Michelle here again …
While Phil and the others were enjoying the dizzying heights of the snowy mountains, I was below exploring the old town; visiting the museum, checking out the temples and giant prayer wheel and doing some sketching. It was pretty peaceful and you could go at your own pace unlike the crazy touristy Lijiang old town. I was starting to feel better too, which was a nice change. I was just starting to get used to the altitude. At the place we ate dinner at, (during our last night in Zhongdian) we found out the owner there also ran an orphanage. Born in Switzerland, he speaks many languages and being an orphan himself, he felt he needed to do something for the many orphans he saw when he first came back to Tibet to visit. He sold all his assets and moved back to start an orphanage. Now his cafe also employs the orphans and trains them in english and other skills. It is really inspiring.
