The local police came to my hotel and woke me up at night to kick me out of this town near the China border for not having a permit to be there. Apparently foreigners needed a permit to stay overnight, and it took them a couple of hours to catch wind of my arrival. I was exhausted from a long ride and angry that this bit of red tape was being enforced. This $10 permit could only be purchased in a town several hours back from where I came, but they gave me the option - clearly written out in English down at the station - of paying a penalty of $30 and staying. I decided to be stubborn this time, and after extensive charades on both sides they let me stay without paying anything.