http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/degrubs/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from degrubs en-us Fri, 04 Jul 2008 22:17:59 BST Fri, 04 Jul 2008 22:17:59 BST We leave after a small liein and head to Thimphu the capital of this magnificent country. The road is in a surprisingly good state mainly considering the sheer drops of the valley. It is a huge engineering achievement. The ride is pleasant if at time a little stomach tightening. The journey takes approximately one and a half hours filled with amazement at the countryside and fear of the other http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Bhutan/Thimphu/blog-31765.html Exceedingly early morning considering I am on holiday up at 0500. Once at the airport I am faced with the usual mindboggling burocracy get papers from left go to right and get a stamp pay in centre bring luggage at front for security check get another stamp go and get tag on baggage at front left bring luggage at rear where my paper is taken etc..Of course the paper for the visa for http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Bhutan/Paro/blog-31565.html My last day in Kathmandu is fairly uneventful. I leave Bahktapur after lunch and arrive in the early afternoon. I try a few hotels here but none convince me that their doors can lock safely I manage to open every door they show me with my leatherman. I return to the Shangrila where they are so pleased to see me they offer me a small suite on the club floor. I readily accept.The picture I join t http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Nepal/Kathmandu/blog-31561.html Today I take a taxi and head for Bhaktapur.It is 16 kms from Kathmandu and supposed to be the most beautiful city of the valley of Kathmandu.As we arrive there I am met with the unpleasant and unfortunately recurrent feeling tourist ripoff.In Kathmandu and other cities the kind tourists must pay a tax to have the privilege of entering the old city and the Durbar square. In Kathmandu it was 2 http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Nepal/Bhaktapur/blog-31555.html The plane for Kathmandu was only leaving in the early afternoon so I had a bit of time to kill in the morning. I checked out of the hotel and went in town. As I was walking about I saw a sign scooter and motorbike rental. I hesitated a long time before renting one I was in Nepal where people can't drive I am on my own there are no hospitals and the last and first time I touched one of tho http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Nepal/Kathmandu/blog-31541.html Luckily the morning was clear the sky was blue and the Annapurna was there for all to see.The jeep from the flight centre came to pick me up on time and we promptly got going.John the Nepalese driver was also my instructor for both flights he explained that because it was the low season they were normally close he was just there to test the equipment and make sure it wasnrsquot rotting.Becau http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Nepal/Pokhara/blog-31539.html As the hotel car drops me at the airport I still feel rather sleepy but excited at the though of what I was about to do. I saw a brochure detailing possible excursions around the Annapurna. I go through the customs procedure with an amused feeling the checkin desk is just that a simple desk all is done by hand no computers to be seen anywhere. My checkin is done in record time about 30 se http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Nepal/Pokhara/blog-31538.html All is booked for Pokhara. I am leaving Saturday morning at 1000 flying with Shangrila Airline. This gives me some time to do some further tourist things in Kathmandu for the day.After a late wake up I feel like a colony of bats have taken hold of my head a peculiar feeling I assure you. I decide that a shower will do the trick it fails miserably. I head out into the painfully strong sun t http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Nepal/Kathmandu/Thamal/blog-31537.html Namaste everyone.Namaste is my new word for the day it means hello welcome pleased to meet you see you soon thank you all at once. In actual fact the real meaning is may the whole of your qualities be blessed and protected by the gods. So there you Namaste all.Today is my admin day. There is much to be done.Go to the French embassy and clear the security issues for Pokhara and the surr http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Nepal/Kathmandu/blog-31536.html Kathmandu is a pearl nestled in the green valleys of Nepal.Its power of attraction to foreign visitors has always been huge be it for the cultural aspect of its art and culture the easy going fashion of the locals the stunning views and outdoor expeditionary potential or even just for the hippie in search of a cool place yeah man.I find it to be a bit of an odd town its history is apparent ev http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Nepal/Kathmandu/blog-31535.html Today was not a good day.It all started early on this Tuesday morning.As we did our checkout the girl behind the desk suddenly broke into tears. I was convinced it was because she had a crush on either Bene or me or both but Bene insists that it is not necessarily related to my charms. First blow of the day. I am always disappointed if the receptionist does not cry on account of my charms.We http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Nepal/Kathmandu/blog-31534.html Our last day in Lhasa. We planned to take a jeep and go to Namtso Lake 5 hour journey one way and come back during the day 10 hour journey total. Namtso lake is the second largest salt water lake in Tibet and is the only one to be sacred I forget why. Every pilgrim is supposed to walk all the way around it about 200kms foreigners are excused of this duty and only have to walk around 2 lar http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Tibet/Lhasa/blog-29518.html The day has finally arrived We are terribly excited about the prospect of going whitewaterrafting in Tibet. Hopefully we might even get a Tshirt to prove it. Chris the Australian chap in charge of the company came to pick us up in his lovely lime green jeep. He is a terribly nice chap. It took him three years to set up the company get the permits and authorisations to operate. 51 of his http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Tibet/Lhasa/blog-28446.html Another day another temple. Yesterday the most sacred one this time the biggest one in the country well the Autonomous Region of Tibet.We head off early to Drepung Monastery a very large complex about 10kms out of the city. It is an impressive sight it looks like a very large village all built in the same style and clearly designed to impress. The inside is impressive but slightly repetiti http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Tibet/Lhasa/blog-28418.html The day was spent walking about Lhasa taking in the sight and the atmosphere. The Tibetan quarters are extremely pleasant and full of happenings. They have all remained pedestrian with no space for cars. Every street is transformed daily into a street market and nightly into a restaurant and play area. It is filled with pilgrims in their best Tibetan costume going around the temples on the Bakh http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Tibet/Lhasa/blog-27378.html I am starting to suffer from all of those early wake ups. Bene is consoling me by telling me that I can have a liein the next day.So yet again up at 0400 in the morning to catch our bus to go and see the great Tangka unveiling at Ganden Monastery.The minibus is packed full and we are ready to go. A group of happy Japanese complete with white gloves high tech walking sticks silly hats and fa http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Tibet/Lhasa/blog-26935.html Once again an early wake up 0400. I was too excited to care I am going to Lhasa the forbidden city protected by the most inhospitable terrain and some of the highest mountains in the world the magical city by definition. Explorers have always been tempted by it reaching it constituted a major achievement. Very few explorers have made it many have tried and perished on the way 12 different http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Tibet/Lhasa/blog-26918.html After a painful and early wake up Bene had to kick me a number of times so that I would finally emerge from my Chinese Alcohol induced coma we got ready for our arrival in Chengdu at 0700.We were quickly ready folding sleeping bags away putting away a couple of books and that was it. As far as the procedure was concerned for the chinese in our compartment one had the impression that an enti http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Sichuan/Chengdu/blog-26913.html After a last dinner with the Ambassador I made my fond goodbyes and left the french residence leaving behind all this luxury with a slight pinch of the heart but generally very happy to leave Beijing and head for my dream of Lhassa. I met up with Bene. We embarked joyfully on the train heading to Chengdu.The train journey BeijingChengdu lasts about 40 hours and is non stop 2 nights and 1 day. http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Sichuan/Chengdu/blog-26912.html Beijing has changed greatly since my last visit it is more polluted to the point that I can't see 150 to 200 meters down the street. I haven't seen the sun since I set foot in the city. As soon as I return home and wipe my face the towel is black. Mendicty corruption prostitution homosexuality and other so called ldquoplaguesrdquo who are said not to exist in modern China are unfortunate http://www.travelblog.org/Asia/China/Beijing/blog-24979.html