Getting High

It's funny how different it is when you travel with someone. You suddenly have so much more to worry about.

I just wanted a quiet breakfast, but Penelope kept talking about Jade Dragon Snow Mountain. Don't get too excited, I said, we are near Tibet you know. It's not a good place to go wandering off.

But of course P is a little flakey sometimes. I had just gone off to buy some mineral water when poof ! - she vanished.

As it happens, little P could see the snow capped peak of the mountain from out hotel and simply walked towards it in a daze.

She is inherently good at climbing, and by the time she reached a height of 4500 metres the Alpine Police had already got wind of an intruder.

Luckily, one of them had been transferred from a detachment in the town of Xian, where he had met P on what you might recall was her last run in with the law, involving an incident with the Terracotta Warriors.

Anyway, she had already passed out for 15 minutes from altitude sickness by the time she was found, so a good dose of oxygen and a friendly smile from the cop were a nice welcome back for her. She got a real high from that.

I have pleaded with her to rest now for a couple of days. All this excitement is too much for me.