Lhasa - CKG - Guandzhou - Amsterdam

Today, we had to depart the hotel at 06.30 hrs whatever  time one's flight was!! The airport is 65 km from Lhasa and it took the coach in excess of an hour to make the journey in virtually traffic less conditions. 

Our flight was to depart at 11.50 hrs  but on arrival at the airport, we were informed  that our flight was cancelled!! We are to take a flight at 14.55 hrs !! The only consolation is that we will fly directly to Goungzhou and arrive as originally scheduled. We then hope to board the 00.05 hrs flight to Amsterdam. 

My thoughts on Tibet: 

1. The Tibetans are a very gentle people and friendly even though the majority don't speak English. They appear to be very religious and one sees them praying on their beads (similar to our rosary beads but the prayers, our guide explained, showing us her beads, are counted in 100s and then 1,000) as they walk the streets. Prayer wheels, which spin around, are also used but less frequently. 

2. There is little doubt that the Chinese are trying to suppress their culture as the Chinese attempt to assimilate them. The railway line is a case in point - the Tibetans were not pleased with its arrival as it brought cheap mass produced goods and as a result their craft industries have suffered. As one Tibetan said to me ' we had mice but now the train brings rats' Was it allegorical ? 

3. As you've previously read, the level of security is enormous. There were riots in Lhasa in 2012 and since then there are riot police visible in the streets together with the regular police and the army. The level of police inspections is greater than I've seen anywhere, even in Soviet era USSR. 

4. The standard of hotels in Lhasa is very good and some of the restaurants are excellent but one must choose carefully where one eats. However, accommodation in Lake Namtso was very poor - either a tent shared dorm  or a basic room. The toilet facilities were woeful with a pit style toilet in the middle of the complex - divisions between toilets but no doors!! No showering or washing facilities available in the complex and as its a holy lake , one can't swim there!  On the train the toilets were never cleansed for the duration of the trip and one can imagine the level of deterioration as the train journey progressed. For the most part toilets here are disgusting, with no toilet paper available, (if, dear reader, you happen to pass this way, bring plenty of toilet paper, wet wipes, anti bacterial spray and tissues).  

5. Their personal habits are strange to us - the Chinese spit a lot but not so the Tibetans. As we waited to gain entry to the Potala Palace, a Chinese woman beside me spat. Our guide, who is a very sophisticate lady, berated her. However, one could see from the lady's confused expression she couldn't see the problem. When we visited Beijing some years ago, the level of spitting was disgusting but I've noticed a marked improvement on our recent visits.  Our guide told me she loves the European clients because they have manners and they do not litter. As I write this in the airport CAFE,  there is s man across from me shaving himself and on the train a man, who joined our carriage, commenced cutting his nails!! 

6. The cost of living for a tourist is reasonable, if not inexpensive. 

7. The internet is severally restricted. One can send and receive emails, make 'What's App' phone calls, but one cannot get Google or any internet site to download information - even details of Chinese tourist sites. 

Finally, in spite of the challenges aforementioned, we really enjoyed the trip.  Tourism is in its infancy - the main tourists at present are young people travelling between Nepal and Tibet, trekking, visiting Kathmandu and base camp Everest. 

If there's one regret, it is that we didn't visit Everest base camp. The facilities, I am reliably informed , rival Lake Namtso but still ...... the experience!!!

I would rate it among the top five holidays we've taken .... 😄

END

Lake Namtso - Lhasa

This morning I got up to see the dawn. Unfortunately,  it had began to snow and the clouds obscured 

Shortly after 0900hrs, we departed for Lhasa. As it had snowed last night, the Pass was quite a challenge. Trucks were parked up at the Pass. But it looked like a winter wonderland with the mountains and valleys covered In snow. 

 

We continued down the snow covered valley and as we descended it became milder. We were now at a mere 4,000 metres. The snow disappeared and  we followed the path of the river. It is a mere trickle in summer but it was clear from the size of the boulder debris that in winter this is a mighty river. 

The road, the river and the railway all share the usually wide valley. Where it narrows the railway that took us from Xining to Lhasa tunnels into the surrounding mountains 

or runs on tracks located high above the valley. 

Stopping at very ornate stations along its route. 

We arrived back to the hotel at 15.30, tired but appreciating the opportunity to travel outside Lhasa, where we encountered wonderful scenery.  

One cannot travel outside Lhasa without a guide. In Lhasa one is free to roam as one wishes. Why? Control? 

Lhasa - Lake Namtso

Last night we had dinner at a restaurant compliments of the tibertravel.org . The other couple are Orthodox Jews and eat Kosher food, therefore they have to go vegetarian while on holiday. The food was very good - it and the Dunya restaurant at the Yak hotel were the best we'd had. 

Tonight's accommodation is going to be quite an experience. Lake Namtso Is a holy lake - one cannot even put one's feet in it. 

This morning, we left for Lake Namts.  It is located in the .......... Mountains some 150 km from Lhasa. We have been been joined by people from eight other tours and now we are twelve - all at least thirty years younger than us!! One feels like a student again!!! The group comprises two British, two Americans, three Aussies, one Dutch, one Spanish, one Bulgarian and ourselves- all very friendly. 

The Dutch asked if we were to have a police officer on board?? The guide replied in the negative and informed us  that if the group was under nineteen, the company did not have to INFORM Beijing,  so we would not have a police officer on board.  

The security here is overwhelming. There is a hut every km at edge of railway line, there is a police check point c. every 20km, there are cameras on the tourist busses, there are mobile police and the army is very much present. At all tourist sites there are police and army- I have never seen such security. Each tourist coach is monitored and the driver is admonished by a central control for minor road infringements. If one receives 12 points, one has to resit one's theory  and motor classes again as if a learner. 

I'm here  sitting in a traffic jam on the outskirts of Lhasa! The Chinese are building a ring road around the city. They are demolishing all before them - no respect for the Tibetan culture! Some lovely, traditional  buildings are being bulldozed!   A roadside poster gives an idea of its complexity! It will be completed in a year! I surmise that it would take us ten years to complete a similar project! 

We continued on our journey, repeatedly delayed by numerous army trucks the width of the road. When I tried to video one of them, our guide asked me to desist as if I was seen the army would stop the bus and investigate. When CC tried to surreptitiously take a photo, the Chinese/American lady sitting behind us advised him that there were cameras on the bus! In my travels, as I have never encountered such a police state. 

We stopped for lunch. 

It was poor - rice and vegetables, cold meat which each table of six had to share. Tibet is a poor country and it shows in its cuisine. 

We followed the railway line along the valley - the route we had taken by train to Lhasa. CC was very pleased that three trains passed by - very close to us. We were in the upper valley and the main  activity was nomadic pastoral farming of yaks, sheep and cattle.

The herdsmen spend the summer moving about with their portable houses, which  have for the most part, replaced the tent. In winter they return to houses. 

We passed check point after check point but our passports were not checked. We left the track for the last 60 km. The mountain scenery was spectaculsr 

Finally, we entered the National Park. 

and commenced climbing steeply until we reached the Na Genla Pass, 5,190

meters high, the only entry route to the park.  

We stopped here to get our first glimpse of the lake. It is the highest salt water lake in the world.  It takes 10 days to walk its circumference and should one wish to do so, one must carry one's  own tent and supplies. 

We finally arrived at the camp. What a place - it was a sight to behold, with yaks and dogs ambling around the area. 

A quadrant of shops, restaurants and guest houses i.e. tents to you and me. The guide commenced allocating beds. He invited us to share a tent with two single gentlemen - a Dutch and a Spaniard. It was the best offer I have gotten to date!! However CC wasn't keen so we settled for a double room. 

It had been a long journey. We had departed Lhasa at 0930 hrs and arrived here at 1730 hrs with only a half hour for lunch and a short break at the Pass. 

We walked to the lake's edge 

to see the sunset but as it was cloudy, it was not a spectacular sunset - I have shown you better, dear reader.

It was very cold - c 4 degrees with a biting wind. Luckily, I had purchased a pashmina at a shop near the lunch stop, which inured me from the cold breeze rising off the lake. 

After sunset, we returned to the guest house for dinner. It was  quite acceptable. 

We retired. It is bitterly cold and will fall below freezing after midnight!  There is no heat in the room and an electric blanket is making little impression! 

Good night !! 

Lhasa

Last night we repared to the Yax Hotel restaurant. We dined on Sizzling Yak for CC and a Yak burger for me. It was delicious. The Tibetans hold the Yak in high regard as it is a clean animal feeding on the mountain shrubbery unlike the the cow, which eats litter. There is Yak of every variety in addition to the meat, there is butter, tea, yoghurt and ice-cream made from Yak. I have tasted all with the exception of the latter, which I intend to taste before I leave. 

    A white Yak - black Yaks are more       

                     Numerous

This morning, we visited the Jokang     Temple. The 1300 year old temple houses the golden Budda, the most revered in all Tibet. Candles in temples are Yak butter and it is impressive to see all the pilgrims (some very poor)  place money, flowers and fruit of all varieties to honour the Buddas in the various chapels in both temple and monastery. 

The Tibetans are a religious people, who are very gentle in nature as a consequence of their Buddism. In Tibet, monasteries are for efucation and temples for worship. We observed the young and old prostrating themselves outside the temple. For many, it is the trip of a lifetime to visit the most famous temple in Tibet. 

This afternoon we visited Potala palace - the winter residence of the Dalai Lamas. It is a massive structure overlookiing the city. It is the highest ancient palace in the world at a height of 3,767 m. The palace contains numerous chapels, golden stupas (tombs of several Dalai Lama) and prayer halls. It has been used since the 7th century AD but the present structure dates from the reign of the 5th Dalai Lama in 1645. It took 50 years to complete. 

 

It is composed of a red building with two white wings. The red wing is for prayer and meditation and is painted red to symbolise power. The white wing was used by the Tibetan government but today it is a museum while containing the living quarters of the Dalai Lamas though the present Dalai Lama is in exile in India. White represents peace. 

The sun was beating down on us as we climbed the reputed 1,080 steps to the very top of the palace. While being at an altitude of 3,665m, we felt every step we climbed. We had an excellent guide, a practising Buddism, who explained Buddism in detail to us. 

Three thousand visitors are only allowed to visit each day and one cannot choose one's time of visit. No photographs allowed inside the palace - dear reader you must make a personal visit.  

After completion of the tour of Potala palace, we repared to the hotel. 

 

Lhasa

We were conscious of the altitude so we had paced ourselves. If one attempted to  do anything too quickly, one got breathless.! 

We breakfasted on eggs, toast and yak butter, the latter I liked. It's very similar our butter if a little saltier. 

We met our guide at 0930hrs. A young, British couple  joined us and we set off for Drepung Monastery 

about 8km from our hotel. The morning was pleasant but one needed a jumper but not a coat. Formerly, Tibet was ruled both politically and spiritually by the Dalai Lamas. This monastery was one of the three pillars of the Tibetan state and was purportedly the largest monastery in the world, with 7,000 monks at its peak.

          The religious ceremony area

We did the 11/2 hour Kora around the 15 th century monastery. Luckily the Red Guards did not destroy it during The Cultural Reviolution. It has c. 600 monks residing there at present. 

              The monks' quarters 

There was much climbing and much 'huffing and puffing' from the group. (AMS (acute mountain sickness) is a life threatening condition but if you increase altitude slowly as we did by train, it is usually avoided. To date we have had no symptoms that would cause alarm). We saw the Buddas in their temples (no photos allowed) some large some small - all painted in silver and gold and a select few made of 100% gold!! It appears that when a Buddist dies, jewellery is not passed to his/ her descendants but is donated  it to the monastery, where  it is used to make Buddas!! 

From the monastery, the views of the city below were stunning. 

We were taken to a restaurant near Sera Monastery, where we lunched on excellent chicken and egg fried rice. After lunch, we repared to Sera monastery. 

The temperature had risen and thankfully there was less climbing involved. Founded in 1419, 5,000 monks once resided there but today there are only c. 600 in residence. 

 

The high point of this visit, apart from seeing more Buddas was the monks debating in the monastery garden. 

There is a master and a pupil. The master stands up and the pupil sits. The master claps his hands, asks a question and whoever he points to must respond. The monks practice every day except Sunday. They have an annual session, where the best 5 of the 600 are promoted. All other sessions are practice sessions for 'the big day'. The other point of interest was the mandalas made from sand - yes, you read correctly - sand. Eight monks colour the sand with natural dyes and it takes them 18 days to accomplish the task. It was impressive. 

In the past, one could become a monk as young as 7 years old but today one has to be 18. The monasteries have always provided and still provide the schools, the universities and the post graduate colleges. One can take any degree at the monastery. 

We repared to the hotel and we are now resting. We'll hit the Barkhor for dinner and a little shopping later tonight. 

Qinghai -Tibet Railway to Lhasa

It's the last stage of our journey to Lhasa. Our train is the fastest of the non high speed trains. It can average 160 km per hour but it is not doing so at present. 

Last night we ate at the restaurant on the train. No tablecloths to be folded away on this occasion, as the tables were glass topped!!!  Dinner was a bowl of Chinese chicken soup, a bowl of rice and a plate of fried chicken and beef. It was superior  to the previous evening. 

As we departed Xining at 1948 hrs, we just got a glimpse of the verdant pastures some 75 miles out of Xining. (pronounced Singing). 

I awoke just before dawn and  I thought I had landed on a lunar landscape, but as dawn broke, a vast white plain stretched for miles before me. 

A road paralled the railway line punctuated with trucks and the odd car. There was very large military convoy travelling towards Tibet!!

This morning we breakfasted on the remains of our platform purchases - Chinese food for breakfast is more than a garl can bear!! 

The landscape altered for a time as the permafrost was melting 

but very soon it reverted to its frozen state,

with signs of intermittent thawing. 

We reached Tagghuala station 5,062 metres above sea level - the highest railway station in the world! 

Shortly after, we reached Cuona  Lake ( heavenly lake) - most picturesque with the snow clad mountains fringing the lake on the far side and on the near side a small beach hugged the train line - a mere 3 meters away. The lake has an area of 400 metres and is reputed to be the highest fresh water lake in the world. 

We then entered Nahchu, one of China's largest grazing areas. The area abounded with sheep, cattle and Yaks.  The nomadic herdsmen had their homes dotted across the landscape.- simple buildings with a car and a couple of motor bikes parked outside or an even simpler tent. These nomadic herdsmen, move their animals cyclically in summer only and return to more solid homes for winter. 

Their area is are defined by very colourful prayer flags - different colours represent different wishes eg peace, health, a long life and many other prayers As we would learn, they are to be seen all over Tibet - on mountains, rooftops and bridges.  Further along the route the settlements  appeared to be organised in hamlets. 

We are now finally travelling through the  Nyainqentanglha mountains, the final mountain range we were to traverse before we reach the plateau. The landscape has altered again from thawed permafrost to a snow clad landscape.

It is snowing again as it was at the Tagguala pass and cloud/fog obscures the landscape. 

We enter D valley with its flowing river. The landscape is more benign . A mossy grass grows in the valley, the nearby mountains are free of snow though in the distance one can see the snow clad ones. Settlements have become more numerous. The animals are grazing in the valley and the shepherds are in the fields watching their animals. It is a very pastoral scene. The sun is shining and we have been informed that our ETA is 1700 hrs - a half hour to go!!  

The entrance into Lhasa is one of the most beautiful I have seen. - snow- capped mountains acted as sentries on either side of the wide valley, with its fast flowing river; a tributary of the Bramaputra River. Indian Buddists come to Tibet on pilgrimage to visit the source of the river, which has religious connotations for them. 

Trees, grass and shrubs are now visible, a stark contrast to the snow and thawing permafrost which characterised most of our journey. The same symmetry of planting was visible here as we saw on much of our journey from Guangzhou. Here we saw the farmers in the fields, bent over weeding between the rows- this perfection comes at a price!! 

We finally arrived in Lhasa Railway Station at 1720 hrs- ten minutes early. We had completed our journey - 53 hrs and 35 minutes!! 

The carriages emptied and what a sight - there mustn't have been a spare seat or standing room on the train- one can even purchase a standing room only ticket!!

There were obviously some tourists, mainly Chinese, but the majority were Tibetans. 

We were a little  concerned not to find our guide on the platform. As we exited the station, the ticket collector demanded  our passports and visas and handed them to a female police officer, who took off so quickly that I had to run to see where she was going- not to be advised at an elevation of 3,650 metres. In the hut to the right of the station were other foreigners! Our passports and visa were quickly copied and returned to us with a pleasant smile.   

We exited on to a wide square at the front of the station to await our guide but were quickly told to depart by a very officious, young policeman. One young girl had breached a cordon, blissfully  unaware that she was the subject of all the policeman's frantic whistling, as a friend photographed her. We then realised that no one was allowed into the station except passengers. At the entrance some 30 metres from the station doors, we met our guide, who took us to the hotel

As we journeyed to the hotel, we saw the famous Potala Palace, once the seat of the Tibetan Government and winter palace of the Dalai Lamas, towering above Barkhor, the Tibetan east side- the western side of the city is Chinese. Our 4 star Tibetan Lhasagang - Gyan Hotel is situated right in the heart of the Barkhor. It is beautifully appointed except again for the plank style mattresses! 

We rested, decided to make a foray into the Barkhor, located outside hotel gate. We went to the Bank of China next door and were able to cash euro in an ATM by inserting our passports in addition to the money . It was all very efficient as the directions were in English. The service is available 24 hrs and the rate to the Euro was excellent.  Contrast that the problems we had with Bank machines and credit cards in France!! 

We repared  to a restaurant nearby and had an Italian meal - our first since arriving in China and most welcome!!

En Route to Lhasa

This morning we breakfasted on hot boiled eggs and a really good bread bap purchased on the station platform for ¥10 (€1.50) at Xian, (pronounced Sea Anne) where we visited the Terra Cotta Warriors on our previous visit at Christmas last.

It was relatively cold here at 09.41 a.m. 

I'm sitting here on the corridor as we pass railway station after station, city after city. We're climbing now, 

though the serious climb will begin when we reach Xining (pronounced Singing) at 17.28 hrs this evening. There we will change trains for the final run to Lhasa. 

We're now 24 hours from Guangzhou and the scenery has changed utterly as we tunnel 

our way through the mountains,  their crests dipped in cloud. 

In the valleys below, the vast 'paddi  fields ' abound  

This afternoon, the agriicultural use of the land changed as paddi field was exchanged for triangular fields of various crops, some emerging from plastic covering.

The symmetry of the planting was amazing. The cities of yesterday and this morning were replaced by smaller villages constructed from mud. 

The roads and railway tracks are frequently built above the road to avoid interference with animal migration. 

One of many new high speed railways                 

              under construction. 

        Our train going through a tunnel 

We had no rain in Guangzhou but later last night as we travelled towards the mountains, it commenced raining and the ground was wet when we arrived in Xian. Now in the late afternoon it has cleared again but one notices a remarkable drop in temperature as we ascend. 

At 16.45 hrs and 29 hrs out of Guandzhou, we have arrived at Landzou station situated in a huge city. The large  cities are becoming more of a rarity as we ascend into mountains. As one approaches the platform at Landzou all the sellers are there doing business as at every station to date. 

The city is huge I've never seen any city like it - multi-storey tower blocks abound - below is a tiny percentage of them!! 

We arrived in Xinging at 1900 hrs and are due to depart for Lhasa at 1958  hrs. The temperature had taken a noticeable drop. In Guangzhou, it was 28• , here I would wager a guess that it's about 8-10• !!! The skirt has been replaced by the trousers and a jumper has been donned. 

The transfer to the Qinghai - Tibet train to Lhasa was as simple as crossing the platform and entering the same number carriage, cabin and bed. The carriages were built by Bombardier with special enriched -oxygen one on each bunk 

and U V protection systems. 

There was a slight moment of panic as the Tibetan visa was checked. It was all in Mandarin so we were totally reliant on our Chinese agent ethel@chinahighlights.com providing a valid visa. A foreigner cannot board the train to Tibet without  a valid visa. After some checking - all was in order and we boarded. Now we commence the 1,956 km to Lhasa. 

As we've travelled further north, it is still bright. Night descends in Guangzhou at 1930. At 2100 hrs darkness descended. 

The cabin was somewhat similar to the other but privacy is obviously not an issue in China as each ccomparment of 8 cabins had three wash hand basins on the corridor!! That was it ! At least the previous carriage had a door if not a lock on it!!