The Government Officials

There is no road between Deqin and Yubeng Village and the Yubeng Villagers want it to stay that way. Their home is the last stop on the way to the Mystic Waterfall, a trek made by tens of thousands a year. If a road is established to their town then people could simply day hike to the Waterfall and drive back to Deqin at night and the hospitality business, from hostels to guides to horse rentals, in Yubeng Village would be in serious jeopardy.

On our last day in Yubeng Village our hosts were very busy preparing a large feast. They appologized for our simple breakfast but said they had to save most of their good food for the Government Officials who were due to arrive that night. They were being sent to survey the area and make a determination about the feasibility of building a road. Though the Villagers were obviously not in support, they were expected to entertain the Officials in grand style.

As the rain poured down all day for the first time in a week the Villagers winked at each other knowing that the Government Officials were riding unprotected on horseback through the storm. Kawa Karpo was clearly expressing his displeasure.

As evening drew near, the Villagers dressed in their traditional clothing and waited at the entrance of the hostel with warm shaojiu. We were watching the pageant from the nearby shelter of our awning. When it became apparent that the Government Officals were running late, the Villagers all ran over to stay dry under the eaves with us. At some point, one of them had the crazy idea to share their shaojiu with us! They tried to give a bit to Gail who took a small sip, made a face, and then backed away. Mike had about the same response. As an alumnus of one of Playboy Magazine's top party schools, I am proud to say I shot my shaojiu like a pro. Go Vandals!