Kangding rocked again yesterday. This time, it reached a magnitude of 5.8. Most of the damage took place in the surrounding villages, No reports on the latest fatalities and injuries yet.
Not wanting to pass through Kangding on our way back, we headed off to Daocheng airport to try our luck this morning. Fortunately, we managed to get our seats. Daocheng airport is ultra modern, looking like a flying saucer. Situated on a plateau 4411m above sea level, it holds the record of being the highest airport in the world. The inside looks really classy. Unfortunately, the passengers are not so classy. The system also does not seem to accept the personal particulars of foreigners. My name on the boarding pass had to be hand-written. Let’s hope they get this fixed soon.
Yes, this place is high and freezing cold. To mitigate the effects of AMS, there is a free oxygen bar just next to the smoking room.
We had a smooth takeoff with great views of snow-capped peaks, glacial lakes and brown hills rolling off towards Tibet. We landed safely in Chengdu 55 minutes later. We’re back in the big city. No more subzero temperatures. Now, what do we do with so much time and so little money?
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