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Published: October 11th 2007
Mountains surround the city. The air is clean, fresh and crisp. The blue sky and dazzling sunlight force me to shade my eyes even though I am wearing sunglasses. Monks pass each other on the street as pedicabs whizz past, their bells clanking and ringing. Ethnic Tibetan families travel together in small groups, their skin darkened from the sun and their cheeks red from the wind. The faithful travel about the city, fingering prayer beads and chanting to themselves. The city is alive with a spiritual energy like none I have felt before.
I have arrived in Lhasa, Tibet.
DAY ONE
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2007
BEIJING
After months of saving and countless emails back and forth with a Chinese travel agent, the trip to Tibet was finalized. I would be taking part in this trip of a lifetime with another former teacher from Real Life English, Thai Luong, who now resides in Shanghai after finding a job as a business development manager with a marketing firm there. We would be traveling during "Golden Week", the week of government-allotted holiday in honor of the anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1, 1949, and
Hard sleeper cabin
Train Beijing - Lhasathe only vacation time we had to spare.
This proved to be a near disaster.
Every Chinese citizen and their dog travels during this week, so our train and plane tickets were hard to come by. We finally held them in our hands the day we were scheduled to leave for Tibet; you can imagine how nerve-wracking the previous week had been without those tickets. The train was scheduled to leave Beijing for Lhasa at 9:30 PM on September 30 and due to arrive in Lhasa at 8:00 PM on October 2. We arrived promptly, due to the cleverness of our taxi driver who wove in and out of the notriously horrible Beijing traffic. The station, located in the west of Beijing, was one I had not been to before. Most trips within China depart from the central station, which is located much closer to my school and apartment. The west station looked like a palace upon arrival, glittering and golden lights decorating the turrets (I kid you not!). Inside the station was a teeming mass of humanity, flowing smoothly in all directions, a sea of black hair and huge backbacks. By now, I am quite accustomed to
Terracing
View outside the window of the train
Beijing - Lhasa being a minority so I was jolted to catch sight of a foreign couple among the crush of Chinese. At 9:00 PM, we boarded the train. We would be traveling via "hard sleeper" which meant that there were 6 bunks in the space of the 4 of the "soft sleeper". We met the other occupants of the cabin, who seemed nice enough, and sat back to enjoy the first few hours of our 2-day exodus by train.
DAY TWO
MONDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2007
EN ROUTE
Day Two began bright and early as the loudspeaker directly outside our door-less cabin blared with music and the announcement of the first stop of the day, Xi'an, where the great Terracotta Warriors are located. All six of us stretched and sat up, bleary-eyed, hair standing on end and shuffled off to the sinks to brush our teeth. I'd actually slept quite well; as a baby, I was an inconsolable crier (fond memories, right, Mom and Dad?) and often the only way my parents could get me to stop crying was to take me for a ride in the car. Even today, the gentle rocking of a train or car will lull me
Permafrost Crossing
Train Beijing - Lhasa into a deep sleep.
That first morning, everyone was in good spirits, swapping tales of where they were going, where they were from and delighting in the scenery outside of the window. Young and old alike traversed back and forth to add hot water to their instant noodles, the first such meal of many. Everywhere I looked, people were popping the red and white pills that indicated the final destination was Tibet. Tibet is the highest place on Earth and the oxygen levels there are low for those unaccustomed to such. These pills, called Hong2 Jing3 Tian1 in Chinese, add oxygen to the bloodstream and so ease the transition into the high altitude. Additionally, it is recommended to take it easy for the first 2-3 days in Lhasa as it is easy to become tired or dizzy before adjusting. In preparation for my big trip, I had been taking the stairs to my apartment rather than the elevator for the past 6 weeks, and felt I'd greatly increased my lung capacity as I live on the 18th floor!
Morning turned into afternoon and the landscape outside the windows changed from urban to rural, with only fields and crops
in view. The train continued to climb higher and higher, though the change was impossible to see through the window. I felt fine-- indeed, I didn't notice anyone on the train in discomfort. Afternoon quickly turned into evening and then into the black of night and we settled once more into our temporary beds for a night of gentle rocking and sleep.
DAY THREE
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2007
EN ROUTE
What a difference a day can make! When we awoke, the scenery outside the window was unrecognizable. We were traveling through the mountains and had climbed to an altitude of over 3,000 meters. The others on the train looked distinctly more weary, and very bored. It was not uncommon to see the same people passing by the door to the cabin again and again; I suppose they were pacing the length of the train to pass the time.
The first indication of the vast change in altitude came at breakfast. As we dug into our stash of instant noodles, exclamations of surprise and wonder could be heard echoing up and down the train. The bags had expanded like balloons, nearly to the point of bursting open from
Beautiful Lake
I've forgotten the name, but it doesn't take away from the gorgeous scene.
Train Beijing - Lhasa the increase of air inside. The noodles inside were unaffected, but the change in appearance was almost unnerving. It made one wonder what else we were in store for. We didn't have to wait long. As lines formed to brush teeth after the morning meal, spurt after spurt of toothpaste exploded from the tube once the lid was twisted off; the pressure built up inside had become too much for the packaging. I experienced the same phenomenon with facial cleanser and lotion. Once the cap came off, the contents inside would literally burst out in an unending flow until stoppered by the replacement of cap. To be perfectly honest, I was relieved with these small nuisances. I'd read a newspaper article about the first test-run of the train, and had read records of laptops failing, ballpoint pens exploding and watches stopping.
This new section, running from Qinghai province to Tibet, is historic; I am proud to be a part of some of the first journeys.
As afternoon approached, we were privileged to take in some of the most beautiful landscape I have ever seen. Mist-covered mountains rose against a brilliantly blue sky dotted with puffy white clouds. An aquamarine
Puffy Clouds
I haven't seen these types of clouds in nearly a year.
Train Beijing - Lhasa lake sparkled against desert-orange mountains and wild donkeys and yak grazed contently in grasslands that appeared to stretch into infinity. The camera can only capture so much; I will remember this scenery for the rest of my life.
Before we knew it, it was 8:00 PM and we were gently rolling into Lhasa station. We disembarked and took our first breaths of unpolluted, clean air, the likes of which I have not been privilege to for nearly one year. A driver was waiting to take us to the Phuntsok Khasang International Youth Hostel. He was soft-spoken and kind; our first interaction with the Tibetan people. The young women at the reception desk at the hostel were also friendly and kind. Exhausted, we checked into our dorm room and fell into a deep and peaceful sleep.
DAY FOUR
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2007
LHASA
Our first day in Tibet! I leaped out of bed, eager to start exploring, but my travel partner, Thai, didn't feel quite the same. People react to the altitude in different ways, and it soon became obvious to us that we were of this variety. The hostel offered a free breakfast, so we went up
to the roof where the canteen was located to see if that would help at all. The view offered a panoramic landscape of the city and we lingered over our pickled vegetables, steamed buns, tea-soaked eggs and Chinese-style oatmeal.
After breakfast, we headed outside to explore. Thai was really feeling the effects of the altitude by this point, so whenever a bench came into view, we took advantage of the opportunity to rest and people-watch. It is said that 87% of the population in Lhasa is ethnic Tibetan, while most of the remaining percentage is Han Chinese or some other type of minority. I expected to be stared at like I am in Beijing, but surprisingly, this wasn't the case. We walked up and down the long street our hostel was located on and eventually wandered into a street market. A temple was nearby and young monks were walking in every direction, many of them on cell phones, which I found to be quite comical. Our stroll led us to the F.I.T. travel agency, which I'd heard about from friends, so we stopped into inquire about Everest. The agency turned out to be great, and so we booked a
3-day trip to Mount Everest Base Camp with them. The plan was to leave on Saturday, October 6 and arrive back in Lhasa on Monday, October 8. The trip involved a visit to various monasteries as well as an overnight stay in tents located at Everest Base Camp, all the better to watch the sunrise over Everest. We could hardly wait. After booking our journey to the highest point on Earth, we wandered around the market. I felt something that I haven't felt before while exploring that city in Tibet. The spiritual nature of Tibet is an overpowering force that I believe is felt by everyone who visits. It should be on everyone's Life To Do list.
DAY FIVE
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 4, 2007
LHASA
Today we visited one of Tibet's greatest treasures: the Potola Palace. Home to the Dalai Lama during his presence in Tibet, this sprawling castle is built into the top of a small mountain. The whitewashed palace walls looked brilliant against the clear blue sky and I found myself staring, standing transfixed on the spot. It was hard to imagine a Tibet where the Dalai Lama was a visual and important religious presence. Today, after
the "liberation" of Tibet by the Chinese government, the Dalai Lama lives in exile, never to return to his native land. Even without the Dalai Lama's physical presence, the faithful can be seen everywhere: chanting, kowtowing in front of the Potola Palace and various Buddhist monasteries, fingering prayer beads while walking and continually spinning prayer wheels clockwise. The women's hair is all very long, and often intricately braided and woven with brightly colored yarn. The clothing is ornamental, colorful and eye-catching. What I've found most different about the people in Tibet is that when they catch my eye, I am treated to a beautiful smile. In Beijing, I am often stared at in curiousity as well; this stare is usually accompanied by a slack-jawed ogle. The people of Tibet are incredibly friendly and open; it is truly a pleasure to be a visitor in their land.
The devotion of the people here is remarkable for many reasons. Their physical presence at the temples and immersion in prayer is inspiring. However, I am truly struck by the spiritual quality of life here in Tibet. China is officially listed in the CIA factbook as an atheist country. The absence of churches,
temples, mosques or religious buildings leaves me with a cold feeling. I never realized what was missing this entire year; I've never considered myself a devout religious person. But not having the option to visit any religious establishment this year has been harder than I thought. I feel more fulfilled to witness this inclusion of religion into the daily life during my travels here.The reason for the absence of religion in China is clear: any type of community that gathers a mass following is considered a threat by the Chinese communist government. The fact that the number of members of the Communist Party is rapidly decreasing is another cause of concern for those in power. Being a visitor in Tibet, I am struck by how different Tibetan culture is from Chinese culture and I have trouble understanding why the Chinese government felt that Tibet needed to be "liberated". To me, Tibet is its own country still.
DAY SIX
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2007
LHASA
Today was our first full day in Lhasa. Due to the altitude, we'd been taking it easy for the first couple of days. The morning began with breakfast on the roof of our hostel. The
place we're staying is really great; friendly people, beautiful views of Lhasa and the Potola Palace from the canteen on the roof, huge rooms and dog-friendly!
After breakfast, we headed to Da Jiao Monastery, a short 15 minute walk down the road. The market nearby is a superb place to take in daily Tibetan life. Vendors sell everything from handmade jewelry to woven textiles, to yak skulls, to fresh meat cut to order. The market is located around the corner from the Da Jiao Monastery, and we arrived just in time to witness the morning prayer. Tibetans of all shapes, sizes and colored dress began by walking clockwise around the temple. We joined the throng, and were greeted by many excited young faces and timid greetings of "hello?". In vast difference to Beijing, where the 'hello' is usually shouted in my face by a mean-looking vendor, the Tibetan 'hello' was accompanied by a wide, sincere smile. I was happy to respond in kind, which immediately made my greeter giggle happily.
There were some foreign tour groups present also, which always makes me a bit annoyed. I should be the only foreigner around! One girl in particular caught my
eye, because she was making a major faux paus without realizing it. Slung over her shoulder was a Mao Zedong messenger bag, emblazoned with the Communist red star and one of the slogans from the Maoist era. These bags were carried during the Cultural Revolution by the Red Guards, armies of young people encouraged to terrorize common citizens under Mao's orders. These bags are wildly popular with foreign students in Beijing; this girl likely didn't realize the significance of her action. I had to wonder, though, if any of the Tibetans in the vicinity took offense to this bag bearing the face of the man who stripped them of their own country and much of their culture.
The market was otherwise fabulous. After walking around the temple, we were content to sit and watch passersby for awhile. Many people did a double take as they passed us (me being Caucaisan and Thai being Asian, this reaction is quite common), but were still greeted by the trademark Tibetan smile.
The afternoon brought a visit to Se La Monastery in the mountains directly outside Lhasa. We arrived at 3 PM, the beginning of the "debating hour". Between 3 and 4:30,
the monks of the monastery will gather in what is known as the debating hall and loudly and excitedly debate politics, history, religion and culture. Well, that's what we were told anyway; we don't speak Tibetan. They would often emphasize a point by loudly clapping their hands together, or perhaps this was the method by which they passed the opportunity to speak to another monk; I never quite caught on. The evening brought us back to F.I.T. travel agency, where we paid up and finalized our Mount Everest itinerary. In just 2 days, we would be at the literal rooftop of the world.
DAY SEVEN
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2007
SHIGAR, TIBET
We left Lhasa bright and early this morning in order to reach our destination by nightfall. The day would be comprised of a 10-11 hour drive and the altitude would increase by hundreds of meters. (As a side note-- I've become quite adept at understanding the metric system while living in China, in terms of knowing that someone who is 2 meters tall is very tall but someone who is 1 meter is very short; however, I still don't know any of the conversions to the U.S.
system. It's all relative).
As we left Lhasa, we drove past many small villages. The houses appeared to be constructed with some type of mud brick and the windows were all beautiful painted in Tibetan traditional style. I was surprised to see that most of the cars on the road were SUVs; in retrospect, it makes sense-- so many of the roads are still dirt or gravel, driving a vehicle capable of off-roading is necessary. Our driver, Daoa (which means "Monday" in the Tibetan language, we learned) was very good. He was constantly swerving to avoid potholes, passing slow-moving trucks carrying massive loads of construction equipment and keeping an eye out for the constant yak and sheep crossing the road. The yak is so important in Tibetan culture, there is a statue of 2 yaks in the center of Lhasa! I imagine that yak hair is very warm in the winter.
Another constant in the passing scenery was advertisements for Red Bull energy drink. Empty cans could be seen all along the roadsides and our driver bought 2 cans first stop of the day. I can only imagine that the energy booster comes in handy while working 14-16
Prayer wheels
The faithful will spin the wheels clockwise as they walk past the line hour days in the fields!
As we traveled through the Tibetan countryside, we were made to stop several times at mandatory police checkpoints. The officers there checked our Tibet and Everest travel permits as well as questioned our driver as to our destination. I have no idea why these measures are necessary; perhaps to prevent Tibetan people from escaping the Chinese government-controlled Tibet region to nearby Nepal? After approximately 11 hours of driving, we reached Shigar. This small town would be our final stop of the day and would house us overnight. The hotel we stayed in was very nice and provided excellent warm blankets for the frigid Tibetan night. The one drawback was the bathrooms were located a short walk outside the actual hotel. However, I found even this aspect enjoyable. I ventured outside around 7 AM and was amazed to be greeted by a night sky filled with glittering, shining stars. I had not been able to see such a sight since I left the USA nearly one year ago. The sky was still dark because China does not employ time zones like the USA. When the sun rises in Tibet at 7 AM, it would be
like 5 AM were China to use the time zone system. After a good night's sleep, it was off to Mount Everest!
DAY EIGHT
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2007
MOUNT EVEREST BASE CAMP
After a Tibetan breakfast at 7:30 AM, it was back to the land cruiser and on to Everest. After about an hour's drive, we reached the edge of Mount Everest park, and that was when the roads became nearly impossible to navigate. They were all dirt or gravel, with gaping holes and no warning of missing road. I was glad to be chauffered by someone who had traveled those roads many times before.
We began climbing higher and higher. For reference, Lhasa is at an altitude of about 3,700 meters above sea level, while Everest base camp is about 5,200 meters. As we climbed, Thai began experiencing major discomfort due to the change in altitude. I was also uncomfortable for a short while, but recovered and had no further problems. (Thank you, 18th floor apartment!). We soon reached the top of the mountain we had been winding our way up and were greeted by a breathtaking view of the Himalayas. We stopped for photos and
Ready for a Tibetan meal
In China, chopsticks stuck straight into the rice symbolize death, because they look like incense placed at an altar. In Tibet, that doesn't seem to be the case. took in our first view in person of Mount Everest. While taking pictures, I noticed some other foreigners kept glancing in my direction. I figured they were curious about me and why I was in Tibet, as I was about them. I asked our driver in Chinese if he'd mind taking a picture with me, and that broke the ice between the other foreigners and us. They asked if I was from Beijing, and when I said I was, that seemed to confirm something. Apparently, there is a foreign young woman who looks like me who speaks fluent Chinese and teaches Chinese to foreigners via CCTV on Chinese television. They thought I was a celebrity! I was terribly flattered, especially because they felt my Chinese was fluent, but I had to tell them the truth. Nevertheless, it was nice to meet them.
We continued on our way, turning and winding through the mountains toward Everest. All along the road, I could see the makeshift tents of construction workers, as well as massive piles of some kind of short pipe. It didn't click for me until we began the descent toward Everest along sheer cliffs and straight-down drops of
thousands of feet. Those construction workers were actually building the safety rails as we drove down the mountains! For most of the journey, all that separated us from certain death was the skill of our driver. (Aren't you glad I'm telling you this after the fact, Mom and Dad?). Finally, we reached the end of the day's drive. We were 4 km away from Everest, and no more vehicles were allowed. Due to the altitude, many foreigners have trouble walking even short distances as it saps the energy and steals the breath, so horse carts are available for the ride to base camp. We fell into our cart and were on our way to the rooftop of the world.
Words cannot describe how it felt to be standing in Mount Everest base camp, staring the great mountain in the face. So many have attempted the climb and not survived, some never found. It's one of the world's great natural wonders, and continues to climb in height each year, due to shifting tectonic plates below the ground. I couldn't believe I was actually standing on what felt like hallowed ground, a place I'd always heard about, read about or seen
on TV. It was incredible. In the past 5 months since my grandmother's passing, I've had occasions where I've felt her spirit with me. I know that she saw Everest with me. I bet she even made it to the top of the mountain. She didn't get to travel maybe as much as she would have liked during her life, but I hope to do some of that for her. Her spirit will always live on through me.
Unfortunately, due to the altitude and the extreme temperature changes, we were only allowed to experience base camp for 30 minutes. After the time was up, it was back to the horse cart for the ride back down to where our driver waited for us. The temperature fluctuation was unbelievable. Before we'd ascended to base camp, I was wearing a sweater and a hat and sweating. By the time we made it to base camp, a mere 4 km away, I had on a second layer, my winter parka, gloves, and my hood up. The temperature had dropped and the wind was fierce. Those who climb Everest, or even attempt to climb it, are either amazing or crazy. I can't imagine
The Himalayas
En route to Mount Everest how difficult the climb must be, even with the help of a sherpa. Those are truly ambitious individuals out to prove something to themselves and to the world.
Believe it or not, there is a sign at base camp indicating that cell phone service is available. Oh, how far technology has come! Incidentally, it should be noted that the Tibetan name for Everest is Qomolangma.After such an emotionally turbulent day (after all, how often does one step foot on Everest base camp?) we were drained and welcomed the ride back through the mountains to our stop for the night. I will never forget this experience.
DAY NINE
OCTOBER 8, 2007
LHATSE
Today was spent en route back to Lhasa. We managed to go an extra 190 km the night before, so our travel was reduced by nearly 2 hours. We retraced our steps back through the mountains and witnessed changes in the landscape from only 2 days before. The leaves had begun to change from the dewy green of spring to the fiery red and orange of fall. This visual landscape really made me realize that my year in China is nearly up. I've learned so much,
experienced so many different things and become more comfortable in my own skin. Along the way, I've made terrific friends and had my first work experience out of college. It's hard to believe that I'll soon be back in the USA, but in many ways I'm ready. I need to go home to come to terms with my grandmother's passing. I need time to reflect on my year here to really understand what I've learned. I need to see family and friends that I've missed. I need to figure out my next step. And above all, I need to return to my own country and remember my roots. I love China, but I will always be an American.
I digress. On the way back to Lhasa today, we discovered one similarity between Tibet and the USA: when a police officer with radar is up ahead, drivers who have recently passed him will flash their lights as a warning for cars yet to pass. I found this very interesting that the same custom would be shared by both countries. T
he day went by quite quickly. We spent about 8 hours in travel and returned to Lhasa in time
Mount Everest!
We're almost there..... for dinner. This experience in Tibet has been eye-opening, fascinating, spiritual, and amazing. I urge anyone with even the slightest interest in this ancient culture to travel to Tibet. You won't regret it.
DAY TEN
OCTOBER 9, 2007
LHASA
Our last day in Lhasa (and Tibet, too!) was spent in leisure. The morning found us returning to the market near Da Zhao Monastery to soak in the morning Tibetan rituals. In the afternoon, we rented bikes from our hostel and rode around the city. It was so nice to be back in the city, but we also missed the feeling of being close to the great outdoors and the fabulous landscapes witnessed on the drive to Everest. Riding the bicycles around Lhasa definitely gave me a different perspective; I hope to invest in a bike of my own when I return to Beijing next year.
Dinner brought us back to our favorite restaurant in Lhasa, appropriately titled Lhasa Kitchen. Due to Tibet's proximity to Nepal and India, the curry dishes in the restaurants and sold on the streets of Tibet are amazing. My mouth is watering just thinking about it!
After dinner, we took a relaxing
4 km from Mount Everest
You can spend the night in one of these "hotels" (tents with kerosene heaters) if you can stand the altitude!! stroll back to the hostel and packed our bags for the return trip to Beijing. Ten days was the bare minimum needed to experience everything we'd wanted to in Tibet, but I was happy to be going home again. I'd missed Beijing.
DAY ELEVEN
OCTOBER 10, 2007
BEIJING
I awoke this morning with the realization that it was time to go home. Part of me was disappointed that the time had already arrived-- the trip had been amazing, seeing Tibetan people go about their daily lives, watching the faithful pray everywhere and at any time, being immersed in the culture and language, taking in the vast scenery and landscapes of Tibet, and stepping foot on Mount Everest base camp. Another part of me, however, was eager to go home (to Beijing, that is) and see friends and coworkers one last time before I went back to the USA.
It's funny; I realized that when I thought about home, I thought about going back to Beijing, and when I thought about returning to the USA, I thought about staying in my parents' home. So much has changed in the past year. I know the adjustment won't be easy,
but I am looking forward to going back to everything that was once familiar to me.
After taking the shuttle bus to the airport, (and once more seeing that incredible landscape), we boarded the plane that would bring us back to Beijing. Or so we thought. It turns out we would make a (previously unscheduled) stop in Chengdu, so I imagined flying low over the city and seeing friendly panda bear faces grinning up at me. Chengdu is home to a gigantic panda preserve, and it costs upwards of $1000 to hold a baby panda for a photo opportunity.
At any rate, we found our seats and I braced myself for the takeoff. I am, to put it mildly, terrified of flying. It's really quite shocking that I go anywhere. Once that first hour is past, I generally calm down and enjoy the flight, but when the flight itself is only a couple of hours, comprised of 2 legs, it doesn't make for a particularly stress-free day. A new feature on the plane was a TV screen that showed the passengers exactly what the pilots saw at takeoff and landing: the runway, lights, planes ahead of us, and
I made it!
Qomolongma is the Tibetan name for Mount Everest the sky twinkling with the flashing lights of other planes and stars. This type of visual aid was both soothing and horrifying for someone such as myself. I couldn't seem to tear my eyes away, yet all I wanted to do was close them and count to 90.
Soon enough, we'd landed in Chengdu, where it was cold and foggy. A couple hours later, we landed in Beijing, where it was also cold and foggy. Welcome home.
The next few days will be spent in a furious combination of packing, saying goodbye and researching options for the future. This past year has been an incredible ride, and I'm so glad I did it. I'm looking forward to what the future holds, both for me and for China.
I was happy to share all of my experiences with you this past year, whether they were joyful, sorrow-filled, exciting, less than scintillating or surprising. I hope I've been able to provide you with new information about a China that is forever changing. This isn't the end of the chapter, nor is it the end of the blog. Stay tuned for the next saga, beginning next February or March.
Yak Butter Tea
Smelling it.... Thanks for reading.
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The Mom
non-member comment
Unbelievable!
To see those photos of you at the base camp made me realize how you have transformed in so many ways! Here is the girl who refused to accompany her family on so many of our hikes through national parks in earlier years--preferring to stay in the car and read!--now standing at the top of the world. I am so glad that you were able to experience such a fabulous event. Can't wait to see and hear about it in person when you arrive back in the States on Monday evening. Love, Mom