Tibet - Lhasa, Gyantse, Shigatse, E.B.C., Zhongmu

 … unfortunately due to my haste to get into Tibet in my last update I rushed from Shangri -La to Chengdu without elaborating much about the towns in between. The main reason for this though was because I could not find much of interest to see or do in Daocheng, Litang or Kangding. They were just stopover towns on my journey to Chengdu. However I must emphasize that the meandering and mountainous path through these towns was more of the reason for venturing along this route. Robert Persig said something to the effect of , ‘… the destination is indefinite. It is the journey which is of value …’ (Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintainance) …  

… the road from Shangri-La to Chengdu is considered by backpackers to be the back road to Chengdu. It takes many days and passes through or close to parts of Tibet. Depending on whom you speak to it is difficult to say which hamlets/villages fall into the Tibetan province. I found the hamlets and villages we passed through a lot more intriguing than the bigger towns. Along the way we ascended many high altitude passes which opened into spectacular views. The higher altitude also gave me a bit of a headache. But this aided me in acclimatizing for the high altitudes to be found further along in Tibet ...

… The Chinese government seems to be making a large scale and lucrative effort in luring/relocating Chinese into Tibetan dominated areas. It is beneficial to the poorer Chinese willing to relocate but also bad for the native Tibetan population. Politics aside, I managed to get to Kangding with 142 yuan in my pocket. That little amount of cash went towards my bus ticket to Chengdu which cost 121 yuan, leaving me with just 21 yuan. Not enough to find a place to sleep. I wound up wondering the streets until finally I managed to negotiate with a Chinese lady and she coerced a Tibetan guy also searching for cheap accommodation to share a twin room with me for 40 yuan. Initially he was hesitant but the Chinese lady managed to convince him to share a room and the cost. He didn’t speak any English. I didn’t speak any Mandarin or Tibetan. But we both were in a situation demanding that we combine our resources in order to reap some benefit. Once we agreed to share the room there was an immediate sense of trust. Perhaps it was naivety. I left my backpack in the room unattended and easily accessible and went for a stroll through town. When I returned my roommate went out for a wander. I only had 1 yuan and some biscuits left so he was kind enough to buy me a peach-flavoured juice drink. One may ask why I didn’t use my credit card to withdraw cash? The simple answer … it wouldn’t make for interesting reading or a memorable experience, and I’d forgotten my credit card access codes …

… so it was that I arrived in Chengdu with 1 yuan in my pocket. I couldn’t even afford a bus ride to the hostelling vicinity and wound up sweating all the way, with three bags, to the nearest youth hostel. It was in a trendy part of town and fortunately a Hostelling International (H.I.) affiliate. I managed to convince them to let me stay without having to pay for the night or leaving a deposit. Most H.I. affiliates usually have free internet access so after checking in I immediately began making inquiries about how best to get into and across Tibet. Later that evening I took a chance and went by another H.I. hostel in the area and managed to find Poli (the Greek dude whom I did the Tiger Leaping Gorge hike with). He had also been making inquiries about entry into Tibet and we’d been liasing since. Poli discovered that Sim’s Cozy Guest House and Travel Agency were the most affordable and helpful company he could find. It was a bit late in the evening but we decided to go see them anyway. As it so happened I got to use the one and only yuan I had left in my pocket for the bus ride to Sims. Unfortunately the lady that deals with Tibet related inquiries, Ashley, had already left the office. The staff present gave us the same information Poli had explained to me earlier. The trip we made was not fruitful but it reassured me that somehow we would get into Tibet …

… late the next day, after exchanging some cash and traveller’s cheques and running some errands along the way I met with Ashley at Sims. She explained the bureaucratic process, cost, time and documentation required to obtain a permit and ancillaries to get into Tibet. Through the agency it was simple, efficient and possible without having to obtain an extension on my visa. And it was still within my budget. However we didn’t have much time if I wanted to go without having to apply for an extension on my visa. I asked Ashley to check if she had received any e-mails from Poli as he had said last night that he would e-mail her to arrange a meeting with us. He did e-mail and even better, he left a roaming mobile number on which we could call him. We tried calling him but only received a voice message. Ashley and I ran through tour options, train departures as well as other groups looking for two people to join them or who would join us. (It is cheaper to travel in groups of four as you have to travel with a guide, a driver and in a land cruiser as part of the requirements) ...

… Once we’d discussed everything I was ready to pack my bags and go. I asked Ashley to please try calling Poli on his mobile again. This time we got a hold of him and as it so happened he was on his way to see Ashley with two Spanish brothers who were also interested in doing a Chengdu-Kathmandu trip via Tibet. While waiting for them to arrive I bumped into Tobias and Benedict. I explained to them why we didn’t meet at the bus station in Kangding due to the bus I was travelling in having a minor and inconvenient accident. As a result I couldn’t make it for the last bus to Chengdu and the ensuing situation I explained earlier transpired. An hour later Poli arrived with Xavier and Josē. The time to make bookings and secure train tickets was fading so we found a quiet corner and I explained everything as Ashley and I had discussed. Poli had to translate for Xavier and Josē as they did not understand English very well. Within 15 minutes we were all in agreement with the cost, time and itinerary, Xavier and Josē especially. We spoke to Ashley & paid a deposit ...

… fortunately we all had any necessary documents. Now our departure depended on whether Ashley could secure train tickets for us. She quickly got to work and contacted one of her staff members that was already at the train station to see what they could arrange. We had to wait another hour in case she couldn’t get tickets for the date we hoped to depart. We discussed Option B in the meantime. An hour later Ashley returned with a smile and confirmed preliminary bookings for the train to Lhasa departing on the 28th August 2009. The permits, land cruiser, driver and guide would all be arranged in the interim. We just had to ensure we were around when the train departed. It was a welcome relief to all of us. Now we just had to decide what to do with the three days we had left before departure. I considered going to Chongqing and doing a cruise on the mighty Yangtze River but couldn’t risk taking a chance with the transport system ...

… the best I could come up with was to visit a few recommended public parks and the pandas. The pandas were adorable but all they did whole day was eat, sleep, mess and play. It was more interesting visiting the public parks. There were many karaoke sessions, Latin dancing classes, Tai Chi classes, numerous board and card games and if you just wanted to relax with something to eat or drink you could do that too …

… the Chengdu train station was a hive of activity. It was huge with many entrances, some of which were closed till boarding time drew closer.  This was to avoid congestion within the station. There were many people going to Lhasa but the four of us were the only foreigners on the T22 train journey. When the gates finally opened everyone was directed to the luggage x-ray machine. We than joined another queue and had to show our travel permits. After that we had to produce our permits one more time before we could board the train and go to our cabins. We had requested the hard sleeper cabins. Poli and I shared one cabin with four locals as did Xavier and Josē. The two days and two nights journey to Lhasa was pleasant and relaxing. Initially we went through many tunnels; past many mountains; followed many streams; past a few lakes; a patch of sand dunes and a few towns. At the highest station point we were at an altitude of 5,062m A.S.L.. I could feel the added effort required to walk even a few meters at normal pace. When we got back onto the train some people even resorted to using oxygen for which the train had outlets. I just enjoyed the euphoria of being so high. Gradually as we approached the Lhasa station the landscape grew more arid and desolate …

… Lhasa is divided into the Old Town and the New Town, with the Old Town being a mixture of Tibetan and Chinese people and the New Town primarily Chinese. There was a strong police and military presence and we were repeatedly cautioned by Kalsang (our 1st class Tibetan tour guide) not to take any pictures of the military. Our first visit was to the Nepalese Consulate for visas, followed by a visit to the Dalai Lama’s summer palace (Norbulinka) across the road. It wasn’t very impressive except when you consider the stature of people who have been within its confines. There after we took a walk through the Barkor Street Market. It caters primarily for tourists and visiting pilgrims of the Drokang Monastery. I found the entry price to the monastery too expensive for my budget but Poli, Xavier and Josē went in and described it as the best monastery they toured in the whole of Tibet. They got to see the monks during a prayer session and were taken through the various sanctuaries and explained for what purpose they were used ...

… in most other monasteries there were few monks and the monasteries were primarily used only for big festivals; displays of statues of various lamas and deities and for the storage of scriptures. Within two days and a handful of visits we all grew tired of monasteries. On the day we visited Potala Palace (the Dalai Lama’s winter retreat) it drizzled all day. While the others visited the palace I joined the throng of mostly elderly devotees in circling the palace and occasionally spinning the numerous prayer wheels lining the boundary walls. I made it to Lhasa and Tibet. Lhasa is okay to visit for 2-3 days. Thereafter it’s time to get into a land cruiser and see the countryside. Our first view of what Tibet had to offer was at Kampala Pass (4,797m). As we came around and over the bend our sight was captured by the azure Yamdrok Lake, the bluish colour of which was unbelievable. Blue was a constant on our trip through Tibet, even when it was cloudy. You would always get a hint of blue along the way. Tibet has some of the most brilliant blue sky I have ever seen. The Karoo still has the best night sky though …

… we kept travelling up and up  and stopped at Neching Kalsang Glacier (approximately 7,000m), now the highest I’ve ever been in my life. It was awesome being at such a high altitude and seeing the glacier but we didn’t spend much time outside as it was very cold and the air was a lot thinner. Some nomadic Tibetans still live at this altitude though. We stopped at two more passes, Karola Pass (5,045m) and Simka Pass (4,430m) to look at the surrounding mountains and sceneries. Along the way we saw many barley fields and other crops as well as wetlands. We stopped in Gyantse for lunch and later in the afternoon got to Shigatse where we stayed overnight. From Shigatse we climbed two more passes. Tsola Pass (4,450m) and Gyatsola Pass (5,248m) before stopping in Shegar for lunch. I met and spoke to a Hungarian couple. They had just departed from Everest Base Camp (E.B.C.) and were on there way to Shigatse ...

… they were optimistic we would get to see the wonder that is Mt. Qomolangma, Sagarmata or Mt. Everest as most of us know the highest peak in the world. After lunch Shoma (our Formula One come Land Cruiser driver) raced up to Gyola Pass (5,120m) leaving other land cruisers in his dust. Along the way we had a good view of the mountain range in the distance but didn’t waste much time there as we wanted to get to the E.B.C. early. Some extraordinary 4x4 driving off the beaten track ensured we got to the E.B.C. at least 30-40 minutes before any of the other groups en-route arrived. We quickly off-loaded our gear at our tent ‘hotel’; had some tea/coffee to warm up and than hiked the 4km to the designated viewpoint. I lagged behind due to the uphill and thinner atmosphere. At the checkpoint Kalsang registered us with the military officials and than we rushed towards the viewpoint as fast as we could. Another big group were on their way back to ‘Tent City’. They had been waiting an hour just to see the top of Mt. Qomolangma but had no luck thus far. Now it was our turn to stand in the cold and hope to get a glimpse of Mt. Qomolangma’s peak if not all of the mountain. We waited two hours but didn’t get much of a view ...

… but we were optimistic we would get a clear view the next morning. Along the way back we constantly looked over our shoulder in case we got a teaser of what Mt. Qomolangma had to show us. Indeed we were more anxious than a teenager at Teasers. And yes, Mt Qomolangma was kind enough to show us her soft snow-capped summit. It was an exhausting effort to get to the top of the nearest hill as fast as possible so as to get the best view. We were huffing and puffing. Our noses were dripping. Our hands were freezing and my lungs could feel the chill of the Himalayan air. But the sneak preview was worth it. We returned to our wind-swept hotel even more optimistic that we would see Mt. Qomolangma in all her splendour the next day. Xavier and Josē even set their alarm clock for 04:00 so that they could have a moonlight view of the mountain. In the evening the wind brought more clouds and it wasn’t to be. That night was cold and my sleep restless due to my laboured breathing. But we had a good rest and in the morning we all looked forward, though hesitantly, to jump out of our couch beds and see Mt. Qomolangma from base to peak. When we got out of the tent the view was not as great as we’d hoped for. Many other people were also out to see the mountain. There were buses ferrying people to the viewpoint and gradually we could see the clouds clearing ...

… we had planned on walking to the viewpoint but seized the opportunity and bought bus tickets instead. The view and weather change fast so we had to get to the viewpoint as fast as possible. When we got there, there were not as many people present as expected. Slowly the clouds cleared a little. Than a little more and eventually we could see Mt. Qomolangma from base to peak and also some of the glacier. It was a memorable experience. We spent two hours enjoying the view and than returned to the hotel, packed the land cruiser and rushed off to Tingri. Most of the gravel/sand paths have no markings at all. Shoma just knew which path to take, and as usual left other land cruisers in the dust. Some of the mountainous paths were challenging and would be a joy to 4x4 enthusiasts. The land, though very arid, changed colour from shades of brown to grays, dark greens and dark blues. There was even water flowing or collecting in places. We got to Tingri early in the afternoon. It was a single road town with nothing much to see or do ...

… the next morning Shoma had to have a puncture repaired in one of the tyres and than we headed for Zhongmu, the Chinese border town with Nepal. Once more we drove through green vegetation covered mountainsides. We spent one evening in the hillside town and crossed over to Nepal the next day. Thus ended our journey to and through Tibet  …