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Published: June 14th 2006
The day started like any other. Got up brushed our teeth, etc.....oh wait you don't need to know all that you want to know what's up with the title of this blog??
Well the bad day started with a 530am wake up call, that's not all that bad, but it's still early!
The day got a little worse after 4 hours of driving we arrived at a restaurant and after eating a very poor meal we found out the prices listed in the menu were not Yuan (Chinese Currency) but in American dollars. So instead of 2Y it was more live 15Y. That is a fairly hefty ticket for a meal that was not that good!!
Ok still not a bad day enough for you?
Let me just say that Tibet's roads are not quite done being constructed. So there is a lot of dirt detours and 4x4'ing!!
Shortly after lunch the adventure truly began. After crossing our first river our truck stalled. With a little coaxing we got it going again. A few mins later we tried our second river and this time the truck stalled IN the river!! Our guide got out into the
river, (melted glacier water!) and flagged down a dump truck that towed us out.
Think that's it? Nope it gets worse!!
Shortly up the way from the second river our truck completely died. Our guide called the tour agent and was told a new truck would be coming to get us. Should not take more than two to three hours (whatever!).
This is also about the time that it started to rain and hail!
After getting turned around heading back down towards the second river, we stopped so some other construction trucks could pass by. Alex and I stepped out to have a little walk about; it was shortly later that I heard brakes screeching and a massive truck full of rocks barreling down on our truck, with our Swiss girl friends still in it! I had only enough time to turn and was about to scream 'get the F@#$ out!!' when I saw them running for safety! Luckily the big truck came to a stop, but only a few feet from our truck!!
So you are about spent huh? But oh no the story goes on!
About an hour later, our truck hooked
Four of us
finally back and safe in 'hole' townup to the back of a pick up was being towed across the second river towards the first. No problem for the big truck, big problem for the little cable towing us! It snapped, and that's when the DYNAMITE went off!! I think we all shit our pants! Remember this road is under heavy construction and they were blasting for rock only a km from us!!
You must be stressed by now?? But you must read on....
After we all recovered from the dynamite and cable snapping...we were still heading toward the first river we crossed. Down a big hill of mud, we have to get out to push the truck!! Not sure why?? As we all bundled back into the warm truck, shivering with wet and muddy clothes we prepared to be towed across the river. Almost home! But wait both the cable and the front metal hook on our truck snapped off and we were left stranded in the raging river!! Of course this was to the delight of the construction crews and their families who all laughed at the four foreigners stuck in the river!
Well after an hour or so in the river we were finally towed out. And after a few more cable snaps we made it back to a little town. Our new driver showed up six hours later. We had to spend the night in this little hole of a town. We asked for western style toilets, those are the kind you can sit on, only to discover that the toilets didn't flush and Alex cleaned the pee off ours with a dirty rag.
Now that is a day from hell!
But we survived!
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Joe P
non-member comment
Wow!!!
I'm glad I'm not there with you...I'm sure that your travels will only get better...see you back in Canada safe and sound. Joe