You really have to go to my blog to see them all as they're too many stories to tell. And if you're in China, blogspot is blocked but you can get around that by logging onto anonymouse.org first. Anyway, here goes...
The route: Beijing - Chengdu - Kangding - Litang - Batang - Mangkang - Bayi - Lhasa (+ Namtso Lake) - Golmud - Xining - Beijing.
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CHOICES...
Urgh...
the 38 hour bus journey to Dunhuang did prove too much for my aging body to handle and I had no choice but to give up halfway through, stopping at Golmud, after 20 long hours on a crampy sleeper bus where they conveniently sardine you in little 'boxes' they call beds. Beds that the designers seem to forget that arms do grow from shoulders and body-lengths do not end at your knees. That was probably the closest I've ever felt to lying in a coffin. Well at least you get to stretch your legs in a coffin I guess?
Then, it was 18 hours, straight on to Xining the same day on a slightly better train, and I lost track of when I last showered or brushed my teeth. So, here I am in Qinghai province, which for centuries, was part of the Tibetian world. And Xining, the provincial capital, used to serve as a sort of Chinese Siberia, where common criminals, as well as political prisoners, have been in carcerated.
And fittingly enough, I'm feeling like a prisoner here (TODAY), with absolutely no chance on train tickets of any sort back to Beijing. They've all been sold to Chinese students readying for their new academic term starting in a week or two. And there isn't even that much to see here. Does seem like I might be left with no choice but to use whatever I 'saved' in Tibet (on transport) for a flight back to the Chinese capital. BRrrrrr... I spoke too soon.
And (YESTERDAY) before they held me captive here, they almost didnt want me to stay a single day! I mean, majority of the hostels here wouldn't take foreigners. After alot of walking around with my heavy bags, I finally found one that'll take me. Unfortunately (the noise!), it's in between the train and long distance bus station. So, at least, I now have a choice (of rooms). I get to choose between hooting cars or tooting trains...
WHT (26 Aug 05)
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7 DAYS IN LHASA
ta-shi de-lek (hello in tibetian)
so the last we spoke, I was telling you about my dizziness due to the heights. now, though I'm still not completely well, I've graduated from that and am distributing medication (leftovers from when I first arrived. yes, I did remember to tell them to thank Lili) for altitude sickness to new travellers checking into the 6 bed dorm I've called home for the past week.
So I'm finally almost done with Lhasa, after interesting experiences with entry tickets for the Potala Palace and Jokhang Temple.
Potala Palace (yesterday) - People usually queue for coupons the day before their intended visit and make it to the palace early the next day to exchange those coupons for the actual tickets that cost 100RMB. Thats alot of work (and money) in my opinion and so, I decided to try sneaking in without a ticket...Bad luck. It was near impossible as the checkpoint was pretty tight (3 pairs of eyes watching). But just when I was about to give up my sneaky ideas, I overheard a tour guide saying there're no toilets in the palace. Right then and there... an idea came to mind. I ended paying 5RMB for a used ticket that I bought from a Chinese guy coming out, got myself sandwiched between two huge tour groups at the checkpoints and successfully entered with that ticket that already had two punched holes on it. 'I was already in there awhile ago and just needed to go to the toilet' would be my answer to any questions thrown at me during those 7-10 minutes. Didnt need that excuse after all. Guess they didnt even notice my ticket already has holes on it. Pretty intense though.
Then... at the Jokhang Temple (3 days ago) -There are always stories of people sneaking in with the chaotic Tibetian crowd at 8 in the morning. I wasn't too careful with this one though. After getting pass the first door, I thought I'd made it and let my alertness down. Was then nabbed at the second (which was the actual) ticket checkpoint. So, I had to pay 70RMB for my ticket. ;(
I'll probably leave Tibet tomorrow, planning for the grand deserts at Dunhuang (Gansu province) before returning to Beijing by early Sept.Hopefully my health bears up to the rough roads ahead. I cant even bear to start thinking about the 38 hour bus ride there for now...good news is, with all the hitchhiking and sneaking into temples without tickets etc, I'm spending alot lesser than what I'd planned.
ka-lee shu (bye in tibetian)
WHT 22 Aug 05
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THE ROUGH HEIGHTS
hey all,
reports from the rooftop of the world. not alot of yaks to talk about though i hate that yak butter smell.
my film's almost complete! I mean, the shooting part. now I'm just missing one crucial scene that I guess will have to be shot in beijing.
and well, the altitude did get into me abit as did the weather.was at an amazing lake 2 days ago and saw the best view ever. its quite nice that that happened after more than 30 countries that I've left my footmarks on. seems like the world's still pretty big out there!
and at the lake, it was freezing winter temperatures (at about 5000m above sea level).
now, i'm back in lhasa, back in the peak of summer. and the drastic change in temperature made me sick for a day. not exactly fun to be down with flu at an altitude where they say you'll never recover from flu. but anyhow, i'm all right now. thanks to the love and concern from two travel mates.
what else?? oh, the 10 day overland journey from chengdu to tibet was the worst ever. no shower for about a week wasnt that nice too. but it was great great fun. especially when you have an interesting 8 year old tibetan girl with you on the same bus the whole way (will show you the pictures soon!)
so, that's it! no permits (though i definitely needed one as a foreigner), lack of air, lots of smiles, breathtaking (for sure huh)sceneries and expensive internet cafes. that's what I say tibet is for now!
love, WHT 18 Aug 2005
