Day 12. We went to the high mountain range over 4000m high again! Great veiwing platform with forested valley, mountain range, cloud and yet another range above, one peak rising to over 7000m! Then we came down a little to see the biggest Cyprus trees in Tibet, a sacred site. There were 3 main trees to look at. Then we took a suicidal busride, slipping and sliding around going up a steep dirt track washed aay in parts by the landslides caused by the rain the day before! Hold on to your seats!!! White water rapids all the way along, and then a short walk along to the sacred lake. Back to the town of NyingChi for sweet Yak tea. Scott then had a blind massage from a young man. Jerry thought the woman was going ... read more

Day 10. Today we headed off for the highest fresh water lake in the world at over 5000m! It is a sacred site in Tibet. Beautiful winding valley road getting ever higher, so Oxygen at the ready! The lake is beautiful, still and surrounded by mountains. At 5,000m climbing a few short steps is unbelieveably tiring for me! Back down 1,000m for lunch stopping off to take photos of a small Tibetan village street and houses. The houses have ornate gateways and doors, the rest of the building being thick brick whitewashed walls. Along the walls were stacked Yak dung, which is dried and used for burning in the winter months. On to another temple called Sera Monastery, where the monks debate Buddhist scripture in a courtyard. Some are standing, others are sitting. The ones standing ... read more

Hi all, We're back to blogging since returning to Chengdu from Lhasa today! No internet access at all in Tibet! So a lot of catching up to do! Day 6 and 7 were basically in a train, 42 hours along the Tangu - La pass at 5,072m on the Qinghai - Tibet rail line! The railway is built on a permafrost and the Chinese continually ensure it stays that way! The train's about 15 carriages long, with compartments with 6 bunks to each, with a narrow corridor alongside to seat and eat and watch the Tibet countryside roll by. Day 6 became day 7 and still we climbed. Scott woke up with his head spinning and feeling nauseous. Altitude sickness seriously kicking in! Threw up all he ate so stayed in bed trying not to move ... read more

Day 7 spent vomiting (The Chengdu chunder) and head spinning for Scott. Jerry completely unaffected. Git! Miles and miles of flat plateau surrounded by mountains and an enormous lake. Day 8 we had entered Tibet. The guard told us to get up early to see the sunrise and an impressive mountain pass (Tangu La) we travel through. She was right. Up at 5.30 for sunrise and a weird mixture of desert, dunes and snowcapped mountains. Plenty of Yak, a few foxes, plenty of sheep on the way. Homesteads dotted about with earthen walls around small houses and farming plots, plus the occasional wigwam effect made from coloured material blowing in the wind. Checked by Tibetan police in the train and at Lhasa station (3,600m), but finally let us in. Lu and I mightily relieved to be ... read more

day 5 Up early for us, 7am!!! After brekkie we all met up with Lu & headed off to Dujiangyan. This was a large area surrounding a big river that that was created into 2 rivers by a small dam. This area also contained a number of large temples that were connected by walking bridges that swayed as you crossed them!!! Climbing to the highest temple gave fab views of the torrenting river. Next we travelled on towards the Panda reserve, stopping on route for a cracking lunch with the best fish dish yet!! After satisfying our appetites we headed off to see the Pandas. The park had lovely enclosures but unfortunately all the Pandas were dining in. We did however get to see them through the glass as they enjoyed their bamboo. We were, however, ... read more