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Old Tingri is a small town of around 500 people along the Friendship Highway (the road known to the Chinese less romantically as Route G318) about 190km from the border with Nepal. It is a 'one street town' that appears uneasy with modernisation. The picture above gives an impression of emptiness probably as it was taken at midday when the sun was high in the sky and most people were taking the shade. Though it isn't the most comfortable place to stay some expeditions do so. We didn't stay overnight here but we did stop here to eat both on the outward and return journeys and both times ate at the Ha Hoo Hotel, driving through the entranceway to the rear courtyard.
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The restaurant appeared very basic yet despite appearances the food was very tasty and there was plenty of it, as usual consisting of unlimited rice with several meat and vegetable dishes served onto a lazy Susan table with tea, coca-cola or water. Apart from the surprisingly good food the restaurant had 2 notable features, one being the solar kettles by the door (see picture) and the other being the toilet round the back featuring modern urinals that were not actually plumbed-in and good old fashioned holes in the ground providing ample food for the pigs in the field behind. After lunch the more intrepid took a stroll along the main street and we were in for a treat of new and old juxtaposed. Everywhere were signs of modernisation alongside traditional practices.
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This is my favourite: a disused petrol station being used as a makeshift butcher with fresh carcasses hung out to cure. In the slides below you will see other examples: ladies in traditional dress and ladies in jeans; ancient tractors and trucks being patched up next to a row of brand new motorcycles for sale; brand new cars and vans alongside a horse and cart; young people with iPhones alongside cows and dogs drinking from puddles in the street; washing hung out to dry over a tractor and trailer in the forecourt of the hotel. I was enthralled by the dichotomy evident in Old Tingri; indeed from this perspective it was my favourite location. I especially loved the way that we were completely ignored and allowed to watch life go by.