On the Tibetan Plateau

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We took the new train from Beijing to Lhasa which at 48 hours was a breeze after the trans- sib! We were in a compartment for 4 so shared with a chinese couple who watched very loud tv for most of the journey so we were regulars down the dining car. That is up until I grumbled about one of the employees for smoking there. It is s'posed to be pressurised all the way, pumped with O2 and there is a no-smoking policy. Needless to say most of the passengers were smoking also. Despite this we didn't suffer any mal effects when we reached the dizzy heights of Lhasa at 3700m.

Lhasa is a fascinating place from a religious and cultural aspect. The devotion of the pilgrims is inspiring. But all around the chinese have got their talons in. The main streets are now dominated by chinese shopfronts, the Potala is an empty shell (you are only allowed access to certain rooms) and many of the temples and monasteries are under observation by the chinese authorities.

The Jokhang, which is the holiest temple in Tibet is an intriguing sight. Each day frenzied pilgrims come all over to worship. This is a chaotic event, people are stampeding in every direction to get around all the individual chapels and leave a trail of yak butter in their wake. Don't stand around or some long-plaited old woman may well knock you down. And tread carefully, it is treachorously slippy....the butter again!!!

Visited Namtso Lake or Heavenly Lake which is considered one of the three holy lakes in Tibet. It is also famous for its high altitude, 4720m and is apparently the highest altitude saltwater lake in the world. The water here is crystal-clear blue and with the backdrop of the mountains is a spectacular vista.

Then we decided to go hiking in Tibet....bad mistake. We took the 4-5 day trek from Tsurphu Monastery to Yangpachen Monastery. It was bitterly cold and we were at high altitude so every night was an endurance test. We managed to beg a blanket from our guide on the 2nd night which meant my toes didn't get frostbite but when the option of a lift on a tractor came on day 4 we jumped at the opportunity and also hailed a ride right back to Lhasa and to warmth.

The highlight of our time in Tibet was the 5 day trip on the Friendship Highway to Nepal. We passed thru some great little towns with amazing monasteries and the view of the Himalayas was incredible. We stayed 2 nights at Rombok Monastery and hiked to Everest Base Camp, which was deserted at this time as climbing season was over.

We froze some more before descending from 5000m to the warmth of Kathmandu valley at 1300m at the beginning of November

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