A trip to Tibet that defied expectation

We were back following Tibet's mighty river, which flowed forcefully through this area. Riverbanks rose high, composed of glacial deposits carried through time by massive meltwater streams. It was a textbook landscape for me, a geographer.

Local hydroelectric plants were built on tributary streams, with more bridge work allowing accessibility for once remote villages formerly only accessed by wire ropeways. As the valley widened out, arable land produced grain, fruit trees were abundant and cattle grazed beside the river. There, where a smaller river joined the main flow, was the county town of Langxian, where I would stay overnight. My hotel sat next to the rushing waters of the smaller river. I spent time after dinner in a local café, run by a family from Kunming, writing or simply watching the outdoor scenes. The owners gave me cakes as a token of friendship.