JOURNEY DOWN THE MEKONG

PART 2 A NIGHT IN THE MOUNTAINS

Although it was autumn, the snow was already beginning to fall in Tibet.Our legs were so heavy and cold that they felt like blocks of ice. Have you ever seen snowmen ride bicycles? That's what we looked like! Along the way children dressed in long wool coats stopped to look at us. In the late afternoon we found it was so cold that our water bottles froze.However,the lakes shone like glass in the setting sun and looked wonderful.Wang Wei rode in front of me as usual.She is very reliable and I knew I did't need to encourage her.To climb the mountains was hard work but as we looked around us,we were surprised by the view.We seemed to be able to see for miles.At one point we were so high that we found ourselves cycling through clouds.Then we began going down the hills.It was great fun especially as it gradually became much warmer.In the valleys colourful butterflies flew around us and we saw many yaks and sheep eating green grass.At this point we had to change our caps,coats,gloves and trousers for T-shirts and shorts.

In the early evening we always stop to make camp.We put up our tent and then we eat.After supper Wang Wei put her head down on her pillow and went to sleep but I stayed awake.At midnight the sky became clearer and the stars grew brighter. It was so quiet.There was almost no wind-only the flames of our fire for company.As I lay beneath the stars I thought about how far we had already travelled.

We will reach Dali in Yunnan Province soon,where our cousins Dao Wei and Yu Hang will join us.We can hardly wait to see them!