I signed up for the 8 day/7 night budget Tibet tour, which still cost me a whopping $1000 and only
included transportation, an English-speaking Tibetan guide, shared hotel
accommodation and breakfast. The rest of my meals, drinks and anything else
would be up to me. What was I paying for exactly? The tour itself was
approximately $380, the visa for US citizens (thank you China) was a whopping $175 and the one hour flight from Lhasa to Kathmandu was an even more staggering
$445! I inquired at numerous agencies in both Kathmandu and Pokhara and this
was the best I could do.
I had a big debate with myself about spending this kind of
money for just a week of travel, but I decided in favor of such a tour because
I really wanted to see Tibet for myself, see what it was like under Chinese occupation and to experience being at such high elevations. These are things
that just visiting a Tibetan refugee camp could not do, even if the Tibetan
culture was better preserved there. I was also sandwiching the tour between a
10-day trek and a 10-day meditation, two relatively inexpensive activities,
which helped balance my total expected monthly expenditure into something less objectionable.
Day 1 – Tuesday, May
1
We met outside the Tibet Tours & Travel office in
Kathmandu at 6:30 in the morning. There were 16 people in our group, all
roughly scattered around the same age as myself, which I found comforting.
There were five couples and six single folks and our Nepali guide, who was to
accompany us to the border. The 16 of us plus guide managed to meet at a local
café for breakfast and tour debriefing before we departed in the bus
for the Tibetan border.
It was nice to have a change of scenery even if I couldn’t
see well out of the bus windows. We were going to Tibet! It took about five
hours, if I remember correctly, climbing slowly alongside a river and past a
small border village, which was slightly charming. We left the bus and driver
behind, grabbed our luggage and proceeded to the bridge, where it was expressly
forbidden to take pictures. In the middle of the bride a Chinese soldier
checked our passports and visas, which had been stamped on separate sheets of
paper. There was to be no special stamp in our passports.
Eventually we got through the bureaucracy on the Tibetan side of the bridge. Welcome to
the People’s Republic of China. Everyone was Chinese and nobody was
smiling, which really says nothing about the Chinese as this is the case with
most border crossings. They searched our bags for any political paraphernalia
such as books, Tibetan flags or Free
Tibet t-shirts. Nothing was found as far as I was aware. Lonely Planet
books were apparently also confiscated if found as there is a printed letter from the Dalai Lama and their maps don’t recognize Taiwan
as part of China, as they shouldn't.
Once in China (Tibet) we boarded a new bus and were told
that a landslide during the previous night was blocking the road and we would
spend the night in the border town instead of Nyalam, the intended destination,
27 km down the road. This place was about as unattractive as border towns get,
but fortunately without the touts and people trying to sell you something. It
was also situated on a hill, whose road wound up and up and up and there was
nothing really to make you feel like you might actually be in Tibet other than
the prayer flags and various Tibetans, who seemed to not be doing much in relative
comparison with the Chinese shopkeepers in the restaurants, supermarkets and
hotels.
We ended up at probably one of the worst hotels and had
dormitory style rooms, five or six beds per room with shared squat toilets, no
showers and accordingly, no towels. The rooms were chilly at
approximately 2000m elevation and they provided us with a hot thermos and some
weak green tea. There were also heavy blankets on each bed and despite the less than desirable conditions, I slept well,
cotton in one ear and my iPod in the other.
Day 2, Wednesday, May
2
We woke relatively late and assembled for breakfast in the
hotel’s restaurant at approximately 8am. We had eggs, Tibetan bread and tea or
coffee and were told, shortly thereafter, that the landslide was still blocking
the road, but we would take the bus as far up as we were allowed. We were not
allowed very far. We were told it would
probably be 5pm before the road was cleared and to return to the bus at 2:30pm
to see if any news had unfolded. Disappointed, but aware that nature could
derail our plans, we spent the time on the bus or on the side the road,
reading, sleeping, chatting or listening to music and also trekking back down
the road to the town for lunch and snacks.
Bad news. We were told we might have to stay in this
shit hole another night. That was certainly depressing news as we had limited
time and we were squandering it involuntarily in this boring, relatively
unfriendly place that reminded me nothing that I invisioned of Tibet. We were
told there were large rocks 15km up the road and they needed some heavy
machinery to split them. There was a line of vehicles at the checkpoint,
which at least made us feel a little better as it wasn’t just some conspiracy
against the tourists. We were told we might be able to leave at 9pm and were
told to return to the bus between 7:30 and 8pm.
Good news. After one more trek to the town below to procure
provisions and kill time, we were headed back to the bus and could see the road had
opened. Land Cruisers and buses were coming in so we began to run for the
bus, but our lungs would not allow for such activities at this elevation. High
fiving our guide, we got the low down on the situation and happily boarded the
bus. We would go to Nyalam, our first night’s destination, 27 more kilometers
up the windy road. It was already 8pm. It was decided we would wake up early
the next morning to make up for lost time and get back on schedule.
The drive up the gorge was slow, but amazing. It is
understandable, at least from this route into Tibet, why Tibet was so isolated
from the rest of the world for so long. It must have taken a lot of money and a
lot of time, not to mention a lot of lives, to cut and build this road into the
rock. We would and wound up the gorge, over bridges, looking down at the river
slowly getting farther and farther away and the snow capped mountains getting
closer and closer with each slow kilometer up the road.
Eventually we reached Nyalam at approximately 9:30pm. Yes!
Somewhere different. It was much colder at 3,700m, but we were much happier to
be in a new place and see, even if it was dark, a new side of Tibet. The people
seemed nicer as did the hotel and there were more shops, with cheaper goods in
even greater abundance. It was too late for dinner as we unanimously agreed
upon a 6am departure. I ate my Tibetan bread with some tofu I had procured in
the previous town and washed it down with some Yak butter tea, a nauseous concoction that I can only imagine is an acquired taste. The hotel rooms were
nicer, but still dormitory style with 5-6 beds per room, squat toilets with water on the floor and non-functioning sinks. Still no shower, but I was too cold to get undressed anyway.
Day 3, Thursday, May
3
We rose at 5:15am. It was cold and I didn’t sleep well. The
high elevation wasn’t causing breathing problems, but it was preventing me from easily falling asleep. And despite wearing thermal underwear and having two
thick blankets, I was still a little cold during the night. I have no idea how
cold it is, but as it snowed briefly the night before, I would guess it was
below zero. Brrrr! After a relatively unfulfilling breakfast of tea, coffee, eggs and Tibetan bread, we boarded the bus and got on our way.
It was still
quite dark and even an hour later, at 7:30am, not much could be seen from the bus
as we continue up through this rocky, barren landscape with the occasional
patch of snow. The bus is cold! My feet are freezing and I realize now that I
underpacked and should have brought my trekking shoes and more pairs of socks.
Wow! This landscape is endlessly barren. Cold and lonely are
the words that come to mind, but it’s fucking cool all the same. The road keeps
going up and the views in all directions are yellowish brown in color, rocky
and slightly undulating. We must be nearing 5,000 meters. The bus stopped at
Lalung La pass, at an elevation of 5050m at a mountain of prayer flags. We got
out to take pictures as the sun was rising on the horizon. After a few minutes,
my hands and feet were frozen, definitely the coldest I’ve been in years and I
happily got back on the bus.
Later we stopped at Gyatso La pass at an elevation of 5248m,
definitely the highest I’ve ever been. More prayer flags dancing in the wind.
We kept going and going with the driver going at a slightly uncomfortable
speed, but he got us there in one piece. There was another high pass,
approximately 4800m, but at that point, it was nothing special. We had lunch in
Lhatse, 4200m, the first big town we reached and had a nice break. It was where
we were supposed to stay last night, but after being there and seeing that it
was rather unspectacular, I was glad to be moving on.
Eventually, after napping on the bus for the first time and
relinquishing control of my fate to the driver, we arrived in Shigatse, 3950m,
around 4:30pm. We checked into our hotel and were surprised to find a nice
place. Shared rooms, but with all the amenities and considering the weather, we
were very happy to have hot tea, a hot shower, thick blankets and a relatively
quiet room. I walked around with Niko and eventually we ran into Nea. Shigatse
is quite big and the Chinese influence is definitely here, but there are a
great number of Tibetans as well. They are so friendly and jolly in nature. I
am happy with nearly every interaction.
We found a nice vegetarian place for dinner with seemingly
normal prices, finally nice to see that. Nice Tibetan fried rice and a bowl of
vegetable noodle soup along with some sweet Tibetan tea (masala tea) all went
down well and I’m stuffed, but still managed to put in some sweets from the
corner supermarket. The streets were relatively deserted on our walk back to
the hotel. Looking forward to a lie in tomorrow morning.
Day 4, Friday, May 4
Had to rise for a 9am breakfast this morning. Slept alright
considering the elevation, but uncontrolled deep breathing every now and again
was in effect. Had a strange breakfast, but at least it was different from the
standard bread and eggs. At 10am we went to visit the Tashilhunpo Monastery, home of
the 11th Panchen Lama. Apparently there is some controversy about
him, as he isn’t the true reincarnate of Buddha, but rather selected by the
Chinese government to control the monastery. I have to say it got a little old
looking at all the chapels, tombs and whatever we were looking at. Tibetans are incredibly devout with all their prostrating, turning prayer
wheels, counting beads, reciting mantras and all their offerings: putting butter
into the butter lamps and giving small cash donations.
We finished our monastery tour at noon and ate lunch in
Shigatse as well as our bus was getting repaired. We ate at the vegetarian
restaurant again. It was snowing. At 1:30pm we hit the road to Gyantse and
arrived at about 3:30pm, checked into our hotel and met again at 4 to tour the
Palcho Monastery. Apparently the majority of it was destroyed by the Chinese, but
they still have some nice chapels and a huge wall to display a thangka, a large embroidered tapestry. I think. I might not be explaining that correctly. There is also an old fort on a hill overlooking the monastery.
On the walk back from the monastery we walked through a
Tibetan neighborhood and took pictures of cows and kids and were invited into a
woman’s home to drink warm sugared water and tsampa, barley flour mixed with
sugar and hot water. She adorned us with white scarves, khatas, and brought out some
food, which was nice, but we knew she wanted money and we obliged her, but
didn’t stay long. It was fun to play around with the kids and greet the locals
who always seem cheerful and curious about us. We found a cheap place for
dinner - more noodles – and it was good, but still relatively unfulfilling. The
soup was definitely yak broth based as I haven’t smelled something like that
for years.
Tibet is fucking cold. I don’t think I could manage to live
here even with the warmest winter clothing. Dry skin, runny nose and achy
knuckles – all signs that I should be living in SE Asia – but it’s definitely
still nice to be visiting this part of the world. It snowed a lot today and I
am laughing at the tank tops and shorts in my pack that will most certainly go
unworn. Thank goodness for the hot tea, recent hot showers and the relative
abundance of random sweet snack foods that are keeping my belly warm.
Day 5, Saturday, May
5
Left Gyantse around 9am after a 7:30am breakfast, probably
the best yet. We traveled quite a lot today passing village after village,
scenic vista after scenic vista, yak after yak. We stopped in some place for a
mediocre vegetarian lunch and were on our way again, bound for Lhasa. We
arrived just after 4pm. Lhasa is quite the Chinese city – much bigger than I
expected and more modern, way more modern than the rest of Tibet. Apparently
2/3 of the city’s inhabitants are Chinese. We got settled in our luxurious
accommodation and quite happily ready to enjoy not being on the move for the
next few days. Our rooms have electric blankets!
At about 6pm some of us assembled in the hotel lobby and
found a restaurant where I had my first Lhasa beer, a relatively light
concoction around 3.8% alcohol, but after a month of very little alcohol
consumption, it was strong enough. We had a nice dinner, finally feeling warm
at this low elevation (only 3700m) and enjoyed idle chit chat knowing we don’t
have to wake up early tomorrow. Looking forward to some sightseeing and
hopefully can find Tibet somewhere in this predominately Chinese city.
Day 6, Sunday, May 6
Had a nice breakfast and a couple cups of coffee to
significantly distort my sensibilities. We had some free time in the morning to
relax before heading to the Potola Palace where we were lead around like sheep
only understanding about 10% of what the guide was saying. We only had one hour
in the palace and couldn’t take any pictures. The whole of Lhasa feels like a
museum preserving what is left of Tibetan culture. A bit depressing. After the palace we went to Jokhang Temple,
which was filled with devout Tibetans with their bags of butter and prayer
wheels. I feel like we were in the way and as none of the religious figures
mean anything to me. I felt like getting out as quickly as possible.
Overall, didn’t feel in the mood today. Tried some street
food, took some pictures and tried to walk around, but felt all the streets
were the same. Stands selling Tibetan souvenirs and jewelry and Chinese
soldiers walking around everywhere. Ugh. In the evening we found a decent place
serving marginal food. I miss SE Asian cuisine!! Tired of this food. Eating up
sugary snacks like they are going out of style. Had to escape the dinner
conversation as it was dominated yet again by the same person. Would rather be
alone.
Day 7, Monday, May 7
Went to the Drepung Monastery this morning. Another monastery. Apparently there used to be up to 10,000 monks living here. And now only 400. The Chinese government only allow so many monks to practice and they are under tight watch. We saw some monks, chapels, tombs...I don't even know what I was looking at. Our guide is quite nice, but not very informative and leaves a lot to the imagination. I find myself getting more information on Wiki and proclaiming Aha! after putting all the pieces of the puzzle together.
In the afternoon we went to Sera Monastery, another formerly enormous monastery. We went there primarily for the debates, which were apparently philosophical in nature. Two monks sat side-by-side and another monk stood twirling his prayer beads in his hands and clapped his hands in the direction of the monk who was to answer the question. It was interesting, but there were so many foreigners taking pictures I don't know how they could not feel like they were just actors in a show.
In the evening we more or less had free time and I decided to do my own thing. I walked around and finally got my bearings in this central area of Lhasa. I looked at things for sale, made inquiries and in the end, bought nothing. I also went into various cafes, looked at menus, but never sat down. One cafe had coffee for nearly $7 a cup. Only stayed there long enough to laugh at the waitstaff who were waiting for me to sit down.
Eventually I found a place to have a small thermos of tea. Then I continued my walk collecting various bits of street food and ate back at the hotel while most of the group went out for a last supper. I just needed to escape for a minute. And didn't want to talk about the same shit we seemed to talk about over every meal. I liked my group, but I like doing things on my own from time to time as well.
Day 8, Tuesday, May 8
Thank goodness for the electric mattress pads! This hotel was luxurious by backpacker standards. It was quite cold at night, but the blankets did the trick. We got up at 7 this morning, ate breakfast, said some goodbyes and hopped onto the bus. We detoured to the bus station and then headed to the airport, which was approximately 60 km from downtown Lhasa. We had about an hour delay, but finally got going around noon.
I was quite surprised by the size of our plane. I was thinking maybe there'd be about 20 passengers, but it was closer to 150 and the plane was therefore quite big. It was a pretty smooth flight despite the delay and we did get some quality views of Mt Everest from the windows. It was also nice to finally feel warm again and shed some clothing. Next!
