in the clouds

wake up very early - we leave the hotel at 6 am with a breakfast box (very uninspiring) get to the airport and fly to Jiuzhaigou. Temperature 5 celsius - what a change!! I ask what is the airport altitude -and guess what? 3,600 m!!! I realize we are in Tibet (I didn't know) and the airport is located in the high plateau - higher thn the park we are going to visit!! It rains all day, but we can still enjoy the views. We have a 23-y-old tibetan guide, Alexander, nice and efficient, and a crazy driver. Long winding road. The Hotel ( Shang Ge Hotel) is not so nice but we have a slow internet connection in the room. In the afternoon we visit the park taking several internal buses often full of cginese tourists. The natural views are breathtaking, many small lakes with incredible colors given by algae that grow in very clean and still waters. between the lakes often spectacular waterfalls. I am really glad I included this park in the itinerary. We stop a a tibetan village, Shuzheng Zhai, colorful and full of flags, but completely filled by tourust shops. Letizia does not buy anything.
In the evening back at the hotel, usual snack for dinner and a little walk outside the hotel where we see a miriad of local shops with wonderful decorated wooden doors.