National Day Trip

The alternative title for this post could be "I may have finally learned my lesson."

First lesson being, if I have the urge to get some much-needed-as-an-undercover-introvert alone time...well, I should definitely stick to a plan of traveling alone.  Second, the only people who should travel on national holidays in this country are those who need proof that the billion+ population is not a mere exaggeration.

(It's not.)

All week, as those around us celebrated the birth of New China, I contented myself with much smaller celebrations, such as:
the arrival to our first destination (after an adventuresome night followed by nearly 15 hours on a bus),

Pre-adventure - trekking down a CQ highway in the rain due to standstill traffic.

Laura made a new friend on the long bus ride.  Heh.

 experiencing "almost" Tibet,

Tibetan prayer flags strung across a local river.

my first glimpse of yaks,

Hairy cows!

a delightful bowl of noodles,

The much-celebrated Lanzhou Lamian.

 and perhaps the most beautiful creation I've ever seen.

Long Lake, JiuZhaiGou

Clear enough to see to the bottom - at least 10 feet down.

The natural minerals/elements (including copper) turn the water the most stunning aqua blue. 

I'm a sucker for waterfalls.

 Lesson learned.  But still, I couldn't have asked for a better classroom.