From Shangri-la,we took the bus all the way back to Lijang and enjoyed a few days ofjust walking around the town and soaking up the idyllic atmosphere. We even made it to the snow mountain musicfestival in the nearby twin town of Sushe but instead of chinese rock we saw two french travellers earning their travelling money by juggling in the street and playing the accordian. It was just crazy to see the chinese tourists being so generous. In about 20 minutes the guys had earned 600 yuan. In one week they would save 400$ just performing in the squares and in 'La Petit Paris', a french restaurant in Lijang. What a way to travel.
And then it was time to get back to Kunming and on to Vietnam. A few days in Kunming and it was just what the doctor ordered. A few days to chill, late nights and even later mornings and being pampered by the swiss. Another bus ride which I'll not forget in a hurry.
Friday, 12 October 2007
Wednesday, 3 October 2007
Chengdu, Kunming, Dali, Lijang and Shangri-La
Chengdu is actually a beautiful city now that I look back on it. It was great walking in the parks and watching people dancing, singing opera and doing their daily exercises. This sort of a thing is such a big thing in China and the parks are beautiful and make it so easy for the locals to escape the city noise and get into a calm, peaceful and beautiful environment again. The chinese really love their flowers and their plants and the daily exercise whether it's in the form of dancing or Tai Chi is done in the parks which are nestled all over the cities. Chengdu also has streets with very old architecture and beautiful pagodas but like everywhere and everything in China, everything old gets a facelift and even though it looks gorgeous the old charm is lost. But it was nice to spend a day walking through these parks and old streets.
And then I was ready for Kunming. The capital of the southern state of Yunnan. I have been hearing loads about this southern state and it's beauty and it being so close to Tibet I was excited to mo move on. I think a night under the stars seemed like a great idea at the time but the train ride to Kunming was not a pleasant one. I was on hard sleeper all the way and trying to get rid of the cold i'd caught. Anyway, arriving in Kunming was like arriving in just another big chinese city. But it was nice because here I met some old friends that I had made in Beijing and Namtso. But there isnot much to see in Kunming itself and it would be a bad idea to get stuck here for a whole week so I decided to join the guys and go to Dali and Lijang. Every traveller I have met along the way has told me how beautiful these places are. On thebus ride to Dali I found Alex, Anthony, Matt and Oliver, who were to look after me for the rest of the week. It's great travelling with them because they all speak a bit of chinese. French students living and working in China. They have helped me to see the nicer side of China and I think I am finally starting to like it here. There are a lot of foreigners coming to China to work and study. Great opportunities here I'm told. But I still can't see myself living here for a long time. Anyway, the guys are great, funny and easy going and we had a great bus ride. Arriving in Dali I also met Irish Angela and so now we have a new team. Another great one.
Angela and I walked to the fields where we saw the harvest in full progress. The women here work really hard. A lot of the ethnic minorities we saw along the way to Shangri-la have the same lifestyle. The women work really hard on the fields, looking after the children and the men teach the children 'culture':) After the walk through the hills we went to the lake and had a boat ride in a little green canoe. It was great to be on the lake in the evening. The lake is surrounded by mountains and the scenery all around is just stunning. Dali is a beautiful little town. It's nice to be away from the big cities and in the countryside and there small little, beautiful places. The 1st was National day so we spent the monday walking around Dali and got to see lots of traditional dances which was great. Such colourful costumes. This week all the chinese are travelling and onMonday Dali was absolutely packed with chinese tourists and also people in traditional dress who had come from the nearby villages. It was just great to walk around and take it all in.
That evening we all took the bus to Lijang and when we arrived there it felt like we were in a fairytale city. It was just so pretty. And we all felt that we wanted to stay there forever. Red chinese lanterns lighting our paths, traditional chinese roofs everywhere and little canals with fishes and bridges all through the town. It was just idyllic in a setting in the hills among the trees and as we came into Lijang, the sight was just breathtaking. It gave us all such a high. Arriving in a beautiful city in China, we walked around, found beds, dumped our stuff and went to explore the town further. Dinner, a few beers and we had a great night. Next day, though the reality kicked in. This old part of Lijang, renovated and rebuilt after the earthquake is just a one image. When we walked out of the old walls and out of this fairytale part to go get bus tickets we saw that outside of the walls, it waslike any other chinese city, poor, dirty, and everyday life carrying on as normal.
We got our tickets...moving on to Tiger Leaping Gorge, walked around the market, had noodles at the local stall and got ready to leave on the evening bus. It's so much nicer travelling with the guys,not just coz they are funny and warm but also because they speak chinese. We see a different side of China,a nicer side.
Taking the bus that evening we got to a little ghost town that night, managed to get ourselves a really nice hotel for only 20 yuan, and get ready for the trek the next day. It was going to a very early start. We were up and ready to walking at 4 in the morning. We didn't wanna pay the entrance fee to the gorge and this early in the morning the ticket office would be closed and the people sleeping.
We were ready for a long 2 days of trekking in the gorge but instead Angela and I are in Shangri-la this evening. I love travelling this way. I never ever know what's coming next. The trek along the gorge was breathtaking and since we were up so early, we managed todo it all in a day.
Shangri-La however, was a bit of a dissapointment after being in Tibet. It's supposed to be a Tibetan city but really it's just a big specially built city to bring in more tourism and it's built by the chinese as their versionof Tibet.
But as night felt, there was a great atmosphere and everyone gathered in the main square. Suddenly there was Naxi (the localethnic minority in the region) music playing and all the locals started to form circles and dance. It was amazing to watch, each dance had a special choreography and it was the old dancing alongside the young, women in traditional dress alongside those in the latest western fashion. Everywhere in the world it seems somehow people manage to come together and create a sense of community. We joined in and the locals tried their best to teach us but I guess they had been dancing those dances all their lives and most of us foreigners had two left feet. But it was just warming to be there and share a few moves with the locals. It's so rare for us to find such an atmosphere back home.
And then I was ready for Kunming. The capital of the southern state of Yunnan. I have been hearing loads about this southern state and it's beauty and it being so close to Tibet I was excited to mo move on. I think a night under the stars seemed like a great idea at the time but the train ride to Kunming was not a pleasant one. I was on hard sleeper all the way and trying to get rid of the cold i'd caught. Anyway, arriving in Kunming was like arriving in just another big chinese city. But it was nice because here I met some old friends that I had made in Beijing and Namtso. But there isnot much to see in Kunming itself and it would be a bad idea to get stuck here for a whole week so I decided to join the guys and go to Dali and Lijang. Every traveller I have met along the way has told me how beautiful these places are. On thebus ride to Dali I found Alex, Anthony, Matt and Oliver, who were to look after me for the rest of the week. It's great travelling with them because they all speak a bit of chinese. French students living and working in China. They have helped me to see the nicer side of China and I think I am finally starting to like it here. There are a lot of foreigners coming to China to work and study. Great opportunities here I'm told. But I still can't see myself living here for a long time. Anyway, the guys are great, funny and easy going and we had a great bus ride. Arriving in Dali I also met Irish Angela and so now we have a new team. Another great one.
Angela and I walked to the fields where we saw the harvest in full progress. The women here work really hard. A lot of the ethnic minorities we saw along the way to Shangri-la have the same lifestyle. The women work really hard on the fields, looking after the children and the men teach the children 'culture':) After the walk through the hills we went to the lake and had a boat ride in a little green canoe. It was great to be on the lake in the evening. The lake is surrounded by mountains and the scenery all around is just stunning. Dali is a beautiful little town. It's nice to be away from the big cities and in the countryside and there small little, beautiful places. The 1st was National day so we spent the monday walking around Dali and got to see lots of traditional dances which was great. Such colourful costumes. This week all the chinese are travelling and onMonday Dali was absolutely packed with chinese tourists and also people in traditional dress who had come from the nearby villages. It was just great to walk around and take it all in.
That evening we all took the bus to Lijang and when we arrived there it felt like we were in a fairytale city. It was just so pretty. And we all felt that we wanted to stay there forever. Red chinese lanterns lighting our paths, traditional chinese roofs everywhere and little canals with fishes and bridges all through the town. It was just idyllic in a setting in the hills among the trees and as we came into Lijang, the sight was just breathtaking. It gave us all such a high. Arriving in a beautiful city in China, we walked around, found beds, dumped our stuff and went to explore the town further. Dinner, a few beers and we had a great night. Next day, though the reality kicked in. This old part of Lijang, renovated and rebuilt after the earthquake is just a one image. When we walked out of the old walls and out of this fairytale part to go get bus tickets we saw that outside of the walls, it waslike any other chinese city, poor, dirty, and everyday life carrying on as normal.
We got our tickets...moving on to Tiger Leaping Gorge, walked around the market, had noodles at the local stall and got ready to leave on the evening bus. It's so much nicer travelling with the guys,not just coz they are funny and warm but also because they speak chinese. We see a different side of China,a nicer side.
Taking the bus that evening we got to a little ghost town that night, managed to get ourselves a really nice hotel for only 20 yuan, and get ready for the trek the next day. It was going to a very early start. We were up and ready to walking at 4 in the morning. We didn't wanna pay the entrance fee to the gorge and this early in the morning the ticket office would be closed and the people sleeping.
We were ready for a long 2 days of trekking in the gorge but instead Angela and I are in Shangri-la this evening. I love travelling this way. I never ever know what's coming next. The trek along the gorge was breathtaking and since we were up so early, we managed todo it all in a day.
Shangri-La however, was a bit of a dissapointment after being in Tibet. It's supposed to be a Tibetan city but really it's just a big specially built city to bring in more tourism and it's built by the chinese as their versionof Tibet.
But as night felt, there was a great atmosphere and everyone gathered in the main square. Suddenly there was Naxi (the localethnic minority in the region) music playing and all the locals started to form circles and dance. It was amazing to watch, each dance had a special choreography and it was the old dancing alongside the young, women in traditional dress alongside those in the latest western fashion. Everywhere in the world it seems somehow people manage to come together and create a sense of community. We joined in and the locals tried their best to teach us but I guess they had been dancing those dances all their lives and most of us foreigners had two left feet. But it was just warming to be there and share a few moves with the locals. It's so rare for us to find such an atmosphere back home.
Saturday, 29 September 2007
Wednesday, 26 September 2007
Chengdu...PANDAS
I'm in the province of Sichuan and in the city of Chengdu. At first, and I guess even now, and especially coming from beautiful Tibet, this place seems so dull with the constant smog or low cloud, and the miserable, expressionless faces. But, I guess like any city in China, you observe what's on the surface, because there is absolutely so much to see and then slowly you begin to dig a little deeper and find beauty in small amounts. As soon as I enetered Chengdu, I was bombarded with the images that we all see on TV. But it's never the same in reality. What you see here is much more intense becasue I guess on some level you're there watching it or being a part of it and here in china it is really important to be here otherwise all the detail would be lost in the big picture. Traffic for example, there are separate lanes for cars and those for bicycles and mopeds and all other such vehicles which have less than 4 wheels (because there is a huge variation of such vehicles, used to transport not just people but absolutely everything). However when it's time to cross an intersection, even ones with traffic lights, it's a sight in itself. Literally hundreds of bicycles and mopeds and pedestrians all gather at the pedestrain crossing side, long, long queues of cars wait on the 3 or 4 lanes and in the opposite direction it's the same. And so the light changes and everyone goes everywhere and you've got to cross at least a minimum of 6 lanes dodging bicycles loaded with all sorts, mopeds at full speed, and cars zooming by. It's an absolute skill and I must have crossed at least 10 of these intersections today and even then i don't think I have yet mastered the skill of crossing the road here in chengdu. But it's a crazy experience and after this you walk along the pavement an you pass restaurants where they have frogs and pigs ears in basins outside...what would you choose?.....or friends just pulling up a few bamboo chairs outside the shop and lunching on noodles in the middle of the pavement. Lunch time is a sight, everywhere you look, outside restaurants, on pavements, in shops, outside shops, everywhere...everyone stops and there is rice and noodles and little white bowls and chopsticks everywhere. Being a veggie, most of the time I don't even wanna think what they are eating, but the smells are delicious and lunch from the women selling the noodles on the street with some really hot sichuan style sauce, was just as delicious.
Today we also saw the PANDAS. We saw giant pandas, baby pandas, and red pandas and they were just adorable, so cute and cuddly. Wanted to hold one and take a picture with it but it cost 1000yuan and that sort of money could keep me going for a few more weeks in china if not buy me a panda so we settled for just looking at them and taking photos of them without us. It was nice though, a bit different...animals instead of landscapes. And then we walked all around Chengdu for hours, found a great indian restaurant and a traditional street which has now been turned into a tourist bazaar..but it was pretty anyway.
One more day in Chengdu and then to Yunnan and near Tibet and the mountains again.
Today we also saw the PANDAS. We saw giant pandas, baby pandas, and red pandas and they were just adorable, so cute and cuddly. Wanted to hold one and take a picture with it but it cost 1000yuan and that sort of money could keep me going for a few more weeks in china if not buy me a panda so we settled for just looking at them and taking photos of them without us. It was nice though, a bit different...animals instead of landscapes. And then we walked all around Chengdu for hours, found a great indian restaurant and a traditional street which has now been turned into a tourist bazaar..but it was pretty anyway.
One more day in Chengdu and then to Yunnan and near Tibet and the mountains again.
Tuesday, 25 September 2007
Back in China - Chengdu
I got a soft sleeper on the train this time, what luxury, even a TV with american movies, unfortunately all dubbed in Chinese. Anyway, arriving in Chengdu was just a huge shock. No more fresh air and clear blue skies, instead your eyes hurt because you cannot see clearly through the smog, it's constantly humid and occassionally raining and just plain depresssing. I have to wait day before I meet up with my spanish friend and since my Visa runs out in 2 days I thought I'd go get an extension. What a crazy day I had, but it just reminded me how much I can get done in a day. I got off the train at 8:30 in the morning, came to the hostel and left my bag, went to the bus station, took a 2 hour bus to Leshan and went to find the Entry and Exit office, waited for it to open, handed in my passport for a visa extension, went next door for a passport photo, went 2 doors down to pay the fee (location!location!location!) and then had to wait till 4p.m so I took another bus and then a boat ride to see the huge cliff Buddha of Leshan (Luzma, thought of you all the way), went back to pick up my passport, took the local bus to the bus station and got a bus back to chengdu, had a shower, finally after 3 days, ate dinner and booked our train tickets to the next destination....Kunming...near Tibet and in the mountais....all in a days' work. How did you guys spend your Monday?
Final days in Lhasa
In Lhasa we met up with Johnny again and along with Ingrid, me and the boys...all a big happy family now:) We went and ate a traditional chinese hot pot one night, spent another day just drinking coffee and writing postcards and recovering from alcohol with the local tibetans and then I went on one last adventure with the boys. We were told that we could not go to one of the oldest monasteries, Samye, without a permit, but we wanted to go there and see it. So we did. We were up, 5:30 in the morning, to take the local bus from Barkhor square. And the driver without any fuss took us on and drove us all the way to Samye without any mention of the magic word 'pemit'. Anyway, once again we had breathtaking landscapes all the way, this time huge sand dunes and beautiful turquoise rivers. At Samye we managed to catch the lunch time ceremony where all the monks gather in the main hall and chant and play the tibetan drums and horns and the atmosphere is just like being in another world. I could just have sat there for hours listening to the monks in the monastery and we did because we were able to stay at the monastery.
That afternoon we took a rough and very bumpy jeep ride up to the caves but instead of the meditational caves we found a nunnery and talked to the nuns there. We sat with the girls selling prayer flags, learnt a little tibetan, listened to their songs echo in the mountains and valley around us and learnt from them how to eat sunflower seeds properly.
Back at the monastery we sat on the roof, watching the sky filled with stars and making wishes at the shooting stars that crossed the sky every so often. Next day we were able to catch a ferry back and then a hitch a ride back to Lhasa. We could not take the bus back because this time it would stop at other monasteries where controls were tight and the drivers would not risk it.
I met the boys for one last dinner and wanted to cry when I said goodbye. It was so easy to travel with them. It's funny how when i'm travelling, and i guess it's the same for everyone, that a short amount of time spent with someone is so intense that it's very easy and quick to get attatched easily to people you only met a couple of days ago. We had so much fun with the boys and so many adventures and we spent so much time together, I really miss them.
After saying goodbye to Ingrid and then the boys, I went to the nunnery in Lhasa. I guess this was now the best time to spend in one place and theyhad mentioned before when I went with the boys that they would take me in and I could teach them english which they really were keen to learn. So I made my way there and spent 2 nights with them before the local police arrived and sent me back to the hostel. Once again I needed a permit! I guess it was time to leave Tibet and i was told that in no uncertain terms so i caught the first train I could find and am now back in China.
That afternoon we took a rough and very bumpy jeep ride up to the caves but instead of the meditational caves we found a nunnery and talked to the nuns there. We sat with the girls selling prayer flags, learnt a little tibetan, listened to their songs echo in the mountains and valley around us and learnt from them how to eat sunflower seeds properly.
Back at the monastery we sat on the roof, watching the sky filled with stars and making wishes at the shooting stars that crossed the sky every so often. Next day we were able to catch a ferry back and then a hitch a ride back to Lhasa. We could not take the bus back because this time it would stop at other monasteries where controls were tight and the drivers would not risk it.
I met the boys for one last dinner and wanted to cry when I said goodbye. It was so easy to travel with them. It's funny how when i'm travelling, and i guess it's the same for everyone, that a short amount of time spent with someone is so intense that it's very easy and quick to get attatched easily to people you only met a couple of days ago. We had so much fun with the boys and so many adventures and we spent so much time together, I really miss them.
After saying goodbye to Ingrid and then the boys, I went to the nunnery in Lhasa. I guess this was now the best time to spend in one place and theyhad mentioned before when I went with the boys that they would take me in and I could teach them english which they really were keen to learn. So I made my way there and spent 2 nights with them before the local police arrived and sent me back to the hostel. Once again I needed a permit! I guess it was time to leave Tibet and i was told that in no uncertain terms so i caught the first train I could find and am now back in China.
Back in Lhasa
Hey guys,
I have fallen so far behind on my blog, I don't even know where to start. So we managed to get to Everest Base Camp and back without a permit. It is still such a big deal for me. I think it was out highlighting moment in Tibet the minute we saw Everest in a cloudless, clear blue sky. Back in Shigatse, the boys wanted to try to see if they could get to Mt. Kailash next. Obviously too far to hitch in the limited time they had and talking to the local Tibetan guides at the FIT agency(Foreign and Independent travel), the reality of Tibet hit us once again. He talked about the anger and the frustration in his heart. How it was impossible for local Tibetans to show their own country off and work as guides until they learnt to speak Chinese. He told us of how money from tourism went straight out of Tibet and how everyday there were more and more chinese guides with tour groups and permits. The permits were a huge hassle not only to us as tourists and foreigners but also to the guides and drivers too. Even the chinese driver who gave us a lift back to Shigatse could not help but swear at the control posts and police checks every so often. It seems like just another money making scheme but also a way of controlling who sees what, I guess.
Anyway, once back in Shigatse we went to celebrate and ended up dancing to music outside a supermarket with some local chinese girls. It's funny how Tibet seems to go to sleep so early. After a couple of beers we went to bed, happy but exhausted from our adventures and all the emotions of the past few days.
Next morning, we went to see the beautiful mask ceremony at the monastery and since it was a weekend, every Tibetan in Shigatse had turned up with alcohol and a picnic. It was a stunning sight. We couldn't help but stare at all the amazing faces and costumes, return the warm beautiful smiles, share a glass or two of butter milk or fermented milk, whatever they offered us. It was a great way to end our stay in Shigatse after which Ingrid and I took the bus back to Lhasa.
We were tired and a little pissed off at all the chinese police checkpoints and the chinese in general so the bus ride back to Lhasa seemed to take forever. But wouldn't you know it. There is no need to feel hate in Tibet. We met Kiyoi on our bus. The friendliest, funniest and warmest chinese girl and we were staying at the same hostel. We decided to share a room at the Yak hostel and follow her to Drepung monastery the next day and spend her last day in Tibet with her.
After a shower we went looking for food and found the boys at our doorstep instead. Dinner and an early night and we said goodnight to the boys and next morning were off to Drepung monastery. Here we met a spanish couple who gave us a timed ticket into the Potala, so after a rushed visit at the monastery Ingrid and I decided to see if we could blag it into the Potala and we did. Normally, we'd have to get up at 7 in the morning, queue outside the potala ticket office till it opens and starts selling tickets at 9:30 a.m and then hope that we did get tickets before they got sold out. Luckily for us, all we did was be nice and friendly to the spanish couple and in return we got tickets into the Potala. Good Karma everywhere here:) Unfortunately, not as impressed with the very small area of the Potala we got to see and there was no history at all. All the labels were just that, labels of objects found in the Potala. Some beautiful objects like the 3D mandala but we were rushed along by the chinese guards, didn't even get to chat to the monks who looked more like cleaners, they're not allowed to wear their robes, and so we walked out of the Potala feeling we hadn't really got a picture in our head that we were expecting.
I have fallen so far behind on my blog, I don't even know where to start. So we managed to get to Everest Base Camp and back without a permit. It is still such a big deal for me. I think it was out highlighting moment in Tibet the minute we saw Everest in a cloudless, clear blue sky. Back in Shigatse, the boys wanted to try to see if they could get to Mt. Kailash next. Obviously too far to hitch in the limited time they had and talking to the local Tibetan guides at the FIT agency(Foreign and Independent travel), the reality of Tibet hit us once again. He talked about the anger and the frustration in his heart. How it was impossible for local Tibetans to show their own country off and work as guides until they learnt to speak Chinese. He told us of how money from tourism went straight out of Tibet and how everyday there were more and more chinese guides with tour groups and permits. The permits were a huge hassle not only to us as tourists and foreigners but also to the guides and drivers too. Even the chinese driver who gave us a lift back to Shigatse could not help but swear at the control posts and police checks every so often. It seems like just another money making scheme but also a way of controlling who sees what, I guess.
Anyway, once back in Shigatse we went to celebrate and ended up dancing to music outside a supermarket with some local chinese girls. It's funny how Tibet seems to go to sleep so early. After a couple of beers we went to bed, happy but exhausted from our adventures and all the emotions of the past few days.
Next morning, we went to see the beautiful mask ceremony at the monastery and since it was a weekend, every Tibetan in Shigatse had turned up with alcohol and a picnic. It was a stunning sight. We couldn't help but stare at all the amazing faces and costumes, return the warm beautiful smiles, share a glass or two of butter milk or fermented milk, whatever they offered us. It was a great way to end our stay in Shigatse after which Ingrid and I took the bus back to Lhasa.
We were tired and a little pissed off at all the chinese police checkpoints and the chinese in general so the bus ride back to Lhasa seemed to take forever. But wouldn't you know it. There is no need to feel hate in Tibet. We met Kiyoi on our bus. The friendliest, funniest and warmest chinese girl and we were staying at the same hostel. We decided to share a room at the Yak hostel and follow her to Drepung monastery the next day and spend her last day in Tibet with her.
After a shower we went looking for food and found the boys at our doorstep instead. Dinner and an early night and we said goodnight to the boys and next morning were off to Drepung monastery. Here we met a spanish couple who gave us a timed ticket into the Potala, so after a rushed visit at the monastery Ingrid and I decided to see if we could blag it into the Potala and we did. Normally, we'd have to get up at 7 in the morning, queue outside the potala ticket office till it opens and starts selling tickets at 9:30 a.m and then hope that we did get tickets before they got sold out. Luckily for us, all we did was be nice and friendly to the spanish couple and in return we got tickets into the Potala. Good Karma everywhere here:) Unfortunately, not as impressed with the very small area of the Potala we got to see and there was no history at all. All the labels were just that, labels of objects found in the Potala. Some beautiful objects like the 3D mandala but we were rushed along by the chinese guards, didn't even get to chat to the monks who looked more like cleaners, they're not allowed to wear their robes, and so we walked out of the Potala feeling we hadn't really got a picture in our head that we were expecting.
Sunday, 16 September 2007
Back in Shigatse and the reality of TIbet..follow the link for a few photos
From Shegar we got a ride straight back to Shigatse. We wanted to stay in the town of old Tingri but our driver would not even consider going there because of the police and military presence.
In Shigatse we saw, along with all the local tibetan who had even brought a picnic along, the beautiful mask ceremony at the monastery. We went back to the agency as the boys wanted to find out how to get to Kailash, but it was impossible. 10 days to get a permit alone and here one of the guides poured his heart out to us. Before coming here and reading all about Tibet I thought maybe that it was all a bit exaggerated and the reality might not be so bad. BUT it is. The tibetans only get jobs as guides if they speak chinese, everyday more and more chinese guides come in leaving no jobs for the tibetans, the permits create endless amounts of hassle and as the guide said 'there is anger and frustration' in their hearts. We were so sad, and ready to kick the next chinese we saw but obvioulsy it is not the people. Most chinese people are very nice but the government needs a bick kick up the backside i guess.
Taking the bus back to Lhasa we met Kioyi, a lovely chinese girl which just reconfirmed our thoughts. She is absolutely wonderful, warm and friendly and we spent the day with her yesterday. We went to Drepung monastery and then into the Potala in the afternoon after Ingrid blaggged us a ticket. But once again, we were allowed to visit only a small section and even there there was no history, all the information that we read along the way was more like labels for what was in the different rooms. The chinese soldiers rushed us through and made sure that we did not secretly take any photos. It was impressive to see all the tombs of the previous Dalai lamas but disappointing to know that the reality and the history behind the Potala had just been washed away completely.
In Shigatse we saw, along with all the local tibetan who had even brought a picnic along, the beautiful mask ceremony at the monastery. We went back to the agency as the boys wanted to find out how to get to Kailash, but it was impossible. 10 days to get a permit alone and here one of the guides poured his heart out to us. Before coming here and reading all about Tibet I thought maybe that it was all a bit exaggerated and the reality might not be so bad. BUT it is. The tibetans only get jobs as guides if they speak chinese, everyday more and more chinese guides come in leaving no jobs for the tibetans, the permits create endless amounts of hassle and as the guide said 'there is anger and frustration' in their hearts. We were so sad, and ready to kick the next chinese we saw but obvioulsy it is not the people. Most chinese people are very nice but the government needs a bick kick up the backside i guess.
Taking the bus back to Lhasa we met Kioyi, a lovely chinese girl which just reconfirmed our thoughts. She is absolutely wonderful, warm and friendly and we spent the day with her yesterday. We went to Drepung monastery and then into the Potala in the afternoon after Ingrid blaggged us a ticket. But once again, we were allowed to visit only a small section and even there there was no history, all the information that we read along the way was more like labels for what was in the different rooms. The chinese soldiers rushed us through and made sure that we did not secretly take any photos. It was impressive to see all the tombs of the previous Dalai lamas but disappointing to know that the reality and the history behind the Potala had just been washed away completely.
Hitching to EBC
The first part of the trip was easy. Michael, Benny, Ingrid and I took the local bus to Shigatse. This used to be the capital city, "the birmingham of Tibet'. As soon as we were near the buses that left for Shigatse, we were grabbed by our bags, by the arms and pushed around in lots of different directions... all the conductors wanted us on their bus (nothing to do with the money:)) but we decided to go to the empty, green bus across the street and it was a great decision. With our 3 new tibetan friends we had the whole back area to ourselves. We shared food, cigarrettes (for those that smoked...you can smoke on buses here, unlike London) and stories and so the bus ride to Shigatse was really fun. Benny and Michael are just great. They are so funny and friendly we felt like we had been travelling with them for ages and not just a few hours.
As soon as we got to Shigatse we saw Ian (from the train) at our hotel. He was travelling in a jeep with 2 other peopel and a guide who didn't speak English or couldn't be bothered to show them around. So instead he decided that he was gonna hang around with us and that was great.
First stop in Shigatse after lunch in a local restaurant was the travel agency. We wanted to get to the next town of Tingri but here is where things got tricky. We needed a permit but we didn't really wanna pay for one as we were pretty sure no one checked. Little did we know.
The tibetan guy at the FIT agency was great. He warned us that they would not sell us tickets at the bus station and our best bet was to ask the drivers themselves. Would they take the risk and take us all the way to Tingri?
So we went to the bus station but there were no buses and no bus drivers going to Tingri, so stupidly enough we went to the ticket office. The chinese guy there just looked at us and said no and when we insisted he wrote NO in big letters on our piece of paper that had Tingri written on it in Chinese and Tibetan. Instead we were sent to a local chinese travel agent who just pointed at cards of 4x4's and jeeps.
Back at the FIT agency we looked at the different options we had. We could take a taxi for 800 yuan o we could get up early and wait at a petrol station 1km outside of town and hope that someone would give us a ride to Tingri.
That's exactly what we did. We got up early and were outside town at the petrol station asking every vehicle that went buy and we did get lucky and a small bus going to Tingri was willing to take us. Ingrid, Benni and I got a seat at the back while Michael sat on a sack of potatoes in the aisle. Next to him on the seats were two chinese officials in full uniform:) It was a pretty easy rie till we got to the police checkpoint and then the local passengers started to draw curtains and the driver got a little nervous. Benni pretended to sleep on my lap and I tried to hide the blonde hair with his jumper but Michael was in full view in the aisle so it was hopeless. The police officer came on board, checked a few id cards, we had our passports ready but without looking at them, all of a sudden he was gone and we were driving on. The relief, our hearts could finally beat at a normal pace. It was a moment of pure joy.
But our adventures were not over yet. We were dropped off on a main junction in the county of Tingri and not the town itself. And from here no one, absolutely no one was willing to give us a lift and take us further on into the town. Like everything here, there is never any clear information and we didn't even know which direction tingri was in or which road went towards EBC. The only direction we knew was the one we came on. Once again we started stopping every vehicle that passed us by and the immediate answer we got every time was NO. Even a monk travelling on a truck, who lived at the Rongphu monastery near EBC apologised that he could not give us a lift as there were police around.
Finally Ingrid and Benni, after a four hour hopeless wait in the burning sun, at the roadside of a big junction, they managed to convinve a local with a traditionally decorated!! and run down small jeep to take us all the way to EBC and back. He'd try and get us there and if he couldn't we'd only pay half. Sounded reasonable so we set off. Only after driving for a few kilometers did we realise why we couldn't get a ride. There was a big, main checkpoint where there was a queue of trucks and 4x4's and inside another queue of foreigners with their guides and permits. We thought for sure we are f****d and the panic was clear on all our faces no matter how hard we tried to appear cool and in control. But it was like magic, we walked in with our drive who went staright to the desk, one by one handed in passports, visa numbers and etc were written down and then we were in the car again being asked to pass to the other side. As we left the queue's of tourists behing us wondering, we laughed and jumped for joy at passing the checkpoint without a guide or a permit.
Our luck continued as we had our first sight of Everest, majestically looming in a clear, cloudless blue sky. And as if the heavens hadn't finished smiling on us, we were given a big Tibetan tent with a stove in the middle and a cook to stay in for tne next two nights. Tears of joy flowed as we realised we had made it, seen Everest in a clear sky, had great company and a cozy place to stay in at the foot of Mt. Everest.
After sleeping under the entire galaxy of stars, the next morning we had pancakes for breakfast and began our walk to the foot of Everest. We were told that if we passed the official brick building of EBC, then we would have to pay $100 each, which just seemed ridiculous. So we walked around and over and had breathtaking views of Everest and when we came back down walked right past base camp not having to pay a single penny.
It was just an amazing day. We came back, slept from exhaustion, had a late lunch, played cards, sang and just enjoyed the fact that we were at Everest. As we were getting ready for bed, a local policeman paid us a visit and asked us for our permit and guide. We told him our driver was in another tent and he should ask him, so he promised to return the next morning to check our permit.
Next morning, we said goodbye to Nawa, who had kept us warm and cooked for us, and left early in the morningon our way back to Shegar (the junction where we had been dropped off and stranded). I wonder if the local policeman ever returned to check our permits:)
As soon as we got to Shigatse we saw Ian (from the train) at our hotel. He was travelling in a jeep with 2 other peopel and a guide who didn't speak English or couldn't be bothered to show them around. So instead he decided that he was gonna hang around with us and that was great.
First stop in Shigatse after lunch in a local restaurant was the travel agency. We wanted to get to the next town of Tingri but here is where things got tricky. We needed a permit but we didn't really wanna pay for one as we were pretty sure no one checked. Little did we know.
The tibetan guy at the FIT agency was great. He warned us that they would not sell us tickets at the bus station and our best bet was to ask the drivers themselves. Would they take the risk and take us all the way to Tingri?
So we went to the bus station but there were no buses and no bus drivers going to Tingri, so stupidly enough we went to the ticket office. The chinese guy there just looked at us and said no and when we insisted he wrote NO in big letters on our piece of paper that had Tingri written on it in Chinese and Tibetan. Instead we were sent to a local chinese travel agent who just pointed at cards of 4x4's and jeeps.
Back at the FIT agency we looked at the different options we had. We could take a taxi for 800 yuan o we could get up early and wait at a petrol station 1km outside of town and hope that someone would give us a ride to Tingri.
That's exactly what we did. We got up early and were outside town at the petrol station asking every vehicle that went buy and we did get lucky and a small bus going to Tingri was willing to take us. Ingrid, Benni and I got a seat at the back while Michael sat on a sack of potatoes in the aisle. Next to him on the seats were two chinese officials in full uniform:) It was a pretty easy rie till we got to the police checkpoint and then the local passengers started to draw curtains and the driver got a little nervous. Benni pretended to sleep on my lap and I tried to hide the blonde hair with his jumper but Michael was in full view in the aisle so it was hopeless. The police officer came on board, checked a few id cards, we had our passports ready but without looking at them, all of a sudden he was gone and we were driving on. The relief, our hearts could finally beat at a normal pace. It was a moment of pure joy.
But our adventures were not over yet. We were dropped off on a main junction in the county of Tingri and not the town itself. And from here no one, absolutely no one was willing to give us a lift and take us further on into the town. Like everything here, there is never any clear information and we didn't even know which direction tingri was in or which road went towards EBC. The only direction we knew was the one we came on. Once again we started stopping every vehicle that passed us by and the immediate answer we got every time was NO. Even a monk travelling on a truck, who lived at the Rongphu monastery near EBC apologised that he could not give us a lift as there were police around.
Finally Ingrid and Benni, after a four hour hopeless wait in the burning sun, at the roadside of a big junction, they managed to convinve a local with a traditionally decorated!! and run down small jeep to take us all the way to EBC and back. He'd try and get us there and if he couldn't we'd only pay half. Sounded reasonable so we set off. Only after driving for a few kilometers did we realise why we couldn't get a ride. There was a big, main checkpoint where there was a queue of trucks and 4x4's and inside another queue of foreigners with their guides and permits. We thought for sure we are f****d and the panic was clear on all our faces no matter how hard we tried to appear cool and in control. But it was like magic, we walked in with our drive who went staright to the desk, one by one handed in passports, visa numbers and etc were written down and then we were in the car again being asked to pass to the other side. As we left the queue's of tourists behing us wondering, we laughed and jumped for joy at passing the checkpoint without a guide or a permit.
Our luck continued as we had our first sight of Everest, majestically looming in a clear, cloudless blue sky. And as if the heavens hadn't finished smiling on us, we were given a big Tibetan tent with a stove in the middle and a cook to stay in for tne next two nights. Tears of joy flowed as we realised we had made it, seen Everest in a clear sky, had great company and a cozy place to stay in at the foot of Mt. Everest.
After sleeping under the entire galaxy of stars, the next morning we had pancakes for breakfast and began our walk to the foot of Everest. We were told that if we passed the official brick building of EBC, then we would have to pay $100 each, which just seemed ridiculous. So we walked around and over and had breathtaking views of Everest and when we came back down walked right past base camp not having to pay a single penny.
It was just an amazing day. We came back, slept from exhaustion, had a late lunch, played cards, sang and just enjoyed the fact that we were at Everest. As we were getting ready for bed, a local policeman paid us a visit and asked us for our permit and guide. We told him our driver was in another tent and he should ask him, so he promised to return the next morning to check our permit.
Next morning, we said goodbye to Nawa, who had kept us warm and cooked for us, and left early in the morningon our way back to Shegar (the junction where we had been dropped off and stranded). I wonder if the local policeman ever returned to check our permits:)
Lhasa and around
Unfortunately the internet here in China will not allow me to check my blog so I have no idea where I last left you guys. But I will go back to when we got to Lhasa. We have been so busy here and have seen and heard so much, I don't even know where to start.
When the train first pulled into the newly built Lhasa station, it was 8:30 at night, dark, rainy and very miserable. As we drove to the Yak hotel, I couldn't help but feel the disappointment. It wasn't the Tibet I was expecting.
But next morning as I walked around with my two new friends Amanda and Ingrid, I felt like I was on top of the world.....I was on the roof of the woorld:) The tibetan quarter outside just across the street from our hotel seemed like a whole different world and it felt that here time had stood still even though there are signs of 'civilization' creeping in. The are near the Jokhang and with all the pilgrims walking the kora or prostrating in front of the kora was just an absolutely inspiring sight. Why anyone woul want to modernise or change the rhythm of life in this place I just cannot understand.
The next day we ventured out of the tibetan area and went further out and we almost felt like crying. All our joy and amazement came crashing down as we rode throuh what looked like another suburb of beijing IN TIBET. We didn't want to believe it and went straight back to the tibetan area where we were blessed by a lama during morning prayers...but even his water could not wash away the anger we felt towards people who wanted to destroy such a beautiful culture and way of life.
In the next few days we visited the monasteries of Sera ,where we saw the monks debating, and we walked the Kora around Ganden monastery and got absolutely amazing views. Ganden stands at an altitude of 3,800 meters (12,467 feet) above sea level!
After our visits to Sera and Ganden we went on an organised tour for a night at Namtso Lake. In Tibetan it means 'Heavenly Lake' and the views there and all the way there were just stunning. It is on of the largest salt water lakes and sits at an altitude of 4720m above sea level. After 3:00pm the tourist buses left and we had the whole place to ourselves. Climbng up we had breathtaking views of the lake all around us. So beautiful is the scenery here that we even managed to catch on camera chineses crews and models come to shoot adverts here.
Coming back from Namtso we had to say good bye to Amanda the next day as Ingrid and I were going to try to hitch to Everest Base Camp and see how far we could get without a permit. It was great that we had Benny and Michael (2 of the warmest, funniest and friendliest swiss guys i've ever met) coming along with us.
When the train first pulled into the newly built Lhasa station, it was 8:30 at night, dark, rainy and very miserable. As we drove to the Yak hotel, I couldn't help but feel the disappointment. It wasn't the Tibet I was expecting.
But next morning as I walked around with my two new friends Amanda and Ingrid, I felt like I was on top of the world.....I was on the roof of the woorld:) The tibetan quarter outside just across the street from our hotel seemed like a whole different world and it felt that here time had stood still even though there are signs of 'civilization' creeping in. The are near the Jokhang and with all the pilgrims walking the kora or prostrating in front of the kora was just an absolutely inspiring sight. Why anyone woul want to modernise or change the rhythm of life in this place I just cannot understand.
The next day we ventured out of the tibetan area and went further out and we almost felt like crying. All our joy and amazement came crashing down as we rode throuh what looked like another suburb of beijing IN TIBET. We didn't want to believe it and went straight back to the tibetan area where we were blessed by a lama during morning prayers...but even his water could not wash away the anger we felt towards people who wanted to destroy such a beautiful culture and way of life.
In the next few days we visited the monasteries of Sera ,where we saw the monks debating, and we walked the Kora around Ganden monastery and got absolutely amazing views. Ganden stands at an altitude of 3,800 meters (12,467 feet) above sea level!
After our visits to Sera and Ganden we went on an organised tour for a night at Namtso Lake. In Tibetan it means 'Heavenly Lake' and the views there and all the way there were just stunning. It is on of the largest salt water lakes and sits at an altitude of 4720m above sea level. After 3:00pm the tourist buses left and we had the whole place to ourselves. Climbng up we had breathtaking views of the lake all around us. So beautiful is the scenery here that we even managed to catch on camera chineses crews and models come to shoot adverts here.
Coming back from Namtso we had to say good bye to Amanda the next day as Ingrid and I were going to try to hitch to Everest Base Camp and see how far we could get without a permit. It was great that we had Benny and Michael (2 of the warmest, funniest and friendliest swiss guys i've ever met) coming along with us.
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