from Shangri-La County, and it almost spends 4 days and 3 nights from Hapi Village. This line has no village and various sideways, it is easy to lost, so it needs a local as leader.

Until dusk in first day, and was still there at the moment of the Shangri-La County, and we decided to overnight in a wooden house in summer pasture. The top of mountain is snowing, but the county at the foot of mountain is shining with lots of lights. Soss Constantine and Daming went to find water and I took care of bonfire in house. Between gaps of wood, I saw the red leaves covering the mountain, the continuous snow mountains in distance. The wind was heavy, immersed from gaps, we were all woken frozen.

The next morning, the other friends of Soss - Airy Kersee caught up. Airy Kersee walked fast, is favorite to rock climbing. At first, he was silence of few words, but after familiar he exposing his happy smiles. They walked briskly in front of me panting behind, like a walk alone. Beginning I also felt guilty, because they always stopped to wait for me, but gradually mutually accept each other's speed. Wind blowing, head shining sun, the snow mountain revealed a head from a pile of snow-capped mountains peaks in the serene and calm earth heaved, dazzling alpine plants green. Along the lake, there is no way, it is the depth of primeval forest. The night sky was covered by stars, we surround a fireplace by stone, and three French men read loudly the French poem. Without tent, we laid outdoor to look up the starts, sucking chill asleep.

From Hapi Village, we always forwarded in the altitude height of 4,000 meters, the landscape changes more depth and more colorful. Daming always great interested in taking photos for passed plants. He said his mother is very interested in plants, and knows many knowledge about plants, and he would show the photos of plants he taken on the travel way. When I had adapted to their rhythm, I started to enjoy the interests of hiking.

Finally, we arrived at Niru, we went straight to the Americans "Guo" in cooperation with local families. We finally able to sleep in bed! Evening, Proprietress and her husband held a bottle of bear individually, leaned forward and talk to us sitting on a small stool. Simple life, simple happy, it generally is the real true meaning of Shangri-La.