The budget Tibet tour

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 11^th 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!