It wasn't a very long drive out of the city, through sternly majestic landscapes under the eye-watering, bright cornflower-blue infinite vastness of the heavens. A wild eagle would occasionally flap overhead, and you could glimpse herds of galloping horses and placidly grazing yaks.
Everywhere we went was an assault on the senses, all bright neon signs and gaudy displays and flashing lights and intoxicating smells - especially when we approached the more pungent tofu stalls.
