It was even more difficult to get up today. Colder, wetter and no electricity in the city meant no hot water for a shower, no lights in our damp cave and no Internet connection – oh the humanity. The weather called for not only our fleeces, but jackets too.

Finding breakfast was a bit of a pain with most of the restaurants unable to function without power. Luckily our local hangout (Noah Cafe) is on the way to the bus station and they were still able to serve an excellent meal. We have acquired tickets to Daocheng for 7am tomorrow morning ! Seat numbers 1&2 which means we were the first to book, or the only ones crazy enough to risk the trip in this weather – hope we don’t end up having to push the bus out of the mud !

The rain has limited what can be done around here. It’s perfect video weather save for the lack of electricity. V found a book in the hostel and by the time she was half way through it we were both getting really cold. We headed back out into the rain in search of hot chocolate and cake in a warm cafe. This combination proved elusive so we stopped in at a supermarket to stock up for tomorrow’s bus-a-thon. As fortune would have it the supermarket is next to Noah Cafe. I think we now qualify as regulars. Hot chocolate and chocolate pancakes in a warm cafe… close enough. Before long I was falling asleep at the table as V ploughed through her book.

We got back to the hostel and with nothing to do had a snooze while hoping the power would come back on. About an hour ago we started packing up in the pitch dark of our room using our headlamps – this is what it must be like to live in Northern Finland during winter without electricity. The cold and humidity here collaborate to create a weird damp climate that causes steam to rise in the beam of my headlamp when I pee. Fearing the worst (no hot water for a shower) I started making a shower based on V’s design out of a 2l water bottle. We prepared a large flask of boiling water this mornig for tea, but a shower is more important. As I completed initial tests V open our bedroom door to discover the power was back on ! We have no idea how long we were unnessesarily clambering around in the dark for. LOL.

To celebrate the return of electricity, internet and hot water we are off out to find some type of yak meat to devour. Possibly no net for the next few days.

[Pictures: Noah Cafe’s mascot taking a keen interest in V’s book]

– Posted from my iPhone via Wifi