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Published: February 18th 2008
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Lake Namtso
Having bumped into a Canadian couple in a travel agents the previous day who were arranging a trip to Lake Namtso, and jumping at the offer to join them and share the costs, we surprised ourselves by getting up and leaving the Banak Shol at exactly the time we had planned, 6.30am! (after waking up the night security man to unlock the front gate!)
I realised, walking the ten minutes down to our meeting point outside the Yak hotel, how cold it is at that time of the morning - I need to get some gloves! It's also really dark - it doesn't get light until between 7.30 & 8am (due to the Chinese government's insistence on one time zone across the whole mass of China and it's territories).
After meeting the other two and waiting a while, our Tibetan driver (foreigners aren't allowed to drive here) turned up in his Toyota Landcruiser - the only way to travel around outside the cities due to the, in places, rough terrain (although the Chinese are building better roads all the time so this is changing) and the suddenly changeable weather.
The drive took us past small
villages built from mud brick and through valleys populated by yaks and mountains goats leaping across precarious drops, as well as multiple police checkpoints where our driver had to get his card stamped - a seemingly unsuccessful measure to deter speeding, as most of the drivers seem to speed and then stop a mile or so before the checkpoints for a coffee and fag break at conveniently (dubiously?) located refreshment stalls, circumventing the whole inadequate procedure!
After a few hours we arrived at Namtso, where we had a few hours to spend. Lake Namtso is the highest salt lake in the world at 4718m and, according to Wikipedia (don't blame me if it's wrong!), "the islands have been used for spiritual retreat by pilgrims who walk over the lake's frozen surface at the end of winter, carrying their food with them. They spend the summer there, unable to return to shore again until the water freezes the following winter. This practice is no longer permitted under the Communist Chinese regime in Tibet."
From the 'car park' we headed down towards the lake, which left us breathless due to the sudden 1100m altitude increase from Lhasa. It was
very, very cold too, with the relentless, biting wind hurrying us along. I had four layers and a hat on, along with hands buried deep in my pockets, despite which, after only ten minutes, I couldn't feel my fingers or toes! I don't know what the temperature was but I would guess at something approaching -10.
Namtso is a beautiful turquoise lake, one of the holiest in Tibet and surrounded by stunning snowcapped mountains, which WWII POWs Heinrich Harrer and Peter Aufschnaiter (immortalised in the book 'Seven Years in Tibet') came over nearly 65 years ago on their way to Lhasa - if I remember correctly it was around about the same time of year so I can only admire them for their determination and spirit to battle across such an inhospitable landscape against such awful weather conditions with so few supplies. (it's a very good book too btw!)
We walked alongside the lake admiring the natural beauty and chörtens (stupas, made from rocks by pilgrims) and prayer flags for a while before taking a small wander and finding a really peaceful spot. Not a sound apart from the gentle waves of the lake lapping the shore.
The colours seem to look incredibly vivid in Tibet too, especially the blues of the sky and the water - perhaps something to do with the higher altitude and thinner atmosphere? (I've forgotten what I learnt in science at school now...). I also put my hands in the water and tasted it, as the pilgrims do - it didn't taste as salty as I was expecting, nor, fortunately, did it play havoc with my bowels as it could have done!
After walking back round to near where we started, we ascended a hill generously adorned with prayer flags overlooking the lake, making for a wonderful view; this particular piece of land on which we were standing was a peninsula jutting out into the lake, so water surrounded us on both sides. Making it to the top of the hill was an achievement as it was such hard work given the altitude, but getting there and sitting next to the chörten at the summit was amazing, an almost spiritual experience (probably something to do with the lack of oxygen!); it was so peaceful and serene I would have liked to have sit there for hours. The feeling of sitting in
such a remote location with such stunning surroundings really was something else and it left me speechless (as well as breathless!).
I am falling in love with Tibet. The people are fascinating and the landscapes are incredible - I didn't think that anything would top New Zealand on our trip, but the religious aspect of Tibet and the devotion of the people, as well as the fact that so much of the land is undeveloped and remote, adds a whole new dimension.
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michael
non-member comment
beautiful
Thank you for these photos. In my heart and mind, I am heading there.