Moxi Old Town

An authentic old town with a Mao Zedong past. Here you find little old ladies with wizened faces and gnarled fingers. We spotted one of these grand-dames selling red kiwi fruit by the side of the thoroughfare but we could not get past her hearing issues.  The tell-tale frown lines were etched deep into her face. She must have had some unpleasant history with tourists less awesome than us.

And by the by, the red kiwi fruit were awesome. Along this stretch of the journey, we ate freshly picked table grapes which were crisp and sweet. Edible cactus were peeled by the baskets and packaged in little plastic bags. These were purportedly healthy food but they did not taste great.

Catholic Church (where Mao Zedong supposedly took refuge way back when.)

Little black fungus used in vegetarian dishes available only in these parts were sold practically everywhere. Dried product (right) were seen in large glass jars. We took some home, soak to soften and stir-fry with broccoli. They tasted great!

Also known as Tibetan Gold Cost about RMB90+ per pinch.